70.1 Queering the“Model Minority”: Navigating LGBTQ+ and Asian American Identities in Contemporary Multimedia

Asian American experiences have historically been homogenized into stereotypes (eg, model minority) or excluded altogether from national discussions of race and equity. LGBTQ+ Asian American stories have been even more marginalized within this space, and few studies have characterized the unique challenges and mental health disparities in this community. As research has begun to characterize these complex struggles, the last 2 decades have witnessed a rise in LGBTQ+ Asian American film and media, allowing exploration of these identities with more nuance. Our goal is to explore how popular media can be utilized as educational tools to understand the challenges that queer Asian Americans face. To achieve this, we explore how Asian cultural values and issues are depicted in recent film and media and discuss how they paint understandings of contemporary queer Asian American experiences. This presentation will review common themes discussed in Asian American culture, including collectivism vs individualism, gender roles, and duty to family and society (eg, “saving face”). After this didactic, excerpts from the films Wedding Banquet, Saving Face, Fire Island, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Robin Tran’s stand-up comedy (Coming Out to Your Non-English Speaking Mom) will be played. Presenters will elicit audience feedback and participation with semi-structured questions to explore didactic concepts, elicit reflections, and discuss actionable takeaways. Through exploring recent multimedia, audience members will gain a better understanding of Asian LGBTQ+ identity and issues. We will review themes regarding language and cultural barriers unique to transgender Asian American experiences in Robin Tran’s stand-up comedy, nontraditional nuclear families in Wedding Banquet, intergroup racism and conflicts in Fire Island, intergenerational healing in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and honor and duty in Saving Face. Recent years have witnessed increased representations and portrayals of queer Asian American narratives in the arts. These films and media not only add necessary nuance to LGBTQ+ issues (eg, “coming out”), but they also have important implications for clinical practice as educational tools to understand and support queer Asian American patients and their families.