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Being Asian in America

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Being Asian in America

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BEING ASIAN IN AMERICA
by
Mallika Singh
A Thesis Presented to
FACULTY OF THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL OF
COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM)
May 2023
ii
Acknowledgments
I would first like to thank my parents for giving me the opportunity, encouragement, and
financial support to pursue my degree. Thank you to Professor Daniel H. Birman for the
guidance and constructive criticism throughout the entire process. I could not have completed
my documentary at the quality it is now without his support. I would also like to thank the
IMPACT team for helping me develop the skills that enabled the completion of the film.
Thank you to Hak Lonh, Shaghayegh Cyrous, and Jainil Mehta for sharing their lived
experiences with me. Thank you to Professor Sara Sadhwani for helping me add important
statistical and historical context to the story.

iii

Table of Contents
I. Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………...ii
II. Abstract………………………………………………………………………………....iv
III. Reflection……………………………………………………………………….………1
IV. Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………..12
V. Documentary Script……………………………………………………………………14
iv
Abstract
Twenty-two million Americans trace their roots to 20 countries in the Asian continent, each of
which has unique histories, cultures, and languages. Even in the presence of such vast diversity,
there is a monolithic identity attached to the word "Asian" in the United States. The thesis
explores how the community identifies itself and what it means to be Asian in America. This is
highlighted through a documentary that looks at the lived experiences of three individuals from
different parts of Asia, who are trying to merge their American and ethnic identities to help
create an environment where it’s okay to be who you are.

1
Reflection
"Being Asian in America"’ is a documentary about the 22 million Americans who trace their
roots to 20 different Asian countries, each of which has unique histories, cultures, and
languages
1
. I chose to make the documentary with the intention of showing the audience how to
think about a group of Americans that is not well understood and has, throughout the
generations, been the victims of racial microaggressions and hate crimes.
I was born on the Asian continent in India and lived there for the first 23 years of my life. I
moved to the United States in 2021. One of the cultural shocks I experienced was realizing that
when someone uses the term Asian here, they are not thinking about me or perhaps a lot of the
people with their roots in the continent. The term is popularly used for people of East Asian
descent.
Identifying with the Asian race had always come naturally to me, as I thought of it as an
extension of being Indian. Having observed the connotations of the term in the U.S. triggered in
me the curiosity to better understand the Asian American community and how it is perceived by
the rest of the American population. For how could a continent with such vast diversity be boiled
down to being associated with one region?

1
Budiman, Abby, and Neil G. Ruiz. “Key Facts about Asian Americans, a Diverse and Growing Population.” Pew
Research Center. Pew Research Center, February 16, 2022.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/.
2
The preliminary idea was in the form of observing dialogues within and around the Asian
American community and engaging in conversations with those around me. The inspiration for
the documentary stemmed from having observed the statement “Asian is not a monolith,” being
repeated in conversations within the community. This was also a statement I failed to observe
being discussed outside my community. I decided to make a documentary as an attempt to bring
forward this conversation by visually displaying how “Asians are not a monolith.” America is
becoming more diverse at an unprecedented rate, making it more important now than ever to
acknowledge and respect those diversities, especially those of the fastest-growing racial and
ethnic groups in the country
2
.
Inspired by the Black Power movement, the term “Asian American” was first used by UC
Berkeley student activists, Emma Gee and Yuji Ichioka in 1968
3
. It was coined in the hopes of
uniting different, Asian communities and arming them with more political power by creating a
large protest bloc.
The US census bureau now defines Asian as “a person having origins in any of the original
peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example,

2
Budiman, Abby, and Neil G. Ruiz. “Key Facts about Asian Americans, a Diverse and Growing Population.” Pew
Research Center. Pew Research Center, February 16, 2022.
3
Kambhampaty, Anna Purna. “AAPI History: Activist Origins of the Term 'Asian American'.” Time. Time, May
22, 2020. https://time.com/5837805/asian-american-history/.
3
Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and
Vietnam.”
4

In an Asian American-centric focus group study conducted by the Pew Research Center, most
Asian Americans felt that the pan-ethnic “Asian” label only represented a part of how they
identify themselves. Recent immigrants indicated that they are more drawn to their ethnic
identity in opposition to the US-created pan-ethnic one. Meanwhile, US-born participants switch
between their ethnic, Asian, and American identities when identifying themselves.
Participants reported a disconnect between how they saw themselves versus how they thought
they are perceived by others. Many noted that there exists a perception in others to view Asian
Americans as people mostly from East Asia. For some, this perception extends to interactions
with other Asian American groups. Some participants also shared their experiences of having
their race and ethnicity misidentified. Many shared having to explain their backgrounds and
reacting to stereotypes associated with the community
5
.

