Everything Everywhere All at Once made Oscars history, becoming the movie with the most wins in the major categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Original Screenplay. It is also the first time multiple actors of Asian descent have won Oscars in the same year.

It was a century in the making, from films where Asian American actors were merely sidekicks executing stereotypes, to a generation of movies/movie stars born out of the Kung Fu craze, from endeavors exploring Asian scenery, history, and philosophy, to another era of generalizing modern Asians, their ways and their wealth. I have enjoyed every season of Asian American cinema,  though some less proudly. At times I cringed at the cliche characters and plots too predictable. But overall, I am glad to see Asian Americans in movies evolve to tell their stories as human beings first, other than as some alien symbol.

Everything Everywhere All at Once started with an Asian immigrant family. They punched and kicked, were strict with their children, had messy family affairs, and struggled with IRS. But all these elements soon twisted and turned into something more cryptic. The movie had a complex setup. Its message transcended constraints of race, gender, sometimes even species and reached directly into the realm of being. An unconditional story bestows room for creativity but also challenge to the creators. They executed it believably. I laughed. I teared up. I thought really hard. It was a great cinematic experience, the kind I rarely had in recent years.

Then I forgot about the movie until it swept the Oscars and made history for Asians in Hollywood. From a grand level, it all made sense. Diversity is rising. So is the influence of Asian audiences. But for each Asian moviemaker who waited long enough for it to happen, I felt their longing and applauded their perseverance. Watching them choke up on the podium made me emotional. It was a great time to be an Asian storyteller, thanks to all the heroes and heroines who did not settle for less and kept on building the platform. Out of the many parallel universes, they stuck with the one that held little promise but true to their heart. It paid out. For them and for us.

Congratulations! To all the Asians in a creative field, let’s keep making dreams.