Turning Red: The Experience of Asian American Teenage Girls
AAPI HERITAGE MONTH FEATURE
For the celebration of AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) heritage month, we chose to highlight Pixar’s first Asian-led film – Turning Red. The coming-of-age animated movie, featuring predominantly Asian American (AA) characters, is the first to be solo directed by a woman and, more specifically, a woman of color, Domee Shi. Turning Red centers on Meilin “Mei” Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese Canadian girl who navigates through puberty, friendship, and cultural expectations.
To our surprise, some reviewers have criticized the film as too personal and specific to be relatable to most audiences. However, we have found that Turning Red accurately depicts what other films haven’t been able to before: our unique experiences growing up as AA teenage girls.
Asian American Mother-Daughter Conflict
The mother-daughter relationship has been the topic of many stories about young girls throughout the years. Films such as Lady Bird, Freaky Friday, and Brave have portrayed this relationship, but the intergenerational conflict between AA moms and daughters is particularly distinctive. For AA immigrant families, this conflict often stems from the disconnect between collectivism and individualism, or the core community values of Eastern and Western cultures, respectively. Turning Red follows in the footsteps of AA mother-daughter stories (such as Joy Luck Club) and adds to a growing list of films that depict this dynamic (such as Everything, Everywhere, All at Once).
The relationship between Mei and her mom, Ming, fluctuates throughout the movie. Mei tries her best to be the perfect daughter according to her family’s expectations, but begins to experience changes in her body, hormone levels, and behavior. She transforms into a giant red panda when she feels strong emotions, such as joy, anger, sadness, and embarrassment. The panda serves as a metaphor for puberty, a turbulent time for both children and parents. Mei starts to fight with her mom and goes against her mom’s expectations and family traditions. The film does not glorify disobedience; rather, it portrays the complicated reality of the parent-child dynamic during adolescence. In particular, Turning Red highlights the immigrant mother-daughter bond and the trauma passed down from one generation to the next. Like what was done previously, Ming seeks to control and suppress Mei’s red panda. As Mei learns to deal with her red panda and tackle her family’s intergenerational trauma, she and her mom realize that it is okay to embrace the messy parts of yourself.
The Importance of 4*Town
Another source of parental conflict is Mei’s desire to attend the 4*Town concert with her friends. Although many dismiss 4*Town as a comedic portrayal of the hormonal, boy-crazy tendencies of teenage girls, boy bands and fandom culture play an important role in AA identity development. For AA teens growing up on the Internet, some of the first AA media representation was through YouTube creators. Some channels explored makeup and Asian beauty, like Michelle Phan and Jenn Im, while others made comedy skits about AA identity, like Ryan Higa and Wong Fu Productions. Fans of these creators on YouTube developed a community for many AA viewers to discuss their identity openly and see people who look like them on screen when Hollywood lacked representation. Additionally, many AA teens consume media from Asia itself, such as anime and K-Pop, to connect with their identity. The term Hallyu, or Korean wave, was coined in the 1990s as Korean pop culture rose in popularity throughout Asia and the U.S. This wave has continued through today, as seen through the craze around Korean music, like BTS, and the praise for Korean dramas, like Squid Game. We even see a nod to K-Pop in Turning Red through one of 4*Town’s members, Tae Young. In an interview about the movie, Domee Shi revealed that she was influenced by both American and Korean boy bands growing up, acknowledging that the media often ridicules young girls for being a part of such fandoms. Hence, Turning Red depicts the significant influence of fandom for AA girls’ experiences and is one of the first to do so seriously, without the typical mockery of teen girls.
4*Town was also important in portraying the connection within Mei’s friend group. According to research on teenage fans, participating in fandom culture facilitates teens to establish close communities and friendships around a shared interest for celebrities. We see this phenomenon when 4*Town ties the four friends, Mei, Abby, Priya, and Miriam, together. Contrary to the typical toxic depictions of teenage friendships in television shows and movies, Turning Red provides a positive portrayal of female friendships. Mei, Abby, Priya, and Miriam are able to be themselves around each other and appreciate each other’s quirkiness. This gives audiences a fresh perspective on teenage female friendships and shows the supportive community surrounding fandoms.
