DEI at the Gold Gala: Jon M. Chu celebrates Asian achievements
While attending the Gold Gala, director Jon M. Chu reflected on the importance of Asian media representation in a conversation with USA TODAY.
LOS ANGELES − In the midst of the White House’s unrelenting offensive against diversity initiatives, Hollywood gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of the Asian diaspora in entertainment, entrepreneurship and sports.
At Gold House’s May 10 Gold Gala, where a who’s who of Asians gathers each year for a glitzy evening of recognizing “cross-industry excellence,” film and TV A-listers reveled in a sense of community among a guest list of hundreds of people representing South, Southeast and East Asians, as well as Pacific Islanders and beyond.
“Joy is the only thing that can destroy hate,” director Jon M. Chu (“Wicked,” “Crazy Rich Asians”) told USA TODAY on the gold carpet. “If we’re DEI, we are ‘Damn Excellent Imaginations’ out there.
“Asians don’t just have a place at the table. They have taken over media, taken over food, TV, music, you name it. We’re in everything. That’s not some DEI thing – that’s because our place is here, and it’s exciting.”
‘DEI until I D-I-E’
“Deli Boys” and “Never Have I Ever” star Poorna Jagannathan was less sparing with her words when it came to diversity, equity and inclusion becoming a maligned shorthand for initiatives seen as the antithesis to merit-based inclusion.
“I’m DEI until I D-I-E. I mean, what are you going to do? It is just who I am,” Jagannathan said.
Nisha Ganatra, director of Disney’s upcoming sequel “Freakier Friday,” similarly shrugged off any challenges to telling stories from diverse backgrounds.
“The Indian film industry is bigger than Hollywood; the Asian film industry is older than Hollywood,” she said. “I love Hollywood, I’m a part of Hollywood. But … the creative forces are always like, ‘Whatever. Call it DEI, don’t call it DEI.’ We know what we’re doing, and we know the importance of our work and we need to keep doing it.”
The cast of Deli Boys show up to the Gold Gala wearing ceasefire pins
The stars of Deli Boys, Saagar Shaikh, Poorna Jagannathan and Asif Ali, discuss their ceasefire pins at the Gold Gala in Los Angeles.
Community makes Laufey ‘feel quite whole’
The night’s honorees, who were part of Gold House’s annual A100 list of “the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders in culture and society over the past year,” took the opportunity to bask in feeling “starstruck,” as Chu described it, by those around them.
Daniel Dae Kim, hot off his Time100 recognition, said: “Here, I just feel like I’m part of the community. I’m proud to be here among an incredible group of people.”
Grammy-winning jazz pop vocalist Laufey reflected on feeling at home among those gathered at the gala.
“I grew up in Iceland (and) I was never white enough for them. And in China, I was obviously not Asian enough. Not in a bad way, but I was just very clearly a foreigner. I’ve always been a foreigner everywhere,” she said.
On this night, “I really feel quite whole. Not like I’m reaching to be full of anything – I just feel like me, which is very special.”
Megan Thee Stallion vows to ‘build cultural bridges’
Laufey’s community of the evening consisted of those who were also seated in the front rows of banquet tables: Ang Lee, Mindy Kaling, Megan Thee Stallion, Ming-Na Wen, Sandra Oh, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, along with decorated Olympians Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles and Chloe Kim.
After Laufey treated the crowd to a performance of “Silver Lining,” and accepted her honoree trophy, Megan Thee Stallion took the stage for her moment of recognition.
Though she’s not of Asian descent, she has collaborated with K-pop stars and is such an ardent fan of anime that she’s woven her favorite series into her music. (“I just finished ‘Solo Leveling,’ ” she giddily reported to the crowd.)
“As a Black woman, I know how important it is to feel seen, heard and respected. And I promise to continue to do my part in advocating for our Asian Pacific brothers and sisters,” the “Savage” rapper said. “Let’s continue to build cultural bridges and shine together.”
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