“And the Oscar goes to… Michelle Yeoh!”
Enthusiastic cheers and loud applause erupted at the Hollywood's Dolby Theatre where the Oscars took place last March 12 this year as Michelle Yeoh, a Malaysian actress, won her first Oscar for her outstanding lead performance in the genre-bending and philosophically-challenging Everything Everywhere All at Once. She made history that night as the first Asian woman to win the Best Leading Actress award since the inaugural ceremony in 1929, and only the second woman of color to ever win in that category, after Halle Berry in 2002.
The news of Yeoh's historic win eventually circulated all around the world. Before this, only one other Asian actress had been nominated for this particular award and that was Merle Oberon in 1936. However, she unfortunately concealed her South Asian identity due to fear of discrimination during that era of Hollywood, which makes Yeoh the first nominee in the Best Leading Actress category to openly identify as Asian.
Yeoh has had a long and successful career in the film industry over the years, starring in various Hong Kong action and martial arts movies in the 90s, appearing as a Bond girl, and portraying memorable supporting roles in popular films such as Crazy Rich Asians, the Star Trek series, Marvel's Shang-Chi, and Netflix's The School for Good and Evil, among other films. Despite facing discrimination within Hollywood, her recent Oscar win seems to have earned her the respect and recognition she deserves as a performer, artist, woman, and as an Asian.
Her victory may suggest that the Oscars are slowly progressing and accepting diversity of all races and ages. While that statement is true, it's undeniable that they still have such a long way to go and the way they recognize diversity feels like a bare minimum on their part. You can look at the history and statistics of the Oscars, specifically on its lack of recognition for people of color in any category, and realize that it's a disappointing read. In 2022, approximately 81 percent of the voting members at the Oscars identified as white and as of this year, only 38 POC actors have won an Oscar for acting since 1929. The first one to win was Hattie McDaniel back in 1940 for the film Gone with the Wind, but even then she was treated unfairly by the Academy by having her seat segregated from the white majority in the room. We've come a long way since then, but unfortunately, most winners are still predominantly given on white performers, artists, and their stories even up to this day. Even when international films outside of Hollywood are awarded, it tends to be mostly European rather than Asian ones. Nevertheless, the success of Parasite in the 2020 Oscars and the subsequent recognition of Asian films and TV series such as Minari, Squid Game, RRR, and now this maximalist indie film called Everything Everywhere All at Once is a positive reminder that Hollywood can actually recognize Asian excellence and their stories.
However, despite the Oscars recognizing the excellence of Asian art, the award industry is still undeniably flawed. Some may question whether the Oscars hold any real significance or value for the artists at all, and whether it is merely a way for the white majority to pat themselves on the back. Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho criticized the Oscars for being "very local" and the history of performers of color winning their Oscars and then not translating it into long-term success only adds to this problem. Even Ke Huy Quan, who won Best Supporting Actor this year for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once after being unemployed as an actor for three decades due to lack of opportunities, expressed concerns that this kind of recognition and praise he receives right now from Hollywood will become a “one-time thing”, which is a valid fear given Hollywood's history.
The Oscars have a history of neglecting people of color, particularly women, in various award categories. It's an annual occurrence. Recently, there was backlash towards the nominations this year for not including two Black actresses (Danielle Deadwyler in Till and Viola Davis in The Woman King) in the leading categories, despite receiving many precursor award nominations. Dolly De Leon, an actress from the Philippines, was also snubbed for her exceptional break-out turn in Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness. She had received numerous nominations and wins from other award and critic industries and was expected to be nominated for an Oscar, but she was ultimately ignored. If she had been nominated, she would have been the first Filipina to receive such a nomination, but they failed to acknowledge her talent.
With that being said, Yeoh winning an elusive Oscar serves as a beacon of hope and a testament to the fact that anyone can achieve their dreams if they work hard and believe in themselves. She then delivered a powerful speech about how important this award, not just to her, but to all the people who identified as a minority: "We deserve to be heard, we deserve to be seen, we deserve to have the equal opportunity so we can have a seat at the table. That’s all we are asking for: Give us that opportunity, let us prove we are worth it.”
Although winning an Oscar may hold a great deal of significance for them, as evidenced by the passionate and heartfelt speeches given by Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and other POC actors who previously won, there is still a significant worry that their victories will simply become another historical footnote in the context of a predominantly white Oscars. Despite the gradual progress that has been made in recent years towards greater diversity and inclusion within Hollywood and the film industry at large, the systemic obstacles facing POC performers and artists remain deeply entrenched.
While individual wins may be celebrated, it is important to remain aware of the larger structural issues at play and to continue advocating for meaningful, transformative change.