Crazy Rich Awesome

“I know it’s a bit strange, but my whole life I’ve had a complicated relationship with the color yellow…” ~Jon M. Chu

Almost three months ago, Crazy Rich Asians (CRA)1 debuted in box offices across the country and while many hoped for its success for a number of reasons, I doubt most predicted the watershed moment and movement it created. Having read the trilogy written by Kevin Kwan a while ago, I expected to be entertained, but admittedly, I had no idea that I would be so moved. 

 By now, you've probably heard the facts. This was the first Hollywood movie with an all Asian cast to hit the big screens in 25 years. (The Joy Luck Club was released in 1993.) With an estimated cost to make of about $30M, CRA’s domestic box office reeled in >$170M (on a global basis it’s up at over $230M), making it the 6th highest grossing rom-com of all time.

You might be wondering, “What’s the big deal?” Why a movement and not just a movie? Well, I'm happy to offer one person’s opinion, but first I must share with you my personal backstory.

 I am a second generation Asian American. My parents came to the United States in the 1960s in pursuit of the proverbial American Dream. Our classic immigrant upbringing in suburban New Jersey was filled with many stereotypical experiences from an intense focus on education, extracurricular activities such as classical piano, and a constant implicit expectation that I could, should, and would deliver on that Dream. What I don't typically talk about when I share my journey are the experiences of discrimination, name-calling, being stereotyped in countless ways, and a constant feeling that I didn't really belong because I was different. That difference manifested itself in the way I dressed, the food I ate, how we spent our time outside of school, how my parents sounded and of course in how I looked. Fast forward to today - here I am as a middle-aged adult, who by many measures is successful as a corporate executive, blessed as a mom, wife, friend, servant leader, team member, community contributor and I hope more. I have been called a trailblazer and role model - perhaps it is because of the bamboo ceilings I've broken, having not taken the typical or traditional paths expected by others, most certainly it has something to do with the fact that I am unabashedly Asian American.

 What struck me the first time I saw CRA was the fact that there were all kinds of Asians - no, I’m not talking about socio-economically or ethnically - rather, personality wise...individualistically. Contrary to other portrayals by the media as well as often not-so-subtle unconscious biases, being Asian does not relegate one to a particular personality type. Beautifully cast, through its characters, CRA brought out the diversity in families, relationships, and in each individual. This has nothing to do with being Asian per se, but for the first time in an impactful way, we saw Asians being lots of things – ranging from diverse professions to diverse personalities. And the beauty of the backdrop in Singapore lent itself to creating even more color to the timeless story of romance, relationships, and the bumpy road which might just lead to happily ever after. 

 I saw the movie with both of my daughters separately. They are multi-cultural and throughout their lives "being Asian" has been who they are. When they were younger, we had to explain that ethnically speaking, mommy is 100% Chinese, they are 50%, and daddy is 0% (aka “no Chinese”). It was with great interest I read early commentary about CRA’s leading actor, Henry Golding, and the fact that he was “only” half Asian. What does that mean? Does being “half” genetically speaking (or some other measure) make anyone less of who they are? I think not. There were nuanced moments throughout the movie that my Asian friends and I shared with great familiarity - from the Tupperware snacks in a ziplock bag for the plane ride...to the family dumpling making gathering down to the rolling pin, technique, and conversation...to the fantastic near fanatical street food experience (inducing major cravings for sure)...and more. Seeing these people living these moments in a way that was entirely normal was amazing (okay, yes, with a much higher degree of opulence). 

And of course, there's the music. I have always believed that music is a universal language which can be used in powerful ways. Throughout CRA the music spoke to me, representing a memorable and unique fusion. Growing up, I like many, had felt that being “yellow” (as some Asians are called), was not a good thing. To hear Coldplay's song “Yellow” sung in Mandarin, coupled with the impactful letter from Director Jon M. Chu sent to convince them to let him use their song for the soundtrack, was both memorable and moving. 

 I could go on and on and on. I suspect for all the right reasons what I love most about CRA is that it makes me even prouder to be Asian. Throughout my journey, the importance of authenticity has grown so much so that today, authentic leadership is a topic I speak about (Be Real. Be True. Be YOU). Without a doubt, I wholeheartedly believe that in order to achieve our fullest potential - to unleash the greatness that lies within each of us - we must embrace and celebrate who we really are. The beauty of humanity is that we have an opportunity to do this both for ourselves as well as for others. Figuratively speaking, we must not only ask everyone to the dance, but we must ask each person to dance and help them in any way we can. If we do so, perhaps we can live beautifully together in a way even more brilliant than that CRA wedding reception scene at Gardens by the Bay. After all, that's what diversity, inclusion, and equality are all about, don't you think? 

Thanks, CRA for being crazy rich awesome. I can't wait for the sequel. 

1Crazy Rich Asians. Dir. Jon M. Chu. Perf. Constance Wu, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina with Ken Jeong and Michelle Yeoh. Warner Bros. Pictures in association with SK Global and Starlight Culture a Color Force/Ivanhoe Pictures/Electric Somewhere Production, 2018. Film