Raya, Shang-Chi, and the Never-Ending Fight for Visibility

Welcome to episode two of our newest block of Big Fan Podcast episodes!  This episode is a timely one, on the heels of the premiere of Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. My amazing friend and friend of the pod, Ann Vu Ngo, is here to chat about the intent and impact of movies like Raya and the Last Dragon, Mulan (2020), Crazy Rich Asians, and more. Why are only 6% of speaking roles in Hollywood box office hits given to Asians and Pacific Islanders? How are big companies like Disney doing to try to reverse this statistic? We also discuss the controversies surrounding Marvel's handling of this new debut, who Ann grew up watching on TV, and which Asian stereotypes we need to ex-nay immediately.  Ann and I had such a blast getting into the weeds of this topic and are so excited to see Shang-Chi when we both get a chance. If you are able, go support! Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Seven Rings is in theaters now!!