President Joe Biden called for a “fair deal” for The amazing writers of Hollywood Monday while hosting a White House screening of the upcoming broadcast series “American Born Chinese” to mark Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
He made his first public comments on the strike, which hits the one-week mark on Tuesday, in comments before the screening of the pilot. An overflow crowd of hundreds of community leaders, elected officials, and members of the show’s cast and producers joined Mr. Biden in the East Room and the State Dining Room.
“Nights like these are a reminder of the stories and the importance of treating storytellers with the dignity, respect and value they deserve,” said the president. “I sincerely hope that the Writers strike in Hollywood is resolved and the writers get the fair treatment they deserve as soon as possible.”
He added: “This is an iconic and significant American industry. And we need the writers and all the workers and everyone involved to tell the stories of our nation and the stories of all of us.”
“chinese born americanis an adaptation of a graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, and stars Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan. It will premiere on Disney+ on May 24.
Mr. Biden used his brief onstage remarks to describe his administration’s efforts to highlight the achievements of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities and to speak out against bias and violence against they.
“Hate cannot have a safe harbor in the United States,” Biden said. “Silence is complicity and we will not remain silent”
Quan, who introduced the president, reflected on his journey from arriving in the US as an 8-year-old Vietnamese refugee to his first visit to the White House months after winning an Oscar.
“I don’t take this moment lightly, because I know that this building is a monument to a country that opened its arms to me,” he said.
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