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‘Joy Luck Club’ to ‘Pachinko’: The Asian diaspora on-screen

Inji Jeong, Yeji Yeon and Bomin Kim in “Pachinko”
Inji Jeong, Yeji Yeon and Bomin Kim in “Pachinko”

From “Turning Red” to “Pachinko” to “After Yang,” it’s been a big month for stories about the Asian diaspora.

Even so, the entertainment industry — and the projects it greenlights — remains overwhelmingly white.

A new book chronicles Asian-American contributions to pop culture — from the problematic to the groundbreaking. It’s called “Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now.”

From co-author Jeff Yang:

We talk with Yang, sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen, and “Pachinko” director Soo Hugh about telling stories of the Asian diaspora.

Copyright 2022 WAMU 88.5

Kathryn Fink
Kathryn Fink is a producer with NPR's All Things Considered.

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