Daniel Henney and Asian Men’s Sexuality

In intersectional feminist and Asian American circles, we often lament the so-called ‘emasculation’ of Asian men’s bodies in western society and the hypersexualization and objectification of Asian American women’s bodies.

The trope of the asexual, passive Asian cis-male is all too common for this reason in pop culture and media/film in the US. So when the #OscarsSoWhite controversy blew up and culminated in protests and major calls for reforming the Academy and Hollywood in general. But, unfortunately, that didn’t prevent an Oscars performance rife with anti-Asian jokes, including the mockery of child labor and the ‘model minority’ myth of Asians’ proficiency at math/science. Another cringe-worthy anti-Asian moment that took direct aim at Asian men’s ‘masculinity’ (or lack thereof) with a crude ‘joke’ about genital size.

When such typical white, male, cis humor is based on toxic notions of ‘masculinity,’ it becomes very apparent that Asian men and women’s representation in film and media is, indeed, crucial. That’s why, when I heard about Daniel Henney’s new role in the CBS show Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders– in which he’ll be regularly appearing starting with the season premier– I was thrilled at the prospect of an Asian American television character who wasn’t the ‘passive nerd’ or ‘exotic foreigner’ but an unapologetically complex, dynamic individual.

With Asian American actors’ departure from television– like Sandra Oh of Grey’s Anatomy or Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim– rising stars like Priyanka Chopra (who stars in ABC’s Quantico) and Constance Wu (Fresh off the Boat), Daniel Henney will be a welcome addition to much-needed diversity in Hollywood.