Current Events > Asian Harry Potter actress says publicists told her to deny racism from fans

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https://variety.com/2021/film/news/harry-potter-actor-racist-attacks-katie-leung-1234928176/

Actor Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang in the Harry Potter franchise, opened up about experiencing racist attacks from fans online while filming the fantasy series. She said publicists told her to deny what was happening if she were ever asked. Leung recalled what happened on an episode of the podcast Chinese Chippy Girl released on Monday. She says after her casting in 2005s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was announced, she started seeing racist messages from fans online. I was Googling myself at one point, and I was on this website, which was kind of dedicated to the Harry Potter fandom. I remember reading all the comments. And, yeah, it was a lot of racist shit, she says. Leung, who was born in Scotland and is of Chinese descent, was only 16 when she was cast in the Harry Potter films. She recalled not receiving any media training before doing interviews and said publicists told her to deny that the racist attacks were happening.

I remember them saying to me, Oh, look Katie, we havent seen these, these websites that people are talking about. And you know, if you get asked that, just say its not true. Say its not happening, she said. And I just nodded my head. I was like, Okay, okay, even though I had seen it myself with my own eyes. I was like, Okay, yeah, Ill just say everythings great.' I was really fucking grateful that I was in the position I was in, Leung said. I keep saying, Oh I wish Id maybe said something. But you cant do that.



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the character itself was kinda racist. Cho Chang isnt a chinese nor a korean name. Its just made up to sound like that other ____ Chang racists use to say to east asians.

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Harry should've gotten with Cho Chang instead of Ginny Weasley >_>

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Cobra1010 posted...

the character itself was kinda racist. Cho Chang isnt a chinese nor a korean name. Its just made up to sound like that other ____ Chang racists use to say to east asians.

tbf, JK Rowling wasn't very good at minority characters. Made sure to point out "no THIS person isn't a white person or something"

Cobra1010 posted...

the character itself was kinda racist. Cho Chang isnt a chinese nor a korean name. Its just made up to sound like that other ____ Chang racists use to say to east asians.

In their defense, it is a fantasy story. I don't know too many people with names like Severus Snape.

Seamus 'blows shit up' finnegan says hi

But yeah lots of newspapers report on the amount of abuse she got. Same with the girls who played the Patil twins

Proto_Spark posted...

Made sure to point out "no THIS person isn't a white person or something"

There were multiple characters that a lot of readers didn't realize were black

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NeonOctopus posted...

Harry should've gotten with Cho Chang instead of Ginny Weasley >_>

Nah, the Ginny romance was actually set up rather well.

In the books at least...

*googles*

Huh. I mean, she's a bit "british homely" if you know what I mean but otherwise ok looking. Just not the cho chang I envisioned in my head when I read the book. Back in high school there was this girl who looked exactly how I imagined cho chang to look
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Cobra1010 posted...

the character itself was kinda racist. Cho Chang isnt a chinese nor a korean name. Its just made up to sound like that other ____ Chang racists use to say to east asians.

Cho Chang could absolutely be a Chinese or Korean name, it would just be a bit strange because both are used as almost exclusively surnames.

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Pogo_Marimo posted...

Cho Chang could absolutely be a Chinese or Korean name, it would just be a bit strange because both are used as almost exclusively surnames.

Kinda makes me think of Burns Thompson from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I think one of the movies made him a woman and changed the first name to Bernadette (which is a personal name).

saspa posted...

Huh. I mean, she's a bit "british homely" if you know what I mean but otherwise ok looking.

She looks like a cozy house?

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saspa posted...

*googles*

Huh. I mean, she's a bit "british homely" if you know what I mean but otherwise ok looking. Just not the cho chang I envisioned in my head when I read the book. Back in high school there was this girl who looked exactly how I imagined cho chang to look

I know what you mean. Both her and Ginny were described as absolutely beautiful women everyone wanted and in the movies they were cute but not even close to what I imagined.

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I don't have a problem with her name but I don't like how Rowling ended her arc. She made her side with the one who betrayed them but then never followed up with her in the following two books.
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Proto_Spark posted...

tbf, JK Rowling wasn't very good at minority characters. Made sure to point out "no THIS person isn't a white person or something"

The one time I've seen her do that was for a character specifically described as having a white face.

Good timing, while there's a spotlight on British racism.