4
Bureau, US Census. 2022. “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 2022.” Census.gov. April
18, 2022. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2022/asian-american-pacific-islander.html.
5
Ruiz, Neil G., Sunny Shao, and Sono Shah. “What It Means to Be Asian in America.” Pew Research
Center Race & Ethnicity. Pew Research Center, August 16, 2022. https://www.pewresearch.org/race-
ethnicity/2022/08/02/what-it-means-to-be-asian-in-america/#this-is-ho w-others-see-and-treat-me.
4
Some participants of South Asian descent said that they identified with the “South Asian” label
more than the “Asian” one, which can be assumed to be a result of associating the term “Asian”
with East Asians in the US.
According to a study conducted by the National Asian American Survey in 2016, 42 percent of
white Americans believed that Indians are “not likely to be” Asian or Asian American, while 45
percent believed the same for Pakistanis. The study also found that even within the Asian
community, 15 percent believed that Indians are “not likely to be” Asian or Asian American,
while 27 percent believed the same for people of Pakistani descent
6
.
I found it interesting to note that the term “Asian” in the British context is more associated with
people of South Asian descent in comparison to those of East Asian one
7
. These perceptions
have been attributed to the difference in the history of immigration patterns observed in the two
countries
8
.
While people of West Asian descent are considered to be “white” and not “Asian” by the US
Census Bureau, the experience and treatment of the community seems to be more closely related
to that of the ones counted as “Asian.” In my personal interactions with people of the
community, they described it as “weird” to be counted as white and not Asian, especially those
who were first-generation immigrants.

6
“2016 Post-Election National Asian American Survey.” Accessed August 30, 2022.
https://naasurvey.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/NAAS16-post-election-report.pdf.
5
The experiences of West Asians and South Asians became even more closely intertwined in the
aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, where many from the Muslim and Sikh communities became a
target of hate crimes resulting from Islamophobia
9
.
The Asian American population doubled between 2000 and 2019 and is projected to cross 46
million by 2060, making it the fastest-growing ethnic and racial group in the country. The
community as of 2020 totals 22 million, or 7 percent of the total American population
10
.

7
2022. Psyarxiv.com. 2022. https://psyarxiv.com/tqwu3.
8
“Who Counts as Asian.” Taylor & Francis.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01419870.2019.1671600?journalCode=rers20.
9
Crawford,
Neta C., Lisa Graves, and Jessica Katzenstein. 2021. “Racial Profiling | Costs of War.” Watson.brown.edu. June
2021. https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/social/rights/profiling. 10 Budiman, Abby, and Neil G. Ruiz. “Key
Facts about Asian Americans, a Diverse and Growing Population.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center,
February 16, 2022.
Ninety-seven percent of the Asian American population can be traced to the 19 largest origin
groups.
Chinese Americans are the largest origin group, making up 24 percent of the population
7
. Indian
Americans make up the second largest group, accounting for 21 percent
12
, followed by Filipino
Americans who account for 19 percent of the total population
13
. Fifty-seven percent of the Asian
American population was born in another country. However, some Asian groups are more likely

7
“Chinese | Data on Asian Americans.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/asian-americans-chinese-in-the-u-s/. 12 “Indians | Data on
Asian Americans.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. April 29, 2021.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/asian-americans-indians-in-the-u-s/. 13
“Filipinos | Data on Asian Americans.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/asian-americans-filipinos-in-the-u-s/. 14 Budiman, Abby, and
Neil G. Ruiz. “Key Facts about Asian Americans, a Diverse and Growing Population.” Pew Research Center. Pew
Research Center, February 16, 2022.
6
to have been born in the US than other Asian-origin groups, which is a result of differences in
reasons and timeframe of their arrival in the country
14
.
While as a collective group Asian Americans do well economically, the income disparities
within the community are the highest of any racial or ethnic group in the US
8
. For example, in
2019, households headed by Burmese Americans had significantly lower incomes than Asian
Americans overall ($44,400 vs. $85,800)
16
. These differences between the Asian origin groups
can also be seen in the sectors of education, poverty, healthcare, English proficiency, and
homeownership.
These disparities within the group stand to reflect the diversity of the community by becoming a
statistical counterpoint to the ‘model minority’ myth and the monolithic description of the
community.
The term “model minority” was coined in 1966 in an article The New York Times Magazine
entitled “Success story: Japanese American style,” by sociologist William Petersen
9
. The term
referred to Japanese Americans, many of whom had endured incarceration during World War II ,
as model citizens for their ability to work hard while respecting authority and achieving a high

8
Kochhar, Rakesh, and Anthony Cilluffo. “Income Inequality in the U.S. Is Rising Most Rapidly among
Asians.” Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project. Pew Research Center, August 21,
2020. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/07/12/income-inequality-in-the-u-s-is-rising-most-
rapidlyamong-asians/. 16 Budiman, Abby, and Neil G. Ruiz. “Key Facts about Asian Americans, a Diverse and
Growing Population.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, February 16, 2022.
9
Pettersen, William. “Success Story, Japanese-American Style; Success Story, Japanese-American
Style.” The New York Times. The New York Times, January 9, 1966.
https://www.nytimes.com/1966/01/09/archives/success-story-japaneseamerican-style-success-story-
japan eseamerican.html.
7
level of success in American society
10
. The model minority myth is still used to describe Asian
Americans overall and often fails to play in coherence with the lived experiences of the
community, which is evident when data is disaggregated.
In the identity-centric study Pew Research Center study referred to previously, some participants
talked about their frustration with being labeled the “model minority.” In all these discussions,
participants shed light on the negative impacts that mistaken assumptions and labels had on their
lives. A shared sentiment among immigrant and, US-born participants is the challenges they’ve
had to face as a result of the model minority myth, and the negative impacts mistaken
assumptions have had on their lives
11
.
While the entire Asian community is highly diverse in terms of its cultures, traditions, and
physical appearance, they have been bound together by the lived experiences of exclusion,
stereotyping, and discrimination. A common experience of the entire focus group participating in
the Pew Research Center study was being continuously asked “Where are you really from?”
upon meeting people for the first time. For participants, this implied that they were considered to
be “foreigners” regardless of how long they have been living in the US, or even if they were born
here. To the participants, the question also implied that there is a preconceived notion of what an
“American” is supposed to look, sound, and act like.

