The Office's "A Benihana Christmas" actress Kat Ahn calls out the show's portrayal of Asians

The Washington Post

The Korean-American actress portrayed one of two Asian waitresses in the December 2006 episode in which Michael Scott reveals that he marked the arm of one of the two Asian waitresses he brought back to the holiday party so he could tell them apart. As a waitress from what Michael refers to as “Asian Hooters,” Ahn played a woman reduced to a punchline. "In the show, the joke is meant to be at Michael’s expense — look at this pathetic man, newly single and so desperate for love that he would settle for a woman he can’t even identify," says The Washington Post's Sonia Rao. "But it’s these throwaway bits that too often cling to the wrong people. Nearly 15 years later, Ahn recalls how quickly her excitement to appear in the beloved television series deflated after she realized she was 'just there to be the joke.'" As Ahn explains, "you’re told to shut up and be grateful. Actors have no power until they become a star.”