Advertisers have increased the number of Black actors in commercials since about 2020, but Asian Americans remain underrepresented relative to both their population and their purchasing power, so they appear much less often. The reasons are mostly economic calculations, industry inertia, and racial stereotypes rather than any simple “quota” or zero‑sum swap between groups.forbes+5
Studies of large samples of U.S. TV and digital ads in the early 2020s found a noticeable rise in Black presence after the George Floyd protests and corporate diversity pledges, with Black people often appearing more than their population share in some ad sets.theunmistakables+2
Asian Americans, by contrast, are still less visible: one 2023–24 analysis found Asian screen presence around 8–11% in many ad contexts, even though Asians are one of the fastest‑growing groups and heavy users of ad‑supported streaming.nielsen+2
Surveys show about three in five Asian Americans say they do not feel properly represented in advertising content.nielsen+1
After 2020, many big brands publicly committed to racial justice, and one of the quickest, most visible changes they could make was featuring more Black people in campaigns.forbes+1
Black consumers represent very large and highly brand‑conscious spending power (estimates over 1 trillion dollars in the U.S.), so agencies see clear business incentives in courting them.nielsen+1
U.S. conversations about racism have centered for decades on anti‑Black racism, so “show diversity” often gets interpreted inside agencies as “cast more Black talent,” especially in general‑market ads.theunmistakables+1
“Small market” thinking: Some marketers still look at Asians being roughly 7% of the U.S. population and wrongly conclude that they are a niche not worth targeted investment, despite very high and growing purchasing power.kimberlytruong+2
“Perpetual foreigner” stereotype: Asians are often seen as foreign rather than part of the mainstream American family, so they get cast less often in ads meant to signal “typical American life.”aubg+1
Typecasting: When Asians appear, they are disproportionately shown in tech, professional, or “brainy” roles, and rarely in informal or domestic family scenes, which keeps their overall presence limited.aubg
Industry demographics and inertia: Creative and decision‑making teams in agencies remain disproportionately white, and research shows that without people in the room pushing for Asian inclusion, casting defaults to older habits.nielsen+1
Representation of Asians in mainstream ads and especially in big‑ticket events like Super Bowl spots has been rising; in some recent Super Bowls, Asians made up 12–16% of performers, higher than in everyday ads.xr
Streaming and newer media with more Asian characters on screen (series and films) are nudging advertisers to spend more in Asian‑inclusive content, but a quarter of brands still devote only a very small share of their ad budgets there.nielsen+1
Asian viewers say they are more likely to buy from brands that advertise in content where they feel seen, so there is growing pressure—on both ethical and business grounds—for advertisers to close the gap.advertisingweek+1
If you like, a next step could be to look at a few specific commercials or campaigns you’ve noticed and unpack what they are signaling with their casting choices.