10
“Model Minority Section - University of Washington.”
https://depts.washington.edu/sibl/Publications/Model%20Minority%20Section%20(2011).pdf.
11
Ruiz, Neil G., Sunny Shao, and Sono Shah. “What It Means to Be Asian in America.” Pew Research
Center Race & Ethnicity. Pew Research Center, August 16, 2022. https://www.pewresearch.org/race-
ethnicity/2022/08/02/what-it-means-to-be-asian-in-america/#this-is-ho w-others-see-and-treat-me.
8
The historic treatment and failure to understand Asia and “Asians” by the American population
is unfortunately something that binds the entire community with lineage to the continent
together.
12

Despite these challenges, another common ground was observed among the participants across
all focus groups participating in the Pew Research Center study. It was the pride in their cultural
and ethnic backgrounds and the blending of their unique cultural practices and traditions with
American ones. Many also expressed a sense of responsibility to give back to their community
on their own terms, by providing support and sharing their cultural heritage with others.
It was the observations I made during my theoretical research and the conversations I had with
members of the community that paved the way for my documentary, "Being Asian in America."
I chose to make this documentary to try to illustrate the cultural diversity of the community with
the help of three Asians in America, who come from diverse backgrounds and are choosing to
live their professional lives in connection with their ethnic culture.
In this story, we meet a chef, a dancer, and an artist who trace their roots to three Asian
regionsSoutheast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. We learn about what it means to be Asian in

12
The New York Times. “How It Feels to Be Asian in Today's America.” The New York Times. The New
York Times, September 25, 2021.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/25/us/asian-americans.html.
9
America from their vantage points as they tell us about their own cultural experiences and how
they helped shape their lives.
Although the experience of three individuals does not define those of the entire population, my
approach to this story looks at the life experiences of these individuals with an ethnic lens and
how they are trying to create an environment where it’s okay to be who you are. This
documentary shows their stories and helps narrate how these three people exemplify millions
of Americans who are waiting to be understood, and to feel seen.
I chose to use a video format to help tell this story because I believe that being able to see
characters on screen narrate their own experiences helps create a more personal connection.
Also, the entire premise of the documentary is to break the monolithic stereotype associated with
the Asian American community, which in my opinion can be done best through a visual
representation where the audience can see the differences and the lived realities of the
community for themselves. I wanted the audience to be able to see Cambodian food being
prepared, see art being created with Iranian influences, and the difference between Indian and
Chinese dance forms.
I started the production for the documentary in December 2021, when I flew to New York to
film my first character, Jainil Mehta, an Indian dancer. The shoot proved to be physically taxing
as it was being conducted during a massive Covid-19 wave that had just hit New York. I was
following my character throughout the city, trying to capture a day in the life of, with a camera
10
kit that required a certain level of physical fitness to be carried on one’s shoulders, a fitness level
I did not have. The first shoot I had with the character did not turn out to be as visually appealing
I would have liked it to be, which was a result of me not fully understanding the camera yet.
However, I overcame that in the subsequent shoots I had planned with Jainil. I also did not get to
film as much as I would have liked to, since the character received a Covid-19 threat and I
started showing symptoms soon after. However, I had still shot enough footage to be able to
cover his parts in a way that did justice to his story.
I shot with my second character, Hak Lonh in February. Even though the shoot was scheduled at
the last minute, I was able to capture the last operational day of his restaurant, Gamboge in Los
Angeles. After I edited Lonh’s section of the story, I realized that I would like to have more
visual variations for select parts of his story and was able to shoot him again in April, once he
started hosting dinners for private parties.
It was finding my third character that proved to be the most difficult part of the filmmaking
process. I was trying to find a West Asian female artist, for the reason that I wanted to represent
all three overlooked regions of the continent, and West Asian women remain highly
misrepresented in Western media
13
. The documentary would have allowed at least one of them to
narrate their experience as is, through a craft that is visually appealing. It took me three months

13
Qutub, Afnan. “Harem Girls and Terrorist Men: Media Misrepresentations of Middle Eastern Cultures.”
Cal.State.La.edu, 2013.
11
to be able to find a character who had the time to participate in the documentary. My first shoot
with Shaghayegh Cyrous took place in San Francisco as her work was being displayed on the
Salesforce Tower to mark the celebration of the Iranian American Women’s Day on April 27th,
2023. My second shoot with Shaghayegh took place in May when she had started working on
her new artwork. However, the second shoot was interrupted by a windstorm that hit the beach
and I was unable to capture everything I had planned to observe.
I started interviewing my characters one by one with the hope of eventually finding a common
thread in their stories that would help me effectively narrate the experience of millions. It took
constant effort on my part to not get deviated by their personal stories and stick to the
overarching point of the film, a challenge my professor helped me to overcome.
The entire process of making "Being Asian in America" made me push my boundaries at every
step. It gives me great pleasure to look back on it and acknowledge it as one of the most
fulfilling experiences of my life so far.
I came to the University of Southern California with the intent to learn how to make
documentary films, with no significant experience in journalism, filmmaking, or editing.
However, over the course of one year, the opportunities and education I was provided with
helped me understand the profession better and develop my skills to a level that I personally feel
confident in. Throughout the process, my goal remained to be able to do justice to the diverse
community I tried to represent, one I believe I was able to achieve.
12
Bibliography
1. Budiman, Abby, and Neil G. Ruiz. “Key Facts about Asian Americans, a Diverse and
Growing Population.” Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, February 16, 2022.

