By Akemi Tamanaha

In 2022, just 6% of Asian characters in the top 100 streaming shows has leading roles. A new report from The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) argues that increasing that number is good for business.

“The system is stuck, but the appetite for breakthrough is bigger than ever,” a senior-level male executive said in the report.

TAAF officially released the report, titled “The Case for More Asian and Asian American Narratives in Hollywood,” on Tuesday. To make its case for increased and improved Asian American storytelling, the report analyzes Nielsen viewership data, provides interviews with industry leaders in Hollywood and includes case studies featuring prominent AAPI films and television shows.

What are the commercial incentives?

The report says that audiences are drawn to diverse storytelling. It cites a UCLA study which found that in 2022, “theatrical films with casts 31% to 40% nonwhite had the highest median box office receipts, while films with casts less than 11% nonwhite performed poorest.”

Asian Americans are also “growing in numbers, and over-index in box office sales.” The report says they are hyper-engaged in media spaces.

“A cultural vacuum is a powerful thing — it invites invention. If Bruce Lee defined one era, then who defines this one? We have the chance to cast the faces of a generation—not just for Asian America, but for America,” a senior-level female studio executive says in the report.

Read the full TAAF report here.

To read the entire article: https://asamnews.com/2025/10/14/taaf-aapi-filmmakers-hollywood-economics/

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