‘I Am Rooting For You.’ Constance Wu Shares Why Crazy Rich Asians Is So Monumental

In two weeks, Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu will be part of the first major Hollywood film to feature an Asian American cast in the leading roles since The Joy Luck Club came out in 1993.

The highly anticipated romantic comedy is also the first major Hollywood movie to center around an Asian-American’s story in over 25 years — something that’s not lost on Wu, whose work on the television series Fresh Off the Boat, has been widely hailed with helping to bring Asian American visibility to the small screen. Fresh Off the Boat has made history in its five seasons on air by being the first network show to star a majority Asian American cast to reach syndication.

Wu took to Twitter on Tuesday to remind her followers that this moment in entertainment is truly historic, not just for her and her fellow Crazy Rich Asian cast members, but for everyone who hasn’t seen themselves in mainstream narratives in the past. She then thanked the Asian American folks who have encouraged and taught her along the way.

“I hope Asian American kids watch CRA and realize that they can be the heroes of their own stories,” she wrote. “I know CRA won’t represent every Asian American. So for those who don’t feel seen, I hope there is a story you find soon that does represent you. I am rooting for you. We’re not all the same, but we all have a story.”

Wu later emphasized the significance of what it meant for her to be the leading lady in a major Hollywood film as the “American daughter of immigrants.”

“Immigrant stories are the stories of dreams, of love, of sacrifice, of courage, of honor. They are truly what make America great.”

See Wu’s full remarks on Twitter below.