2. Kambhampaty, Anna Purna. “AAPI History: Activist Origins of the Term 'Asian
American'.” Time. Time, May 22, 2020.

3. Bureau, US Census. 2022. “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May
2022.” Census.gov. April 18, 2022.

4. Ruiz, Neil G., Sunny Shao, and Sono Shah. “What It Means to Be Asian in America.”
Pew Research Center Race & Ethnicity. Pew Research Center, August 16, 2022.

5. “2016 Post-Election National Asian American Survey.” Accessed August 30, 2022.

6. 2022. Psyarxiv.com. 2022.

7. “Who Counts as Asian.” Taylor & Francis.

8. Crawford, Neta C., Lisa Graves, and Jessica Katzenstein. 2021. “Racial Profiling | Costs
of War.” Watson.brown.edu. June 2021.

9. “Chinese | Data on Asian Americans.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic
Trends Project.

10. “Indians | Data on Asian Americans.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic
Trends Project. April 29, 2021.

11. “Filipinos | Data on Asian Americans.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic
Trends Project.

12. Kochhar, Rakesh, and Anthony Cilluffo. “Income Inequality in the U.S. Is Rising Most
Rapidly among Asians.” Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project. Pew
Research Center, August 21, 2020.

13. Pettersen, William. “Success Story, Japanese-American Style; Success Story, Japanese-
American Style.” The New York Times. The New York Times, January 9, 1966.
https://www.nytimes.com/1966/01/09/archives/success-story-japaneseamerican-style-success-stor
y-japaneseamerican.html.
14. “Model Minority Section - University of Washington.”

13
15. The New York Times. “How It Feels to Be Asian in Today's America.” The New York
Times. The New York Times, September 25, 2021.

16. Qutub, Afnan. “Harem Girls and Terrorist Men: Media Misrepresentations of Middle
Eastern Cultures.” Cal.State.La.edu, 2013.

14
Documentary Script
PROLOGUE
Montage music
Visual montage of Asian settlements in
United States

VO: Jainil Mehta, Dancer
Visuals: Jainil dancing in the studio
In India it is very difficult to take dance up as a career.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous, Artist
Visuals: Shaghayegh shooting artwork
As an artist in Iran, it was not safe. The situation for artists was
getting worse and worse.
Unfortunately, I didn't see my parents for ten years. So that was the risk
I paid.
VO: Hak Lonh, Owner and Chef, Gamboge
Visuals: Hak cooking
Our journey from Cambodia to America was not an easy
journey. I was about one year old and we landed in rural
Hershey, Pennsylvania, it wasn't very diverse.
I've always felt like an outsider here.
VO: Sara Sadhwani, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor of Politics, Pomona
College and Senior Researcher, AAPI Data
Visuals: Montage of Asian settlements in
The term Asian in the American context is quite broad.
Asian-Americans are again the fastest-growing immigrant group
in America. 22 million people in the U.S. trace their backgrounds
to an Asian country.

15
United States Asian Americans come from more than 20 different countries.
And of course, each of those countries is diverse in and of
themselves. East Asia, Southeast Asia and even some Middle
Eastern countries are all considered a part of the Asian-American
diaspora.
SOT: Sara Sadhwani
Many communities have faced a sense of discrimination, that is
something that unfortunately binds the community together.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visulas:Shaghayegh shooting video on the
beach
The first month I came and had Internet and in Google they ask
the first question came up right away was like, should we bomb
Iran?
VO: Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Janil dancing in streets of New York
City
When I came to the U.S. I was trying to change my entire style to
what people here do. I realized that I needed to embrace my
culture a lot more.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak cooking dinner
I've heard that a lot of times from my friends, we don't look at
you as Asian and I am like, what's wrong with looking at me as
being Asian? Why can't I be Asian to be part of your group?
VO: Sara Sadhwani
Visuals: Montage of Asian settlements in
United States
We've seen hate crimes over time in the United States targeting
Asian-Americans. When we see this increase in incidents of hate,
including microaggressions, we can anticipate that more and
more Asian Americans are going to double down on their
Asian-American identity and cling to it perhaps in new ways.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak talking to customers
We did get Cambodian food out there and a lot of people started
discovering Cambodian food, which was part of my mission.
16
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh looking at her artwork
being displayed on North Salesforce Tower,
In your art, you have a responsibility to just be a voice. I'm trying
my best to express these kinds of serious issues through my art.
I'm trying.

San Francisco.
-END PROLOGUE-

TITLE CARD: BEING ASIAN IN
AMERICA

Establishing Shots:
Gamboge, Los Angeles, CA

VO: Hak Lonh, Owner and Chef, Gamboge
Establishing Shots: Gamboge
Gamboge means this deep yellow saffron color you see in
Cambodia that is sort of synonymous with the monks over there.
VO: Hak Lonh
Window Shots and kitchen shots: Hak Lonh
My journey with Gamboge started about 10 years ago. It was just
this idea that I had of trying to open up a restaurant to preserve
and tell the story of Cambodian food.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Window Shots and kitchen shots:
Hak Lonh
Each time a customer would try our food, they're like, we've
never had anything like this.
SOT: Hak Lonh
It's somewhat familiar, but yet it's different.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Shots of restaurant backyard seating
Those sorts of experiences were what really touched our hearts
and made worth what we're doing.
17
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Spring Rolls being made
What really sort of sets Cambodian food apart from the other
Southeast Asian countries is our deep level of funk.
Like these really strong fermented fish paste.
It sounds like really strong flavors but when they come together
and you cook it down, it mellows it out and you can take it in
different ways.
It's interesting because there is no set recipe.

