The Four Hundred: Jaime Xie and the other Asian American creatives making their way on the scene
Jamie Xie - Christian Vierig
Not too long ago in the Hollywood film industry, the Asian community would be lucky to see one Asian person in a film, even if it was a stereotypical role. Today there is a revolution in representation, giving the spotlight over to creators of color.
Asian representation is especially seeing the light after Parasite's big win at the 2020 Academy Awards and in recent film and television releases such as Bling Empire, which spotlights creatives of color who are worth paying close attention to.
Jaime Xie, Bling Empire's 23-year-old iconic fashionista and model, has garnered a lot of attention after the Netflix show's release on Jan. 15.
Xie is the daughter of Fortinet cybersecurity co-founder and CEO Ken Xie, and although having been raised in Silicon Valley and surrounded by all things tech, Jaime quickly found a love for fashion and the artistry behind it.
On her high fashion and lifestyle blog, Jaime writes, "Growing up, I attended a lower and middle school with uniforms. I remember always looking forward to the 'free-dress' days and planning out outfits days in advance. Whenever I finished homework, I headed straight to the closet to play dress-up. Since then, my love for fashion has only grown, leading to the start of my blog 2 years ago."
She told Vogue in an interview that a pair of Charlotte Olympia shoes she acquired in eighth grade catapulted her into studying designer and luxury brands. Her youth was spent making either watching runway shows on Youtube to eventually sitting front row at various fashion week showcases.
Though her presence on Bling Empire was minor, she acquired a fanbase that grew exponentially, with eager viewers following her eclectic style on Instagram and watching her luxury designer hauls on her Youtube channel.
“I’m not the main character of the series, but the focus of my role is centered around fashion. I thought it’d be a great opportunity to showcase my style and love for fashion, considering how large of a platform Netflix is.” Jaime told Female Magazine.
From streetwear to punk, girly to grunge, Jamie wears the latest looks from well-known designers and up-and-coming creators. Her diverse network allows her to be a ‘style chameleon’ with the help of Asian and Black photographers and makeup artists.
Jaime Xie described the impact of media in her recent interview with Lifestyle Asia, in which she discusses her online presence and role in Bling Empire.
"Being Chinese, both my mother and father grew up with the notion that success equals hard work. The idea of overnight success via social media is something they still have a difficult time understanding," she told Lifestyle Asia.
Jamie stays humble in the show despite her raging success and fanbase on Instagram, with fans raving for her cute, quiet personality contrasted with her daring and loud looks.
"My parents have raised me and my brothers to be humble and well-rounded individuals, " said the fashion icon. "I had to explain to them that social media is an important part of personal branding in today's world."
Bling Empire caught everyone's attention for its escapist 'Kardashian-like' reality-tv style and Asian representation in wealth and success. Its stars were given the platform to share their stories as Asian Americans who embrace Western culture's luxury, all while still honoring their Asian roots.
It is one of the multiple reality shows that has given Asians a platform to express themselves beyond the stereotypes. House of Ho is an HBO Max reality show that centers on a wealthy Vietnamese American family who built their empire from the ground up. They are slightly more traditional than the ostentatious group on Bling Empire but expel Vietnamese American' portrayals as only nail shop estheticians or pho restaurant owners.
Social media and entertainment streaming platforms have debuted original content spotlighting new faces like Jaime Xie, giving up-and-coming creatives a chance at fame, especially ones from underrepresented groups.
Lana Condor, a 23-year-old Vietnamese American actress, gained international fame after starring in the 2018 Netflix movie, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, which turned enough heads for a sequel in 2020 and a third installment this past February.
Condor told Harper's Bazaar that being able to play a character who celebrated her Asian heritage in the film was important for other young Asian women to feel seen.
"Obviously, we're making a lot of great leaps and bounds, but when I was growing up, you really only saw one specific person being given the opportunity to fall in love on camera, and they were typically white," she said in the interview.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, a young Canadian of Tamil Sri Lanka origin, beat out 15,000 others for the lead role of Mindy Kaling's Netflix show Never Have I Ever. She earned raves for her breakout performance and ended up on Time's 2021 TIME100 Next list at the ripe age of 19.
Many of these budding Asian American creatives are adamant about pushing for more representation in the entertainment industry, confident that they have an impact on changing the scene.
The entertainment industry has been long criticized for its lack of representation, and since the #OscarsSoWhite began trending, there are now new diversity and inclusion standards for the nominations, which will be enacted for the 2024 Academy Awards.
The standards are organized into four groups and require much of the cast, storyline, or production team nominations to include individuals from underrepresented ethnic groups.
Now that young creatives can take advantage of various media platforms to display their talents, worldwide exposure is more accessible, translating into a greater chance for viral success that can very much boost the popularity of Asian Americans and other ethnic groups.
Jaime is one of the many talented and exuberant creatives emerging from the Millenial and Gen Z generations, signaling that the industry can expect to see more creatives of color finding success in the entertainment realm.