Michelle Yeoh wins Oscar: A Landmark Moment for Diversity and Inclusion in Hollywood

Michelle Yeoh has made history by becoming the first Asian woman ever to win the award for Best Actress at the Oscars. In her winning speech, she said, “This is history in the making.” Yeoh won the award for her role in the film Everything Everywhere All At Once.

List of Asian-led films that won awards at the Oscars:

This year’s Oscars felt like a never-before-seen celebration of Asian representation with awards for Asian-led films like RRR, The Elephant Whispers, and Everything Everywhere All At Once, a performance of Telugu-language song ‘Naatu Naatu,’ and special appearances from stars like Deepika Padukone and Malala Yousafzai.

This is a huge improvement from recent years when the Oscars and similar awards ceremonies faced criticism for nominating very few people of colour for their awards. In 2015 and 2016, the hashtag “#OscarsSoWhite” trended after all acting nominations were given exclusively to white people, and celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee vowed to boycott the awards if diversity didn’t improve.

During her winning speech, Yeoh said, “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities.” Her statement perfectly exemplifies why diversity and inclusion matter.

Growing up as a South Asian woman in the UK, there was a lack of representation on screen. And when there was representation, it was often cringe-worthy stereotypes that didn’t represent me or the people I knew. This left me, and many other young Asians, feeling othered and like we didn’t belong. This is why this year’s Academy Awards felt so special.

Many people who feel similarly have taken to social media to applaud the ceremony and wins for Asian representation. One viewer wrote, “Seeing Asian representation in film is so healing but seeing Asian talent acknowledged on such a prestigious platform has literally left my little heart brimming over.”

Another viewer said, “My inner child is jumping with joy to see people that look like me celebrated for their hard work and talent, it soothes such a deep feeling of inadequacy and shame from years of racism and micro aggressions, I’m just so wildly happy.”

It really does feel like the film and TV industry is improving when it comes to Asian representation. Shows with Asian leads like Ms Marvel, Bridgerton, and Never Have I Ever received tons of applause last year.

While there is still a long way to go in bettering recognition for people of colour at the Oscars, this year’s ceremony felt like a much-needed step in the right direction for representation and diversity.