SOT: Hak Lonh You can easily mess it up.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Grilled Chicken being made
Being a first-generation Cambodian and trying to do a deep dive
into Cambodian cuisine, it's hard because each Cambodian cooks
the same dish differently.
You're not really sure what sources are reliable.
SOT: Hak Lonh
It’s almost like the hero's journey, like folklore. I feel like
Cambodian food is stories passed on from one generation to
another.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Visuals: Grilled Chicken being made
It's all interpretation and it's just wild for a cuisine to be built on
interpretation.
18
SOT: Hak Lonh
It's up to us to put that down, so the next generation can take it
and do whatever they want to… evolve it.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh doing grocery shopping
Our journey from Cambodia to America was not an easy journey.
In Cambodia, there was a takeover by a Communist Party called
the Khmer Rouge.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh doing grocery shopping
My family, my mom, my dad, and my sisters were pushed out to
work camps.
My parents had planned an escape. At the time, they were
pregnant with me.
They escaped from Cambodia and went to Thailand.

SOT: Hak Lonh
And I was born in this little refugee camp.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh doing grocery shopping
Then we ended up in the Philippines. And then from the
Philippines, we made our way to America.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh doing grocery shopping
I was about one year old and we landed in rural Hershey,
Pennsylvania, it wasn't very diverse.
They welcomed us with open arms, it was a church group that
brought us over here.
19
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh doing grocery shopping
We had this house with some flat ground. My mom ended up
cultivating that little area like a garden and grew her own food.
And that's what we ate.
Not only because we were pretty poor.
SOT: Hak Lonh
She was bringing old-world things into the new world. Into
America.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh leaves the grocery store
and enters kitchen
We had two refrigerators, one upstairs and then downstairs,
where that would be her storage. And it would be just things that
were hard to come across in Hershey.
We used to like to take trips to Philadelphia or to New York just
because there was a greater Asian population that we could
source ingredients from.
Every time we make a trip, we'd come back with a car full of
ingredients and my mom would stockpile all that stuff.

SOT: Hak Lonh
I don't know if it was PTSD because of the starvation and hunger
that my parents experienced.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak starts prepping for dinner
Like, we always had to have food in the house.
20
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Lonh prepares for dinner
Food has always been sort of central to a lot of our lives. And
like growing up with it, it always revolved around food like
that's why we worked so hard. The plan was always to have food
on the table.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh chops vegetables in the
kitchen
Growing up Asian in Pennsylvania, was very… At the time I
didn't really think anything of it. But looking back and thinking
about these things.
SOT: Hak Lonh
I was like, man, it was pretty messed up. You just don’t know it.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh cooks dinner in the
kitchen
My first situation was in second grade,
I was called the N-word on the playground because I was the
closest thing that was brown.
I went home and I asked my parents, what does this mean? And
they're like, why did they call you that? You're Asian.
It was weird.
SOT: Hak Lonh
That was sort of the first thing that made me feel like I'm
different.

21
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh cooks dinner in the
kitchen
My parents were like be calm. Don't let sort of this stuff get to
you. Let it be, they don’t know any better.
And that just sort of didn't sit with me so well.
After a while, I just was like, yeah, I see it. We're Buddhists and
we take the path of least resistance. But man, it’s messed up. You
kind of want to stand up, sometimes you want to get
confrontational but it's not worth it sometimes.
SOT: Hak Lonh
I've always felt like an outsider here. And when I went back to
Cambodia for the first time, I felt like an outsider there.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh cooks dinner in the
kitchen
When I first moved to San Francisco I saw an Asian mailman
and that just blew my mind.
Because it's like, oh, there's Asians doing normal things and
they're not shop owners. They don't own a laundromat, they
don’t own a Chinese restaurant, even though they're not Chinese.
I know that sounds completely crazy, but to me it was just like,
Wow, this is amazing.
SOT: Hak Lonh
I feel like I'm among my people.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak Lonh prepares salad
As I sort of progressed here, I found my people and we can share
these kinds of stories, especially when you go out to eat.
It's awesome. We could just slip noodles, we could do anything
and no one would look at you twice.
22

VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Montage of all dishes being plated
My wife and I decided to take this leap of faith and open up a
Cambodian restaurant. And we did it during the pandemic.
I called my parents to ask them and they're like
SOT: Hak Lonh Well, don't worry about it because we survived the genocide. So,
a pandemic is not going to affect you.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Niki receives the drawing
I pushed forward and we opened up August 6 of 2020 and we
ended up closing our doors on February 19, 2022.
It's very bittersweet because we thought we had sort of a longer
life to this.
But on the positive side, we did get Cambodian food out there
and a lot of people started discovering Cambodian food, which
was part of my mission. And so, you know, it wasn't a total
failure, there was some success there.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Lonh talking to staff
What's next for me? I think continuing on with food in some
form, but also getting back to my old craft of filmmaking and
bridging the two together.
SOT: Hak Lonh
Here we are, shut down. But that's not the end of it. It's all part of
the story.
23
VO: Sara Sadhwani
Visuals: Sequence of Asian settlements in the
US
Asian Americans come from more than 20 different countries.
And of course, each of those countries is diverse and in of
themselves. East Asia, Southeast Asia and even some Middle
Eastern countries are all considered a part of the Asian-American
diaspora.
SOT: Sara Sadhwani
There's a number of reasons why people come to the United
States, and those reasons are diverse across the Asian diaspora.

