--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Asian men specifically have not been…" description: "\"Asian men specifically have not been portrayed as the leading man or sex symbol.\" — Simu Liu" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/simu-liu-5977_asian_asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-por_653901.jpg" --- # Asian men specifically have not been portrayed as the… ![“Asian men specifically have not been portrayed as the leading man or sex symbol.” quote by Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/simu-liu-5977_asian_asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-por_653901.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/simu-liu-5977_asian_asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-por_653901.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/simu-liu-5977_asian_asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-por_653901.jpg) > “Asian men specifically have not been portrayed as the leading man or sex symbol.” [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the lack of representation of Asian men as protagonists or sexual icons in media, pointing to a broader issue of racial stereotyping and underrepresentation. **In simple terms:** Asian men are rarely shown as leads or sex symbols. Key Takeaway Advocate for diverse casting and storytelling. Themes representation stereotypes media race gender Mood frustrated hopeful Type critical observational When to use this quote - film casting - advertising - marketing campaigns - literary protagonists Key Concepts visibility identity power dynamics cultural narratives Questions to Reflect On - How can creators challenge existing stereotypes? - What impact does representation have on audience perception? A Different Perspective Progress can be slow due to entrenched industry biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [Sex symbol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex-symbol/) ## Related quotes > [On my adventurers into the porn world, I noticed there's one thing that doesn't exist. Asian men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellis/on-my-adventurers-into-the-porn-world-i-noticed-there-s-one-thing/) Daniel Ellis > [Asian American men, Asian men have been basically eunuchs in American cinema and television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/asian-american-men-asian-men-have-been-basically-eunuchs-in-american/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [I think Asian men are beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/i-think-asian-men-are-beautiful/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [Living in the West, you see how there's only two versions of how Asian men are supposed to be. Either they're very nice, yuppie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kwan/living-in-the-west-you-see-how-there-s-only-two-versions-of-how-asian/) [Kevin Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kwan/) > [I really dislike the fact that Asian males are constantly emasculated, whether it's American TV or films. You see it all the time, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-wu/i-really-dislike-the-fact-that-asian-males-are-constantly-emasculated/) [Daniel Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-wu/) > [“You obviously don;t understand a thing about men. Or, more specifically, this man." "I don't?" "No, I'm not scared of periods, and you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-lauren/you-obviously-don-t-understand-a-thing-about-men-or-more-specifically/) [Christina Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-lauren/) > [Men, specifically in the West, have no rights of passage, no way to know when they become a man. Everywhere else in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lecrae/men-specifically-in-the-west-have-no-rights-of-passage-no-way-to-know/) [LeCrae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lecrae/) > [Asian men are the sexiest. They got no body hair from the neck down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/asian-men-are-the-sexiest-they-got-no-body-hair-from-the-neck-down/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [“Asian men are frequently emasculated in the media, or presented as sexless props, for comedic relief. Oh, if only they could absorb the burden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/asian-men-are-frequently-emasculated-in-the-media-or-presented-as/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [Television and movies were our biggest teachers. When we came to the United States, the Vietnam War was just ratcheting up. And so the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-tizon/television-and-movies-were-our-biggest-teachers-when-we-came-to-the/) [Alex Tizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-tizon/) > [“Asian men could be socially inept and incompetent and ridiculous, like a Long Duk Dong, or at best unthreatening and slightly buffoonish, like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/asian-men-could-be-socially-inept-and-incompetent-and-ridiculous-like/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [Bruce Lee was the first guy to bring film recognition of Asian men not being wimps, so it made me want to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-hiroyuki-tagawa/bruce-lee-was-the-first-guy-to-bring-film-recognition-of-asian-men/) [Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-hiroyuki-tagawa/) > [You don't really see Asian men together very often. It's very rare in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/you-don-t-really-see-asian-men-together-very-often-it-s-very-rare-in/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [Asian men are sexy, confident, and passionate - and three-dimensional. We want the opportunity to portray roles that reflect who we are in real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-golding/asian-men-are-sexy-confident-and-passionate-and-three-dimensional-we/) [Henry Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-golding/) > [The first set I ended up on was Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim' that was shooting in Toronto and they needed a bunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/the-first-set-i-ended-up-on-was-guillermo-del-toro-s-pacific-rim-that/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) ## More by Simu Liu > [Shrimp crackers are actually exactly what I was eating when I got the call that I was going to play Shang-Chi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/shrimp-crackers-are-actually-exactly-what-i-was-eating-when-i-got-the/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [What I've always really appreciated about MCU superheroes versus elsewhere is that they are trying to disrupt the idea of what a superhero can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/what-i-ve-always-really-appreciated-about-mcu-superheroes-versus/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [Was I a Jackie Chan-level martial arts master? Absolutely not! Not by any stretch of the imagination. I'm an actor. I'm a performer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/was-i-a-jackie-chan-level-martial-arts-master-absolutely-not-not-by/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [All around me, I saw people who were taught by their parents, as I was, to just toe the line, not ruffle the feathers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/all-around-me-i-saw-people-who-were-taught-by-their-parents-as-i-was/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [I might be tweeting a lot of things in the future, some of which will be absolute idiocy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/i-might-be-tweeting-a-lot-of-things-in-the-future-some-of-which-will/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [If