--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, we never grew up with Asian…" description: "\"You know, we never grew up with Asian American role models in the entertainment industry, unfortunately. I'd never seen an Asian face singing on TV.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/eric-nam-7940_american_you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-ame_1985211.jpg" --- # You know, we never grew up with Asian American role models… ![“You know, we never grew up with Asian American role models in the entertainment industry, unfortunately. I'd never seen an Asian face singing on TV.” quote by Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/eric-nam-7940_american_you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-ame_1985211.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/eric-nam-7940_american_you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-ame_1985211.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/eric-nam-7940_american_you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-ame_1985211.jpg) > “You know, we never grew up with Asian American role models in the entertainment industry, unfortunately. I'd never seen an Asian face singing on TV.” [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker notes a lack of Asian American representation in entertainment, highlighting the scarcity of visible role models for Asian faces on TV. **In simple terms:** Few Asian American role models in entertainment. Key Takeaway Support diverse representation. Themes representation media identity Mood hopeful determined Type social advocacy When to use this quote - media casting - career mentorship - community outreach Key Concepts culture social equity Questions to Reflect On - How can we increase Asian American visibility? - What impact does representation have on youth? A Different Perspective Changing industry norms takes time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian/) [Asian american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian-american/) [Entertainment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertainment/) [Role models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/role-models/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) ## Related quotes > [Let's face it. How often do you see an Asian face in films and television? They are practically invisible. Now and then, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/let-s-face-it-how-often-do-you-see-an-asian-face-in-films-and/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [In the States I might be an Asian face, look different from everyone else in TV and in music, but in Korea I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/in-the-states-i-might-be-an-asian-face-look-different-from-everyone/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [People say, "How come you play bad guys so much?" And I say, "Well, have you seen many Asian good-guy roles?"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-hiroyuki-tagawa/people-say-how-come-you-play-bad-guys-so-much-and-i-say-well-have-you/) [Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-hiroyuki-tagawa/) > [Even if you look at 'American Idol,' or 'X-Factor,' or 'The Voice' or anything, it was always difficult to see an Asian or an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/even-if-you-look-at-american-idol-or-x-factor-or-the-voice-or/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [You're either singing on TV or in front of a full cathedral and there's a bit of pressure there. I know it sounds funny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/you-re-either-singing-on-tv-or-in-front-of-a-full-cathedral-and-there/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [When I saw Neneh Cherry singing on TV, I was so glad that there was someone of the same ethnicity - and with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesha-dixon/when-i-saw-neneh-cherry-singing-on-tv-i-was-so-glad-that-there-was/) [Alesha Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesha-dixon/) > [I remember tap-dancing and singing in front of the TV when I was a kid, telling my dad to stop watching Ed Sullivan or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andie-macdowell/i-remember-tap-dancing-and-singing-in-front-of-the-tv-when-i-was-a/) [Andie MacDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andie-macdowell/) > [I don't want to slip into Johnny Borrell mode. I don't want to be singing that there's nothing on TV, nothing on the radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/i-don-t-want-to-slip-into-johnny-borrell-mode-i-don-t-want-to-be/) [Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/) > [One of the great joys of my life post-'Friends' has been being approached by Asian women who have told me how much it meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-tom/one-of-the-great-joys-of-my-life-post-friends-has-been-being/) [Lauren Tom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-tom/) > [Growing up, the only Asian face I saw on air was Connie Chung or extras on M\*A\*S\*H. That was it. You could either be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/su-chin-pak/growing-up-the-only-asian-face-i-saw-on-air-was-connie-chung-or/) [Su-chin Pak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/su-chin-pak/) > [Pre-'Tokyo Drift,' I was like: 'Am I gonna play Yakuza #1 and Chinese Waiter #2 for the rest of my life? Is America even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sung-kang/pre-tokyo-drift-i-was-like-am-i-gonna-play-yakuza-1-and-chinese/) [Sung Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sung-kang/) > [“Asian face and local language skills to handle the cash. I had just returned to the States from Vietnam, having left the military under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/asian-face-and-local-language-skills-to-handle-the-cash-i-had-just/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [I feel like there's this need that the Asian-American community has to feel like people. It's something that Asians in Asia do not understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-feel-like-there-s-this-need-that-the-asian-american-community-has/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [I have been