8 Asians

  • About us
  • Write for 8Asians
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Suggest |
  • Podcast
  • Events
  • GASP!
  • POP 88
Pete Hoekstra’s Offensive Anti-Asian Super Bowl AdPete Hoekstra’s Offensive Anti-Asian Super Bowl Ad
What I Learned From Posting A Dragon Lady Personal AdWhat I Learned From Posting A Dragon Lady Personal Ad
Jeremy Lin Shows He’s Just What The Knicks NeedJeremy Lin Shows He’s Just What The Knicks Need
Asian Men Have The Highest SalaryAsian Men Have The Highest Salary

More Asians on the Small Screen for the Fall Season

By Jee | Thursday, October 1, 2009 | 12 Comments

Ever since I got rid of my cable, my TV intake has decreased drastically, but I still get amusement from the little box and am especially looking forward to all of the wonderful Asians on TV: CBS has the return of The Mentalist with Tim Kang and also has the delight of having Daniel Henney on Three Rivers, which hasn’t premiered yet. Glee – the talk of the town — has Jenna Ushkowitz. Community has funny Doc gone comedic actor  Ken Jeong. And last but not least, ’cause he’s like my favorite, is John Cho on FlashForward.

All of the shows are newbies, The Mentalist being the most senior of the group,  but I’m very excited that writers, casting directors, producers, directors, whoever it was that decided that the small screen needed some Asians on it deserves a high-five or a pat on the back. No, I’m not snubbing Sandra Oh or Daniel Dae Kim; I’m just mentioning the beautiful new Asian faces we get to see on TV, that’s all.

MOODTHINGY
How does this post make you feel?
  • Excited
  • Fascinated
  • Amused
  • Bored
  • Sad
  • Angry

Categories:

TV
Tweet

NOTE: 8Asians.com is a community, and we thank you for being a part of it. While we welcome and appreciate differences in opinion, if you're rude or you're promoting spam, we have a right to edit or delete your comment. Read our comment policy for more information.

If you see a comment that violates the 8Asians.com comment policy, you may flag the comment by mousing over the comment and clicking "FLAG."

Sign in
Livefyre logo
  • Comment help
  • Get Livefyre
Post comment as
twitter logo facebook logo
Sort: Newest | Oldest
LindaChan

Thanks for the update on Patrick and Iqbal, Susie!

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
LindaChan

Thanks for the update on Patrick and Iqbal, Susie!

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
susiepatel

Patrick was raised in Canada and is of Chinese descent. Iqbal Theba is a Pakistani. I could not find Patrick's fan page or a website. But, iqbal theba does have a fan page on Facebook (iqbal theba page). Please, join and send him your love.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
jeffat8asians

Don't forget Ming Na and Lou Diamond Phillipson the new SYFY series Stargate SGU.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
jeesuh

WOW! I had no idea! Great teamwork on listing the actors who play those awesome characters on Glee. These comment threads can almost make another post for Glee! haha awesome!
I'm hoping it's safe to assume that Peter Gallagher is part Japanese? This makes me appreciate Glee so much more!

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
jeesuh

Haha I knew you weren't!! I was grateful for the mention of people I forgot. hahaha
I'm totally agree with you, I got all excited when I saw all those wonderful Asian faces! And I hope we keep on seeing more so that Asian faces on TV is just commonplace, everyday thing.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
LindaChan

Hi Joz,

I looked up Patrick Gallagher before posting my first comment, and same as you, I couldn't find conclusive answers. I'm inclined to think that he is actually part Asian (maybe even part Japanese) because why would they go out of their way to write an Asian football coach but stop short at actually casting an Asian to play him? I'm thinking the producers at this show actually care about diversity.

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
LindaChan

I hope you don't think I was trying to criticize. I was just so excited at all the Asian faces on this one little show on Fox that I just had to come here and list them all! I think it's great you wrote this post so show how prominent APAs are this fall season. :)

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
jozjozjoz

Glee:

The new football player who plays Mike Chang is played by Harry Shum Jr

The Filipino Acafella (Howard) is played by Kent Avenido.

Principal Figgins is played by awesome Iqbal Theba. (Fans of the sitcom FRIENDS may remember him as the doctor who told Joey "Kidney Stones!)

The football coach's character is named Ken Tanaka, but is played by Patrick Gallagher. I can't tell by anything I've read online if Patrick is ACTUALLY part-Japanese (as his character is). Anyone know?

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
jeesuh

Yeah you're right. Glee should have received special mention. I was so focused on the Glee Club member that I forgot about the principal(LOVE HIM) and the other cast members. YIPES! Hope they don't see this. ;o)

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like
LindaChan

Glee should get special mention because of several APA actors--not just Jenna, but one of the football players who joined Glee Club is Asian, one of the Acafella members is Filipino, the principal is Pakistani, and I think even the football coach is part Asian. :)

share
  • spam
  • offensive
  • disagree
  • off topic
Like

Trackbacks

  1. 8Asians.com » Ming-Na Plays the First Lesbian Asian-American TV Series Regular on SyFy’s SGU says:
    October 4, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    [...] season TV mojo. The thing is, I’m really trying to limit the number of new shows I get into this season. Originally, I only had Glee and Three Rivers on my list, but now I have to add Stargate Universe [...]

