Why are there very few Asian characters in Simpsons?

[miss_natsi]

Simpsons has your couple of black guys, (Carl, Lou, Dr. Hibert, the Judge, etc.), your Indians, (Apu and Manjula), the hispanics (Bumblebee Man and Dr. Nick (?), but aside from Kookie who was introduced much later, there aren't any prominent Asian characters.

Why is this? You'd think Simpsons would be the type of show that would have at least one prominent Asian character from the start, yet it didn't.

 

[??????Cool??????]

There is Akira, who was introduced in Season 2 and appeared a few times later.

 

[: >]

I think part of the reason why there are few Asian characters on The Simpsons is because, stereotypically in animation, Asian characters are colored with yellow skin, but all of the caucasian characters on The Simpsons have yellow skin, thus when they do have Asian characters, they have to color their skin dead-white, which just looks strange. :shrug: They mentioned this on a DVD commentary once.

 

[muchluv4pets]

Springfield is in a place where not very many Asian people live I guess.

 

[calolines]

I agree with the above post.

 

[Holly =]]

I don't get why they didn't just have everyone be different shades of yellow. Just like how people in real life are different shades of brown.

 

[Kanoe]

Well, there is Selma's Baby.

 

[WilliamJ]

Ye and they've made up for lack of asians with trips to China and Japan!

 

[Leroyng]

The Tai Restaurant Owner
Madam Wu
Trong Van Din
Gedde Wantabee
Richard Sakaui

 

[kelvinc]

It reminds me of how in the infamous Arabic translation of Simpsons (the Shamshoons), they just happened to live in a highly Muslim-concentrated city in America.