I first saw this commercial during the 2021 Academy Awards, which seems entirely appropriate given the increased visibility of Asian American’s during the year’s awards.  Tony Lee, a lead design at Google Brand Studios, talks about his experiences growing up and as a CODA – a child of deaf adults and the importance of communications with the during the pandemic.  Like many Asian American children, he had to translate for his parents, but in his case, the language he used was sign language.

I loved this commercial for a number of reasons.  It highlighted the humanity of Asian Americans – something that has been ignored by many during the pandemic.  It showed multiple generations of an Asian American family and highlighted the isolating consequences of COVID-19.  Finally, it exposed Asian American ties to other communities, like the deaf community.

If you like this commercial, you might also want to check out this one – not Asian American strictly, but still very engaging.