called racist slurs and been treated differently because I am Asian American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/i-have-been-called-racist-slurs-and-been-treated-differently-because/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [The narrative needs to change. Asian-American actresses don't want to be the damsels in distress anymore. We don't want to be saved, especially by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-chung/the-narrative-needs-to-change-asian-american-actresses-don-t-want-to/) [Jamie Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-chung/) ## More by Eric Nam > [I learned Spanish as my second language from middle school through high school. I grew up volunteering at homeless shelters and tutoring kids of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-learned-spanish-as-my-second-language-from-middle-school-through/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [On any collaboration, you want to respect your music and the other's music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/on-any-collaboration-you-want-to-respect-your-music-and-the-other-s/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [When you first make money, you're just excited that you have it and just buy things on a whim. You don't really think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/when-you-first-make-money-you-re-just-excited-that-you-have-it-and/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I actually received a lot of messages from Central and South American artists who complimented my songs and showed interest in collaborating with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-actually-received-a-lot-of-messages-from-central-and-south-american/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I know people love Supreme. I never got on the wagon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-know-people-love-supreme-i-never-got-on-the-wagon/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [It's become hard for me to trust people and though I'm the type to go, 'everybody is born good,' you come to question that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/it-s-become-hard-for-me-to-trust-people-and-though-i-m-the-type-to-go/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I think K-pop bands rock, and their success raises my spirit to perform better on stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-think-k-pop-bands-rock-and-their-success-raises-my-spirit-to/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [It was a dream to be a singer/performer, but I never thought I had a chance or had a real shot; I never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/it-was-a-dream-to-be-a-singer-performer-but-i-never-thought-i-had-a/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [It's easy to talk about how great love is or how you feel heartbroken after a breakup, but it's not as easy to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/it-s-easy-to-talk-about-how-great-love-is-or-how-you-feel-heartbroken/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [Asian-Americans are fighting for space and fighting for visibility and for acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/asian-americans-are-fighting-for-space-and-fighting-for-visibility/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I was part of the Atlanta Boy Choir probably like fourth and fifth grade. I personally didn't enjoy the type of music that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-was-part-of-the-atlanta-boy-choir-probably-like-fourth-and-fifth/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I've always been very passionate about trying to have Asian-Americans or Asian faces be more prominent in mainstream media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-ve-always-been-very-passionate-about-trying-to-have-asian-americans/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [Sunbae-hoobae seniority is a very tricky, weird kind of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/sunbae-hoobae-seniority-is-a-very-tricky-weird-kind-of-thing/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [Typically in Korea when I perform I have a full band, a ten-piece band, and that's a completely different monster in itself to prepare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/typically-in-korea-when-i-perform-i-have-a-full-band-a-ten-piece-band/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I want to position myself as a great singer/songwriter in Korea, then jump off that into different markets. South-east Asia, China, Japan - I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-want-to-position-myself-as-a-great-singer-songwriter-in-korea-then/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) [Explore all 86 Eric Nam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) Browse all 7,717 American quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know, we never grew up with Asian American role models in the entertainment industry, unfortunately. I'd never seen an Asian face singing on TV.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric Nam" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-american-role-models-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-american-role-models-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/eric-nam-7940_american_you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-ame_1985211.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/eric-nam-7940_american_you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-ame_1985211.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/eric-nam-7940_american_you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-ame_1985211.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You know, we never grew up with Asian American role models in the entertainment industry, unfortunately. I'd…” — Eric Nam", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eric Nam", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You know, we never grew up...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-american-role-models-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/you-know-we-never-grew-up-with-asian-american-role-models-in-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```