Five films underscoring the complexities of being Asian in Middle America
The United States is a big country and with a focus on the coasts, it’s easy to forget that stories from the middle of the country are just as important
From left, Emerson Min as Benjamin, Jae Suh Park as Jenna, and Ken Jeong as Isaac in "A Great Divide."
Gravitas Ventures
Words by Samantha Pak
When it comes to media coverage and entertainment, there tends to be a bias toward the coasts. So much of the news, films, and TV shows we watch on our screens focuses on places such as New York and Los Angeles, that it’s easy to overlook what’s going on in the middle of this country—unless a natural disaster, or something equally horrific such as an immigration officer murdering a woman, happens.
But the United States is a big country, with a lot of people from different backgrounds and experiences, who all bring something to the table. And it’s important to acknowledge their stories as well.
If you’re interested in seeing what life in this country looks like as you travel inland, here are Asian American five films featuring stories from Middle America.
Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987)
Who Killed Vincent Chin? recounts the murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American man who was killed in June 1982 in Highland Park, Michigan on the night of his bachelor party. Directed by the late Christine Choy (1952-2025), the documentary retraces the incident—from the attack, which took place on June 19, 1982, to the trial—and examines the American justice system (Chin’s killers Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz never spent a night in jail). The injustice caused an outcry from Asian Americans around the country, leading to the community coming together to take action, which in turn helped shape the Asian American identity.
Where to watch: YouTube
Columbus (2017)
Directed by Kogonada (A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, Pachinko, After Yang), Columbus is the story of Jin, a Korean American man (John Cho) who travels to Columbus, Indiana to look after his estranged architect father who has fallen into a coma. While stranded in town, Jin meets and befriends a young woman named Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), who works at the local library and dreams of becoming an architect but can’t leave town as she has to take care of her recovering addict mother (Michelle Forbes). Over the course of several days, Casey takes Jin on a tour of Columbus, and together they discuss architecture and open up and share about their relationships with their respective parents.
Where to watch: Tubi, YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Fandango at Home
Yellow Rose (2019)
Following an undocumented Filipina immigrant, Yellow Rose is the story of a teenage girl named Rose (Eva Noblezada) from a small town in Texas as she fights to follow her dream of becoming a country music performer. In order to make her dream come true, she must leave her small town. However, her plan is put on hold when her mother is taken by U.S. Immigration and Enforcement, and Rose must flee to Austin. Directed by Diane Paragas, the musical drama also stars Princess Punzalan, Lea Salonga, and Dale Watson, and won the special jury award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2019 Asian American International Film Festival.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango at Home
Minari (2020)
Starring Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, and Will Patton, Minari is a semiautobiographical film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. The film follows a Korean American family after moving to the Ozark region of Arkansas during the mid-1980s. As expected, the Yis face a number of challenges in their new home—from financial hardship and marital strains between Yeun’s and Han’s characters, to the lack of local medical care for a son (Kim) with a heart condition, discrimination from the local community and cultural isolation. But together, they learn how resilient they are as a family, and what really makes a home. The film was nominated for a number of awards, including six Oscars and won for best supporting actress for Youn’s role as Soonja, the maternal grandmother who emigrates from South Korea to help take care of the children (Kim and Cho).
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango at Home
A Great Divide (2023)
A Great Divide stars Ken Jeong, Jae Suh Park, and Emerson Min as the Lees, a Korean American family who move from the Bay Area to rural Wyoming, in the hopes of a fresh start. They don’t expect their new neighbors to pose a greater threat than the animals they come across along the way, but upon arrival, they encounter hostility and xenophobia from their new community. While father Isaac (Jeong) thinks they should try to fit in, mother Jenna (Park) refuses to temper how she reacts to the less-than-friendly residents. And all the while, their son Benjamin (Min) quickly becomes homesick as he misses his best friend Ellie. Despite all of these issues, the Lees have to work together to confront their new, close-knit but change-resistant community.
Where to watch: JoySauce TV, Google Play Movies, Tubi, Fandango at Home, Apple TV
Published on January 14, 2026
Words by Samantha Pak
Samantha Pak (she/her) is an award-winning Cambodian American journalist from the Seattle area and co-editor in chief for JoySauce. She spends more time than she’ll admit shopping for books than actually reading them, and has made it her mission to show others how amazing Southeast Asian people are. Follow her on Twitter at @iam_sammi and on Instagram at @sammi.pak.