This wasn't a coverup for say, the production and cast being racist, but covering up for the consumer base, which kinda is no less worse. I'm guessing to avoid risk of alienating fans or simply the optics of the whole thing and not avoid making her a more focal point. It's just a selfish and ignorant thing to do.


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Hot take: They made Hermione too attractive in the movies.
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St0rmFury posted...

Hot take: They made Hermione too attractive in the movies.

Idk she did pull the most famous Quidditxh player

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dave_is_slick posted...

I know what you mean. Both her and Ginny were described as absolutely beautiful women everyone wanted and in the movies they were cute but not even close to what I imagined.

Well yeah the books were written from Harry's viewpoint and he had crushes on both of them. He would certainly have been playing up their beauty in his head.

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St0rmFury posted...

Hot take: They made Hermione too attractive in the movies.

KobeSystem posted...

Idk she did pull the most famous Quidditxh player

Rowling has admitted Hermione is basically a Mary Sue based on herself as a girl. Of course she would use the Yule Ball for her 'ugly duckling turns into the pretty swan' scene.

theAteam posted...

Well yeah the books were written from Harry's viewpoint and he had crushes on both of them. He would certainly have been playing up their beauty in his head.

Both of them were said to be dude magnets though, especially Ginny which Ron also noted.
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Pogo_Marimo posted...

Cho Chang could absolutely be a Chinese or Korean name, it would just be a bit strange because both are used as almost exclusively surnames.

This. Chang is a pretty common Chinese last name, while Cho is a very common Korean last name. I have a coworker who is legit named Ching Chang.

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NeonOctopus posted...

Harry should've gotten with Cho Chang instead of Ginny Weasley >_>

easily

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pfh1001 posted...

Rowling has admitted Hermione is basically a Mary Sue based on herself as a girl. Of course she would use the Yule Ball for her 'ugly duckling turns into the pretty swan' scene.

Is every competent woman now considered a mary sue?

@tiornys tiornys posted...

Nah, the Ginny romance was actually set up rather well.

In the books at least...

Do people actually think this? Neither the books or movies set this romance up well at all, its so forced and terrible.

DavidZ2844 posted...

Do people actually think this? Neither the books or movies set this romance up well at all, its so forced and terrible.

Agreed. The books are slightly better since Ginny gets a smidge more screen time, but it still falls flat.

I think that's why so much of the fanfiction universe throws around accusations of Harry being dosed with a love potion since he practically becomes obsessed with her overnight.

DavidZ2844 posted...

Neither the books or movies set this romance up well at all, its so forced and terrible.

It's forced in the movies because the movies don't do the setup work that the books do. If you pay attention in the books, it's easy to see how Ginny is attracted to Harry and succeeds in winning him by becoming someone who can challenge him.

tiornys posted...

It's forced in the movies because the movies don't do the setup work that the books do. If you pay attention in the books, it's easy to see how Ginny is attracted to Harry and succeeds in winning him by becoming someone who can challenge him.

I'd like to read more elaboration on this.

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Cobra1010 posted...

the character itself was kinda racist. Cho Chang isnt a chinese nor a korean name. Its just made up to sound like that other ____ Chang racists use to say to east asians.

in glee both the recurring asian characters had chang for the last name
and then they started dating

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tiornys posted...

It's forced in the movies because the movies don't do the setup work that the books do. If you pay attention in the books, it's easy to see how Ginny is attracted to Harry and succeeds in winning him by becoming someone who can challenge him.

I'm gonna have to completely disagree, I re-read them recently and I do pay attention. It still seems like it comes out of nowhere, it sounds like you're reaching pretty hard there with that explanation.

LookANinja posted...

I'd like to read more elaboration on this.

Books 1 and 2 set up the initial attraction from Ginny. Harry is famous, and friendly with her family, she has a massive crush on him, and then he saves her life. Book 3 has multiple examples of her continuing crush, and also has a moment where Harry and Ginny clearly share amusement about Percy (continuing from the end of book two). Midway through book 3 Harry meets Cho Chang who is his main crush for the next couple of books.

By book 4, Ginny has figured out how to not be completely obvious about her attraction. She starts interacting with Harry regularly through her family (during the summer) and her friendship with Hermione (while at school), and she mostly plays it cool. A key passage that shows she is still attracted happens in the lead-up to the Yule Ball. First, when Harry mentions that he had asked Cho to the ball, we get this one line paragraph:

Ginny had suddenly stopped smiling.