VO: Sara Sadhwani
Visuals: Sequence of Asian settlements in the
US
The pathway in which they arrive here in the United States is
consequential to their economic outcomes.
If you've come as a refugee, for example, escaping potentially a
communist country or political persecution in your home
country, your economic outlook is going to be much different
than someone who is arriving here in the United States, who
already speaks English, who came with an array of skills that
they can use in the workforce.
So while, you know, certain subgroups might be doing well
overall, that sometimes masks the greater needs that the
community might actually have.
SOT: Sara Sadhwani
So while, you know, certain subgroups might be doing well
overall, that sometimes masks the greater needs that the
community might actually have.
24
NAT SOUND:
Music
Visuals: Jainil rehearsing in his room

VO Jainil Mehta, Dancer
Visuals: Jainil rehearsing in his room
All my life, I have learned and trained in contemporary dance.
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil rehearsing in his room
But Bollywood was always in me because of the culture.
I've grown up watching so many Bollywood movies.
Bollywood is not just a form. It is derived from so many different
cultures, so many different forms.
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil rehearsing in his room
In India it is very difficult to take dance up as a career.

I think it was a shock for my mom when I told her in the eighth
grade that, Oh, I want to take up dance as my career.
We went to the counselor and the counselor was like, So what
are you going to eat? Where will you live?
SOT: Jainil Mehta
I was a little confused. At first I was like, What is she trying to
say?
25
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil continues dance rehearsal in
room
She was basically saying that dancers do not have a lot of money.
I came to Los Angeles in August 2017 for my Bachelor's of Fine
Arts in Dance at the University of Southern California
SOT: Janil Mehta
I remember the first day I went for my studio class, the professor
just started with the combinations, and I was just like, oh, my
God. I don't know if I've made the right decision.
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil leaves home
It was so quick and everything happened so quickly.
Other people were from the US, so they were accustomed to their
education system and training.
I was just like I don't know how I'm going to adjust.
I was at the bottom in the dynamics of my class.
SOT: Jainil Mehta Not knowing any combinations, just running around in the studio
like I just didn't know what I was doing.
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil enters studio to record dance
videos
When I came to the U.S., I was like, OK, I have to learn what
they are teaching me.
I was trying to change my entire style to what people here do.
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil dancing for his video
One of my professors asked me what are you doing with your
Indian culture.

How are you adapting what you’ve learned here and adding on to
what you have already learned in India? That really caught my
eyes.
26
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil dancing for his video
One of my professors asked me what are you doing with your
Indian culture.
How are you adapting what you’ve learned here and adding on to
what you have already learned in India? That really caught my
eyes.
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil dancing for his video
One of my professors asked me what are you doing with your
Indian culture.
How are you adapting what you’ve learned here and adding on to
what you have already learned in India? That really caught my
eyes.
SOT: Jainil Mehta I started trying to explore and see what my style actually is.
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil preparing to shoot a second
dance video.
It was a very difficult process and I think I'm still figuring it out.
I don't think I'm ever going to have this one stop of okay, this is
my style and this is what I do.
VO Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil performs for dance video
It has been tough honestly to get my culture involved within the
US.
And I’ve started to transition into getting my culture into
contemporary movement. That’s when a lot of people started to
identify me as a Bollywood dancer, which honestly hindered my
progress at the time.
Now I just feel like, yeah so what, I was a Bollywood dancer at
the time and I think I am exploring so much more.

27
I still do Bollywood dances, I still do my own style of
contemporary movement and I just feel satisfied.
SOT: Jainil Mehta
I have grown up in that Bollywood culture, so why not?
VO: Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Establishing Shots of New York
City.
After my graduation literally in five days, I packed my bags and
I moved to New York knowing nothing about what my future
holds.
I did not know anyone.
VO: Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil rehearses with his dance
company
I have had this dream of wearing a coat and having a lot of bags
and coffee in hand and just walking to rehearsal space and live in
New York.
VO: Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil rehearses with his dance
company
I got a call from the executive director of the Nai-Ni Chen Dance
Company saying that, Hey, we want you in the company.
I was like, Wow, I got the job, OK, now I've got my feet in New
York.
I'm going to live my dream.
SOT: Jainil Mehta
The Nai Ni Chen Dance Company, it involves a lot of Chinese
influence in modern contemporary dance.
Visuals: Nai Ni Chen Dance company
dancers rehearsing in the studio.

28
VO: Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil rehearses with his dance
company
When I got into the dance company, I thought that Asian and
South Asian was very very different.
But when I started learning the repertoire and I was learning their
culture, I felt like there's such a strong connection between the
two cultures.