Conclusion and Next Steps
Turning Red normalizes puberty (emotions, menstruation, boy-craziness, etc.) and celebrates strong female friendships, while addressing topics like intergenerational trauma and identity formation. Indeed, the film provides AA teen girls with an accurate portrayal of their experiences, but there is still room for improvement in authentic and inclusive AA representation. Future stories can include more diversity in Asian ethnic groups: current representation is overwhelmingly East Asian and lacks South Asian and Southeast Asian experiences. It is also important to consider intersectionality in AA representation, including LGBTQ+ representation, biracial and multicultural identities, and different ages.
Sisi Peng
CSS Fellow
Alexa Mugol
Former CSS Intern
What We Talk About When We Talk About Middle School
Our research has identified the need for a new narrative around early adolescence, one that recognizes it for the remarkable period of discovery it is.
As Gen Xers entered and passed through adolescence in the ‘90s, they got a glimpse of what coming of age was like in the late ‘60’s through the eyes of Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper, the main characters on The Wonder Years. What they - and the countless viewers who’ve watched the Emmy award-winning series - since found was that the world around them had changed, but puberty and the middle school years hadn’t. As the particular upheaval of the 1960s and ‘70s unfolded around them, the show’s characters also experienced familiar turbulence and triumphs of early adolescence: exploring new interests, forming new relationships, and, discovering who you want to be in the world, all while your body is rapidly changing and maturing. By depicting middle school years as a time of discovery and yes, wonder, the show challenged our expectations about early adolescence.
What made The Wonder Years so compelling, both for nostalgic Boomers and Gen Xers who were the same age as the show’s stars, was how accurately it captured the experience of becoming an adolescent. The first few seasons were full of early adolescent milestones. Kevin had his first (and second and third) crushes, dealt with awkward physical changes, and experienced evolving relationships with friends and family. The show also tackled some of the higher-stakes events in adolescence like bullying, drinking, and difficult break-ups. Kevin and his friends sometimes made mistakes, faced disappointment, tested their own limitations, and failed. In The Wonder Years, early adolescence was often difficult and confusing, but it was also a time of transformation and discovery and joy. Both the difficulties and the joyful discoveries are critical to healthy adolescent development. They also make for very good television.
In 2021, ABC rebooted The Wonder Years, this time focusing on a Black middle-class family living in Alabama in the same period as the original series. Like the original series, it promises to share the ubiquitous moments that add up to the experiences of early adolescence—the “little things,” says the trailer: first crushes, first kisses, new experiences, newfound freedoms. The change in location and race of the family suggests that the show will also depict challenges that the white, middle-class Kevin and friends never faced (this will be explored further in a future blog).
Our research has identified the need for a new narrative around early adolescence, one that recognizes it for the remarkable period of discovery it is. People already think that adolescence is a difficult, risky time when we either need to be protected from ourselves, or we just need to “get through it” to the better parts of our lives. We need more shows like The Wonder Years, shows that portray early adolescence in realistic, sensitive (but still funny) ways. Of course, these depictions should also evolve to explore LGBTQ+ identity, racism, and other topics that were still backgrounded or even unspoken on network television in the late 1980s.
Here are some ways to tell better stories about early adolescence that show audiences what a remarkable time of opportunity - and wonder - it really is:
Accentuate the positive. Too often, narratives about early adolescence focus on negative stereotypes, emphasizing risk and vulnerability rather than opportunity. Instead, look for balance: when portraying the typical trial and error of early adolescence, avoid the temptation to overplay the ridicule angle and balance it with stories of resilience.
Avoid depicting stereotypical bullying and peer-pressure scenarios and instead show positive, supportive peer relationships. Early adolescent relationships are about much more than peer pressure—friends help us explore our identities and are crucial sources of support. And when depicting the joys and heartache of crushes, first kisses and break-ups, don’t belittle these experiences—they also help make us who we are.
Make early adolescents relatable. This is a time of life every adult has been through, and everyone has experienced both the difficulties and the joyful discoveries. Emphasize universal challenges and truths associated with the coming-of-age experience, but depict it in all its complexity—including diverse voices and storylines.
Have adults play a supportive role. Healthy relationships with adults are just as important for early adolescents as peers. Parents, teachers and other adults shouldn’t just be adversaries in your story—they can also be guides and resources (and sometimes comic relief).
So many of the milestones, feelings, and experiences that color our “wonder years” have not changed over time. Neither has one of the winning formulas to frame those years in a way that wins hearts and minds—by portraying them not as a period to just “get through,” but rather as an opportunity to experience life-defining development and growth. The reboot of The Wonder Years does just that, but makes the show relevant for an audience that is more diverse and, importantly, in need of storylines that represent their experiences of this period of discovery.
Freelancer
