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Asian characters held just 6% of leading roles in top streaming shows, report finds
A new report by The Asian American Foundation says greater Asian representation in Hollywood is both overdue and good for business.
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Pranavi Sharma - Thu, 16, Oct 2025
- 00:37 EDT
- 20
Never Have I Ever poster. / TAAF
In 2022, only six percent of Asian characters in the top 100 streaming shows held leading roles, according to a new report by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF). The report, ‘The Case for More Asian and Asian American Narratives in Hollywood,’ released on Oct. 14, argues that while Asian Americans are now part of the cultural picture, they are still not fully part of the American narrative.
TAAF’s research draws on data from Nielsen, the USC Norman Lear Center, and the organization’s own STAATUS Index. It paints a stark picture of persistent underrepresentation across media: Asians made up 3.8 percent of lead roles on broadcast television, 3.2 percent on streaming, and just 1.9 percent on cable. The report notes that “only a third of Asian characters were depicted speaking to another Asian”, and less than half had names that reflected Asian heritage.
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