Constance Wu on backlash for dating non-Asians
Hate and criticism in any form do not feel good. But I do think having the freedom to express things that are painful to certain people and start conversations about deeper issues (is a good thing).
LOS ANGELES: Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu hasn’t only been criticised for her looks.
Like many other AsianAmerican women, including Lana Condor and Chloe Kim, she has also faced backlash for her dating choices and relationships with non-Asian men. Though disapproving of the criticism, Constance doesn’t feel ill will toward her critics. Instead, she views the reaction as a learning opportunity.
Philosophised Constance: “Hate and criticism in any form do not feel good. But I do think having the freedom to express things that are painful to certain people and start conversations about deeper issues (is a good thing). Unfortunately, sometimes those conversations are targeted, but I’m very confident in the choices I make and why I make them, so if and when they are targeted at me, if this is a means for someone else to figure out and discover the things that matter to them or the things they feel about themselves, then I’m all for it. Because I’m OK.”
Constance has portrayed both a Taiwanese immigrant struggling in America in Fresh Off the Boat and an American citizen struggling in Singapore
Constance Wu, actress
in Crazy Rich Asians.
Both roles are near and dear to her heart— and her experience as a Taiwanese-American— but they also highlight a recurring theme of how Asian-Americans are still often bothered, regardless of whether they’re in America or Asia.
Last year, during filming in Singapore and Malaysia, Constance was offered skinwhitening creams.
Explained Constance: “This comes from an old Asian cultural idea that dark skin signifies being in the fields and working- class.” Still, she isn’t intimidated by the pressures to conform to both Asian and American beauty standards. For her, beauty is beyond physical appearance. “Do you. Do what matters to you,” said Constance. “Focus on your actions more than your looks because that creates confidence, and confidence is attraction.” Constance’s activism for better and smarter representation might be why some consider her a “cultural icon.” However, upon hearing the title, she laughed and insisted, “No. I’m not.”