Growing up, I was captivated by martial arts movies, with Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master being a particular favorite. So, when I discovered the show Kung Fu starring David Carradine, I was intrigued but quickly realized it wasn’t for me. The show was slow, and Carradine, a white actor, was playing an Asian character, which seemed off to me even as a child. Later, I learned that Bruce Lee had originally come up with the concept for the show and had hoped to star in it, but the role went to Carradine instead, a decision reportedly made because the studio considered it too risky to cast an Asian actor as the lead at the time.
In my own career, I’ve seen how race can influence business decisions. For example, in the 1970s, casting a white actor in a martial arts show aimed at an American audience made sense from a business perspective given the racial demographics of the U.S. at the time. This sort of decision-making still happens, although the factors and contexts have evolved.
Recently, while working on the audiobook version of my book, I faced a decision about who should narrate it. Initially, the producer suggested several narrators who weren’t Asian. It struck me that maybe an Asian-American narrator might better represent my voice and perspective. After requesting more options, I was presented with narrators who were of Asian descent, and I eventually chose one whose voice and delivery felt like a good fit for representing me and my work.
This experience highlighted the ongoing importance of advocating for what you feel is best for your project, especially when it involves aspects as personal as a voice that will represent you and your work. It also made me reflect on how racial considerations continue to play a role in professional settings, impacting decisions in ways that aren’t always apparent at first glance.
