AMA collected 134 surveys to understand and provide firsthand insight into the cultural implications of sharing stories publicly for the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) communities, and to examine how the media can do better at covering AAPI stories.
This was a collection of honest, raw reflections from AAPI community members, revealing themes in their personal perspectives and their overall hesitation to share their voices.
Survey feedback shows that community members feel the media lacks the understanding of specific cultural backgrounds, resulting in a default, one-size-fits-all storytelling approach. Survey results also showed that the majority of the group felt there is harm in treating the AAPI community as all the same. One person says, “Mainstream media coverage of AAPI communities is often out of touch with archaic portrayals; treating Asian culture as a monolith. We are all different individuals”. The acronym AAPI encompasses multiple distinct identities, but mainstream media coverage frequently reduces these ethnic groups, languages, and histories to a single generic narrative. 76.1% of respondents feel the mainstream media portrayals of AAPI communities are only sometimes accurate and culturally respectful, while 6.7% believe portrayals are often accurate and respectful.
When there is coverage, the community feels they are used as a scapegoat and misrepresented by stereotypes, which leads to increased xenophobia and further mistrust. 46.3% of respondents indicate that distrust of the media and past misrepresentation contribute to the community’s discomfort when sharing stories with the media. Additionally, many respondents felt like the media heavily covers the East Asian perspective, completely ignoring Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander communities, unless a major tragedy is covered.
The AAPI community wants to be heard. For the media to gain the trust of the AAPI community, first, understanding the specific community is crucial. One response said, “We are a big diaspora. I would like to see more representative coverage that reflects our community, and more coverage that shows cross-racial solidarity.” There are archaic stereotypes and generalizations of the AAPI community, while in reality, there are many different stories, experiences, and identities. The majority of survey responses indicate that they would like to see more research on culture and history, with sensitivity and understanding. This also allows for more accurate storytelling.
Second, approach the community with more relationship-building rather than transactional reporting. Survey results show that interactions with the media and reporters are perceived as deeply extractive. This also makes community members feel at risk of being misrepresented, whether that is misinterpretation from a cultural perspective or only part of their story being shared. 73.1% of respondents indicated that the media should spend more time in the community to build trust before requesting interviews.
Furthermore, during intense circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Atlanta spa shooting, community members noted a sharp increase in media interest, followed by immediate abandonment as the media moved on to the next crisis. Oftentimes, negative issues are covered in the media while the everyday joys are not highlighted. Community members have felt that this has contributed to an increase in xenophobia. One survey response says, “When the narrative is bad, there is long-term impact and targeted attacks on the community”. Publishing a story that reinforces systemic challenges, such as the “Yellow Peril” or “Model Minority” narratives, creates additional barriers between the community and the media.
Lastly, 42.5% of respondents believe that language barriers and accent stigma contribute to discomfort when sharing stories publicly. It is important to consider the language barriers in the community. The survey results indicated that having certified interpreters or family members to interpret allows sources to express themselves comfortably to the media and helps reduce the fear of being misquoted.
Key takeaways highlighted that the AAPI community wants to be accurately represented and heard. The AAPI community would like to see more positive stories, relationship building, and efforts to understand the different backgrounds within. There are many different identities, cultures, languages and histories within the AAPI community which all have different narratives.