 
Google
Custom Search
Advertise on 8Asians
Recent Posts
  • Is Kim Jong Un Dead? Assassination Rumors Hit the Internet
  • Help Fight Stereoptypes With Asian Crew Clothing
  • Deftones’ Chi Cheng Wakes Up From His 3-Year Coma
  • SXSW 2012 Has a Nice Handful of Asian Movies
  • Woman In China Gives Birth To 15 Lb Baby
  • Naruto & Dragonball Now Available On Barnes & Noble Nook
  • Kisai Rogue KR2 LED Watch
Recent Comments
  • XThroatCourtesy: Good luck! Hope things work out. – Behind The Scenes With Team Janet & A Call To Help Janet Find Her Match
  • Danny_Ahmed: I think due to the political sensitivities and how prominent many Chinese have become involved in American institutions (and in several ways, vice versa), Pete... – Pete Hoekstra's Offensive Anti-Asian Super Bowl Ad
  • coach41: @itzagudwun I was going to drop the discussion but let me ask you a question. What exactly am I stereotyping about Asian parents? Is is... – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
  • bigWOWO: Great article again, Tim. I'm actually very surprised in hearing the findings. I knew that Asian Americans were less likely to carry credit card debt... – Asian Americans Have Mixed Results In Retirement Study
  • PeterLo: Rock-on, Steven. Judging from the segment, I find this female host to be less of an attention-whore than Olivia Munn. Moar female hosts like this,... – Steven Yeun Talks About The Walking Dead Season 2.5 & Tries A Bacon Milkshake

APA Events

  • Feb 16: Adam WarRock and Kirby Krackle: West Cost Tour Dates!!!
  • Feb 16: (New York, NY) Amar Chitra Katha: Monica Ferrell, Chitra Ganesh, Keshni Kashyap, and Himanshu “Heems” Suri of Das Racist
  • Feb 17: (Los Angeles, CA) All My Sons
  • Feb 18: (Stanford, CA) Stanford’s 16th Listen to the Silence Conference
  • Feb 18: (San Francisco, CA) NAAAP-SF Lunar New Year Gala 2012
  • Feb 25: (Los Angeles, CA) Past Present I Future Imperatives: Queer Space Time
  • Mar 3: (New York, NY) Vong Pak’s ‘Electric Shaman’ Concert
  • Apr 30: (Sacramento, CA) California Asian Pacific Islander Policy Summit 2012: iAdvocate
Add Your Event
www.8asians.com

Staff and Contributors

  • Editors
  • Ernie Hsiung - Founder, Editor-in-Chief
  • Moye Ishimoto - Co-Editor, Editorial
  • Joz Wang - Co-Editor, PR & APA Outreach
  • Contributors
  • Jeff S.

    LATEST POST: California Shark Fin Soup Suppliers Sue State Over Ban
  • John L.

    LATEST POST: Jay Chen Announces Run for Congress
  • Koji Steven Sakai

    LATEST POST: What LA Thinks Japanese Food Is Vs. What Japanese Really Eat
  • Tina Tsai

    LATEST POST: Naruto & Dragonball Now Available On Barnes & Noble Nook
  • Mary Tam

    LATEST POST: Is Classical Music Alive For Long?
  • Lexington

    LATEST POST: Jeremy Lin Shows He’s Just What The Knicks Need
View all Authors

Other Links

  • AsianFashion.com
  • Get your very own 8Asians merchandise here!
GASP!: A Shopping Blog
  • Mohzy Loop USB & iPhone/iPod Cable
  • My Travel Bunny Bottle Set
  • Color Ink Book, Volume Fourteen
  • “Oldboy”
  • EOS Lip Balm
POP88: A J-Pop and K-Pop Podcast
  • POP 88 #51 – I’m READY, 2012 – Non-Stop Mix
  • POP 88 #50 – Special Non-Stop FemBOTmix
  • POP 88 #49 – Somewhere Between – Interview with dir. Linda Goldstein Knowlton
  • POP 88 #48 – Mixed Bag: Chinese, Japanese, Korean and French (!?) music
  • POP 88 #47 – Back and Ready for 2011
8Asians Tumblr: Beautiful Things
  • "I’m riding [Jeremy Lin] like friggin’ Secretariat."
  • Minh is “an emerging Asian-American artist that’s...
  • jasmined: h/t @patrickjd
  • neaato:  legendary L.A. graffiti artist Tony “Tempt” Quan gets...
  • neaato: kids x ryu and ken
Advertise | Contact Us | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Privacy Policy