TV host seeks bigger Asian presence in US media

Yul Kwon

By Kim Young-jin

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A glance at Yul Kwon's resume shows his path has been anything but typical.
The Korean-American television host was credited with breaking racial stereotypes by winning the hit reality show "Survivor" in 2006 and followed that with a stint in the Barack Obama administration. Trained as a lawyer, he has worked for the likes of Google and as a lecturer for the FBI.

But Kwon, host of recent public television miniseries "America Revealed" ­ which explored the infrastructure powering the world's top economy - seems proudest of a more modest development: being seen as a regular guy.

"I got a lot of positive feedback", the 37-year-old said of the show in an interview in Seoul, Tuesday. "What was great was that they didn't mention that I was Korean or Asian. They just said 'you're a great host'.

"They saw me as an American, not a Korean-American, but a regular American. I think that was something that was new in American television".

Kwon is in town this week to promote his Korean-language book "I Evolve Every Day", that chronicles his struggle to overcome a severe anxiety disorder in his childhood.

Since winning "Survivor", he has been outspoken not only about mental health issues but also his desire to improve portrayals of Asians in the U.S. media, which he says too often resort to stereotypes and the perception of Asian-Americans as "perpetual foreigners" in their own country.

That drive prompted Kwon to host "America Revealed" after serving as the deputy chief of the consumer and governmental affairs bureau for the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and become heavily involved in advocacy and mentoring work with the Asian American community.

To Kwon, promoting balanced media portrayals not only helps Asian Americans, but also enhances Americans' perceptions of Asia. He noted it was common for negative representations to increase during times of tension with Asian countries, as seen with Japan in the 1980s.

"For a lot of people, Asian Americans are a proxy for the countries that their ethnic heritage comes from. One of the reasons it's important to have more people from our community on screen is because it does have an impact on how Americans view people globally", he said.

Believing that news coverage is too often too focused on the U.S. perspective, Kwon is working to provide a more balanced, in-depth look at Asia issues through his new show LinkAsia. He hopes a clearer understanding will eventually help guide wise policy decisions.

"If we're constantly exposed to images in the media of how the Chinese are taking all our jobs, how Korea has this crazy person in the North, and you're reading about the ban on U.S. beef in the South, it does have a dramatic impact on U.S. policy because these are the people who are going to vote for their congressmen", he said.

During a press conference for the book, he hoped it would help young Koreans that may battle similar problems as he did growing up.

"A lot of children out there are struggling, many overwhelmed with pressure. If I had seen more people talking about these issues, more public figures...I think it would have helped me not feel so alone and have the hope and courage to start talking to people", he said.

yjk@koreatimes.co.kr