I thought that I could just fit in.
I already had the posture but it was just different in some way
that I can not even express.
SOT: Jainil Mehta
My final goal is to start up a dance education program in India
for university students.
VO: Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil rehearses with his dance
company
I've had this goal since the eighth grade because I did not have
such an education in India. That's why I had to come to the
United States for it. And I want to offer that to students in India
who cannot afford to come to the US and learn about American
culture.
VO: Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil stands in the streets of New
York.
Because I did not have such an education in India that’s why I
had to come to the United States for it and I want to offer that to
students in India who can not come to the US.
29
VO: Sara Sadhwani
Visuals: Sequence of Asian settlements in the
US
You know, for a long time there has been a forever foreigner
stereotype placed on Asian Americans, regardless of how long
they've been here.
When we see this increase in hate crimes and incidents of hate,
including these kinds of microaggressions that people are
reporting, we can anticipate that more and more Asian
Americans are going to become involved in politics.
We also might anticipate that they would double down on their
Asian-American identity and cling to it perhaps in new ways.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous, Artist
Visuals: Shaghayegh prepares for shoot
When I was in kindergarten, my teacher asked my mom to come
to the school. My mom thought I did something wrong. And then

the art teacher told my mom that she has talent. You have to just
put it.
As an artist in Iran, I really wanted to learn more about
contemporary art and video. I was always really interested in
how in film you can bring all the media together.
SOT: Shaghayegh Cyrous But art as education was not an option back then. It was also not
safe in Iran, too. I thought I don't have any future.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh prepares for shoot
Back when I graduated, the situation for artists was getting worse
and worse. A lot of galleries were getting closed. My partner at
the time kept getting arrested. That opened my eyes politically.
Like, how art has a lot of power to create changes.
I feel like it magically happened.
30
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh drives to shoot
I came to USA in 2011. And when I came here we didn't have
any choice because a lot of our friends got arrested, then the
sanction of Iran, the US and the whole conflict throws up.
I decided to speak up for people who are in Iran and who don’t
have any voice. And I just stayed and I became a refugee kind of,
um, which is weird. I never thought I would do that.
SOT: Shaghayegh Cyrous Unfortunately, I didn't see my parents for ten years. So that was
the risk I paid.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh reaches beach and sets
up for the shoot
It's one of the most difficult things ever because I don't see my
parents and I was so close to them and then not being able to go
back to Iran, that's insane to me.
But at the same time, I have a privilege to be here and the only
thing I can do is to just be their voice if I can, anyway, And that's
kind of what kept me to stay.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh has a picnic with her
The video section started because I was away from my parents. I
was not able to see them and at the beginning that I came here,

artists on the beach video chat was not common. My parents didn't know how to do
it.
We did a Skype performance. called The Future of the Past, the
Past of the Future.
I was really obsessed with how you can see a sunrise of another
country. And then I was able to sync the sunrise and sunset of
San Francisco in Tehran. And a lot of people thought, oh, this is
San Francisco because they couldn't figure out where it was,
which was the whole point.
31
SOT: Shaghayegh Cyrous It was really magical because it was after, you know, how many
years I was seeing the sunrise of Tehran.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh shoots artwork on the
beach with the first artist
I never thought I will talk about political prisoners in Iran. But
you have to just be aware first, the voice of people inside is
important. But since everything is in Farsi, so none of Americans
understand that. So that's why actually I try to make of English.
In your art, you have a responsibility to to just be a voice. I'm
trying my best to express these kind of serious issues through my
art. I'm trying.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh shoots artwork on the
beach with the first artist
When I started talking about it, a lot of people started sharing
what was happening and that so empowering to hear that, okay,
I'm not the only one. I'm not a crazy person.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh shoots artwork on the
beach with the first artist
When I was in Iran, every second I was afraid of being arrested
for what I was wearing or what I was doing, or I was always
nervous. When I came here, I had nightmares that I was fighting
with one of the Iran's police, they call them moral polices, they
could arrest you for what you wear.
SOT: Shaghayegh Cyrous For a while I had this weird thing. I was like, keep doing this.
And I didn't have a scarf anymore, that was a huge change and
liberation for me.

VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh shoots with the second
artist
There are also a lot of issues here. You don't understand these
issues. Right.
The first thing that was really weird to me was you had to prove
which race you are. I was putting in Asian because I thought we
are from Asia and then you figure out and then recently they put
the Middle East or something.
32
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh shoots with the second
artist
The first month I came and had Internet and in Google they ask
the first question came up right away was like, should we bomb
Iran? People were asking weird questions to me like Why I'm
Iranian but not Muslim, why I don't have a job, why I do ride on
a camel like this kind of stuff.
Oh, I remember in school, they were surprised when you're smart
or doing something. I mean, sometimes they're still surprised.
But they literally said that a few times to me. They were like, Oh
my God, we didn't know, you're coming from a third world
country that, you know, it's like the women are like.. I'm like, no,
women are getting by, they're fighting, right? They're educating
themselves.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh shoots with the second
artist
It's so funny because they think like one Muslim Iranian didn't
shake hands then they put everyone's in that. I'm like different
people have different practices.
SOT: Shaghayegh Cyrous Why are you putting it in one category based on one experience?
Different people are different and there is nothing wrong with
any race.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh shoots with the third
artist
In 2017, when Trump got elected, if you were saying anything
against Iran, people would think you are a Trump supporter.
They took me out of some of the shows. They thought I'm a
Trump supporter.
At the same time, I was suffering because I don't have a green
card. I was not a citizen. So I was affected in every level you can
imagine. From the seizing my artworks in the airport because I