I were to fight one Marvel superhero, I think I would fight Captain America. We would start all aggressive and then both realise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/if-i-were-to-fight-one-marvel-superhero-i-think-i-would-fight-captain/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [The first set I ended up on was Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim' that was shooting in Toronto and they needed a bunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/the-first-set-i-ended-up-on-was-guillermo-del-toro-s-pacific-rim-that/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [Things like 'following your passion' and 'finding your creative outlets' didn't mean anything to me because I didn't have that area of my brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/things-like-following-your-passion-and-finding-your-creative-outlets/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [Every community should have a superhero. And the truth is, for many of us in the Asian community, we didn't grow up with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/every-community-should-have-a-superhero-and-the-truth-is-for-many-of/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [I definitely dabbled and had done a number of stunt jobs in which I was doing fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/i-definitely-dabbled-and-had-done-a-number-of-stunt-jobs-in-which-i/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [There is a reason why kung fu caught fire and the world became obsessed with it, because it's incredible to watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/there-is-a-reason-why-kung-fu-caught-fire-and-the-world-became/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [As an actor of color, I was overlooked at every possible opportunity. I was given roles that were almost not roles. It was, like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/as-an-actor-of-color-i-was-overlooked-at-every-possible-opportunity-i/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [I would do background and extra stuff, I would do student films, I just found every opportunity I could to be on set, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/i-would-do-background-and-extra-stuff-i-would-do-student-films-i-just/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [I am that person that's always felt like he wasn't enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/i-am-that-person-that-s-always-felt-like-he-wasn-t-enough/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [I'm Asian-Canadian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/i-m-asian-canadian/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) [Explore all 100 Simu Liu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) ## More Asian quotes > [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/) [Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [If you do a black character or a female character or an Asian character, then they aren't just that character. They represent that race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-mcduffie/if-you-do-a-black-character-or-a-female-character-or-an-asian/) [Dwayne McDuffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-mcduffie/) > [When I made it, I still didn't wave the flag and say, Yeah go Asian people. I do want people to know that about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hugo/when-i-made-it-i-still-didn-t-wave-the-flag-and-say-yeah-go-asian/) [Chad Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hugo/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [When you are in America, at least for me, as an immigrant, I try to be as Americanized as I could. I just want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-o-yang/when-you-are-in-america-at-least-for-me-as-an-immigrant-i-try-to-be/) [Jimmy O. Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-o-yang/) > [I always tell Asian actors, especially Filipinos wanting to break into Hollywood, to study, study and study and show their best. I haven't stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-lee/i-always-tell-asian-actors-especially-filipinos-wanting-to-break-into/) [Reggie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-lee/) > [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/) > [It's always fun to see faces that are either familiar or resemble yours. I was fascinated by movies like 'Big Trouble in Little China'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/it-s-always-fun-to-see-faces-that-are-either-familiar-or-resemble/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [In view of China's growing military strength and intentions, the best way to safeguard Asia's permanent peace and prosperity is to have all Asian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-costa/in-view-of-china-s-growing-military-strength-and-intentions-the-best/) [Jim Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-costa/) > [I think Li Na and some other Chinese ladies have done so many amazing things for Asian tennis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kei-nishikori/i-think-li-na-and-some-other-chinese-ladies-have-done-so-many-amazing/) [Kei Nishikori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kei-nishikori/) > [I don't want to have people brought in simply because they are black or Asian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-phillips/i-don-t-want-to-have-people-brought-in-simply-because-they-are-black/) [Trevor Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-phillips/) > [We grew up in rural Arkansas without any Koreans close by, and when I go to Korea feel out of place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/we-grew-up-in-rural-arkansas-without-any-koreans-close-by-and-when-i/) [Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/) > [I've been lucky to come up when there's such a huge explosion of women, and especially Asian women, in music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-ve-been-lucky-to-come-up-when-there-s-such-a-huge-explosion-of/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [I knew I was half Chinese, but Iceland is so homogenous that I wasn't able to identify with the Asian part of myself. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/i-knew-i-was-half-chinese-but-iceland-is-so-homogenous-that-i-wasn-t/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) [Browse all 1,157 Asian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Asian men specifically have not been portrayed as the leading man or sex symbol.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Simu Liu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-portrayed-as-the-leading-man-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-portrayed-as-the-leading-man-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/simu-liu-5977_asian_asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-por_653901.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/simu-liu-5977_asian_asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-por_653901.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1c/simu-liu-5977_asian_asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-por_653901.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Asian men specifically have not been portrayed as the leading man or sex symbol.” — Simu Liu", "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": "Simu Liu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Asian men specifically have not been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-portrayed-as-the-leading-man-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/asian-men-specifically-have-not-been-portrayed-as-the-leading-man-or/#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 } } ] } ```