#MEDIA IS NOT A MIRROR

#MEDIAISNOTAMIRROR is a photo campaign on Asian American & Pacific Islander media representation. Featuring 39 actors, the campaign included three parts: a public installation at Pomona College, an interactive workshop with 150+ attendees, and social media promotion across national AAPI groups.

Although there are few Asian Americans present in the media we consume in our daily lives, many of them speak out about the industry in which they work—from discrimination in the casting process, to the limited or stereotypical roles available to them. That being said, many intersectionalities of Asian American identities are not represented on the screen, and those who are visible must navigate the danger of their words and actions becoming representative of an entire group. Consequently, while this photo campaign attempts to highlight Asian Americans in the media, it is also limited by the absence of the identities that are rendered invisible.