33
was a terrorist… they seized all of them. And then. the way they
treated me was horrible. They started saying, you're a terrorist.
I was not able to travel because of travel ban. We were supposed
to go to Indonesia for an art residency. They didn't allow us to
fly, Iranians and people from those other countries were like
pulled back and they were like searching us. So in the airport we
had to come back.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh shoots with the third
artist
But at the same time, there were a lot of cool people, they read
Rumi to me.
There are cultural differences. I was so afraid of talking to people
because back in Iran, the borders were closed. So I didn't see any
people from other countries. I got to know everyone and learn
about a lot of things.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Establishing shots of San Fransisco
The Iranian American Women Foundation reached out to
Salesforce to say that April 27 is Iranian American Women's
Day. And we want to do something because there are a lot of
Iranians live there and we want to honor women.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shots of Iranian American Women’s
Day celebration
Jim Campbell called me and said that. Well, you worked with us
before, and you already know this. I really wanted you to do
something yourself. And I was like, at first I have no idea that
this kind of day exists. I was like, What? We have
Iranian-American Women's Day? I was very excited.
SOT: Shaghayegh Cyrous For the first time, I married my American side with Iran so well.
For me, it was really important.
34
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Shaghayegh waits for video to be
showcased on the Salesforce Tower
And the first idea came to me was like, I'm going to bring a
dancer and I'm going to do a choreography for this. and this title
came to me - When the sun rotates.
I was thinking about how on top of the tower, I wanted the
sunshine in the clothes. For me, this was Iranian American

women. So the prompt was how women are going through a lot,
but how everything is empowering.
VO: Shaghayegh Cyrous
Visuals: Video plays on the Salesforce Tower
I told the dancer to imagine you're a seed and you're growing
and you're like, Now I'm going crazy. And she did that. It was
kind of like a sun rising. But the whole movement, it was her.
And it was so beautiful, exactly what I imagined. and then the
text was coming in, which was saying so “in honor of Iranian
American Women.”
I was like, I'm going to have Farsi. Jim of course was supportive.
I was so happy when everything came together, especially the
Farsi section. Previously there were a lot of negotiations,
whether Farsi should be there or not and I found out people get
uncomfortable when they see other languages, and I kind of like
it, the language.
But the whole piece, whenever I was editing, I was thinking
about all Iranian American women.
SOT: Shaghayegh Cyrous So that's why it was such an important piece for me because it
was poetic.
35
VO: Jainil Mehta
Visuals: Jainil standing in Times Square
I just feel that a lot of the times when we do talk about our
culture being discriminated, I feel that is the time we should start
embracing our own culture. Whatever culture you may be from.
And it is just so nice to have that kind of a feeling when you are
in the arts, especially when you are experiencing it.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak cooking in the kitchen
I've heard that a lot of times from my friends, we don't look at
you as Asian and I am like, what's wrong with looking at me as
being Asian?

Why can't I be Asian to be part of your group? And I just never
understood that, it's like when you come here, you have to
assimilate.
SOT: Sara Sadhwani
United States is a nation of immigrants, after all. I would hope
that all Americans would be welcoming to immigrant
communities when they arrive and see the real contributions that
immigrant communities make to our country.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Hak with his daughter in the kitchen
Right now, what is the norm? It's just such a crazy world that we
live in.
All these Asian voices are really starting to churn, it's like a low
simmer and now it's becoming a boil.
It's amazing and I want it to be a roaring boil.
A chorus of us just speaking out, in different ways. Whether it's
the food, whether it's through media, through art, like things that
get presented to the masses that tell these stories.
36
SOT: Hak Lonh
It’s so important because it's like my daughter now she's Korean,
Chinese, half Cambodian.
VO: Hak Lonh
Visuals: Closing day of Gamboge
I want her to grow up in a world where, like all of that, is
accepted, it can be recognized. And I think it's up to this
generation to pave that way.
My parents were too afraid to pave that way because they came
from communist, communist Cambodia. Whereas you spoke up,
you basically got executed, right?
SOT: Hak Lonh
I feel pretty lucky that I get to do this.

Abstract (if available)

Abstract Twenty-two million Americans trace their roots to 20 countries in the Asian continent, each of which has unique histories, cultures, and languages. Even in the presence of such vast diversity, there is a monolithic identity attached to the word "Asian" in the United States. The thesis explores how the community identifies itself and what it means to be Asian in America. This is highlighted through a documentary that looks at the lived experiences of three individuals from different parts of Asia, who are trying to merge their American and ethnic identities to help create an environment where it’s okay to be who you are.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Singh, Mallika (author)

Core Title Being Asian in America

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Specialized Journalism

Degree Conferral Date 2023-05

Publication Date 03/23/2023

Defense Date 03/23/2023

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Asian American,Cambodian,first generation,first generation immigrant,immigrant,Indian,Iranian,OAI-PMH Harvest,second generation

Format theses (aat)

Language English

Advisor Birman, Daniel (committee chair), Lee, May (committee member), Tolan, Sandy (committee member)

Creator Email mallika@usc.edu,singhh.mallikaa@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-oUC112847832

Unique identifier UC112847832

Identifier etd-SinghMalli-11515.pdf (filename)

Legacy Identifier etd-SinghMalli-11515

Document Type Thesis

Format theses (aat)

Rights Singh, Mallika

Internet Media Type application/pdf

Type texts

Source 20230324-usctheses-batch-1011 (batch), University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

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Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

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