When was the first time you saw yourself in the media? When was the first time you saw a film, read a book, watched a TV episode, or engaged in any other form of media and thought to yourself, "I've had that same experience!" or "wow, that character looks like me"?
Authentic media representation is pivotal in promoting acceptance for underrepresented identities who are historically invisible in mainstream media or portrayed using inaccurate stereotypes. When you finally see a person or character in media who truly resonates with you, it is an incredibly powerful feeling.
In the wake of excitement surrounding media such as Crazy Rich Asians, Black Panther, the reboot of Queer Eye, and others, the Inter-Asian Council presents the #FirstTimeISawMe campaign. We want to celebrate your moments of realization with the screen, and we want to highlight your stories about how media representation has impacted you. This project serves as a platform to explore the importance of authentically representing marginalized identities in film, TV, literature, video games, social media, and much more!
#FirstTimeISawMe is seeking submissions from the community in hopes of shedding light on the impact of representation. If you are interested in sharing your story, please fill out the following form.
Thank you for participating! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to shoot us an email at
iac@jhu.edu. For more information about the origins of this hashtag movement, see this article:
http://bit.ly/2PXoF6KDisclaimer: We welcome any and all submissions regardless of racial identity.