Later in that scene, when Ron offhandedly suggests Ginny could go with Harry, she is first embarrassed and then looks miserable as she explains that she's going with Neville.

In book 5, you see Harry and Ginny establishing a decent level of friendship, what with her hanging out with the trio over the summer, then taking the train with Harry (because Ron and Hermione are prefects), and of course being in the DA. It's also where we start seeing her display skills in two areas that Harry is good at: combat-capable magic and quidditch. She also calls him out a few times. I think this passage is particularly key:

I didnt want anyone to talk to me, said Harry, who was feeling more and more nettled.
Well, that was a bit stupid of you, said Ginny angrily, seeing as you dont know anyone but me whos been possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels.
Harry remained quite still as the impact of these words hit him.
Then he turned on the spot to face her.
I forgot, he said.
Lucky you, said Ginny coolly.
Im sorry, Harry said, and he meant it. So . . . so do you think Im being possessed, then?
Well, can you remember everything youve been doing? Ginny asked. Are there big blank periods where you dont know what youve been up to?
Harry racked his brains.
No, he said.
Then You-Know-Who hasnt ever possessed you, said Ginny simply. When he did it to me, I couldnt remember what Id been doing for hours at a time. Id find myself somewhere and not know how I got there.
Harry hardly dared believe her, yet his heart was lightening almost in spite of himself.

Through the rest of the book, the friendship between Harry and Ginny continues to strengthen, first when she replaces (and impresses) Harry as seeker when he gets kicked off the team, and later when she helps originate and later execute the plan to contact Sirius. She's one of very few people outside of Ron and Hermione who Harry repeatedly takes advice from. Also, it's subtle but I think clear that Ginny still cares for Harry, most obviously in the scene where she argues passionately for joining the trio on the trip to the Ministry. It's also notable that she has multiple exchanges with Harry where they share a bit of a joke with a look or a brief phrase; I don't remember anything similar with anyone else outside the trio.

And then of course there's book six, which has a ton of setup leading up to the moment when Harry "suddenly" realizes that he's attracted to Ginny. I particularly like this passage when they board the train to Hogwarts:

He tapped Ginny on the shoulder.
Fancy trying to find a compartment?
I cant, Harry, I said Id meet Dean, said Ginny brightly. See you later.
Right, said Harry. He felt a strange twinge of annoyance as she walked away, her long red hair dancing behind her; he had become so used to her presence over the summer that he had almost forgotten that Ginny did not hang around with him, Ron, and Hermione while at school. Then he blinked and looked around: He was surrounded by mesmerized girls.

So yeah. Harry may have been clueless about Ginny until almost halfway through book six, when he was forced to acknowledge her sexuality by walking in on her making out with someone. Notably, this is after he's been single for a while, and has had time to process Sirius's death. But, I saw the potential coming from back in book 4 when the little hints from the earlier books kept showing up more and more often.

(Also, no chance it was a love potion--he's practicing with the team and then encouraging Ron leading up to them walking in on Ginny+Dean).

@LookANinja @DavidZ2844

I did a little searching and found this extremely well researched essay on the Harry/Ginny that was written before book 6 was published: http://www.sugarquill.net/index.php?action=gringotts&st=hglovered

It hits every point I made in my previous post (up through the end of book 5), gives better explanations with more context, and provides a lot more evidence as well as several additional lines of argument that all support the buildup of the Harry/Ginny pairing. I especially like the discussion around the use of third person limited; I knew this was a part of the foreshadowing I had noticed but I couldn't figure out how to talk about it when I wrote my reply. It's long but it's worth a look.

Luna/Harry ship 4lyfe

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Harry would never be able to handle Luna.

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tiornys posted...

Books 1 and 2 set up the initial attraction from Ginny. Harry is famous, and friendly with her family, she has a massive crush on him, and then he saves her life. Book 3 has multiple examples of her continuing crush, and also has a moment where Harry and Ginny clearly share amusement about Percy (continuing from the end of book two). Midway through book 3 Harry meets Cho Chang who is his main crush for the next couple of books.

By book 4, Ginny has figured out how to not be completely obvious about her attraction. She starts interacting with Harry regularly through her family (during the summer) and her friendship with Hermione (while at school), and she mostly plays it cool. A key passage that shows she is still attracted happens in the lead-up to the Yule Ball. First, when Harry mentions that he had asked Cho to the ball, we get this one line paragraph:
Later in that scene, when Ron offhandedly suggests Ginny could go with Harry, she is first embarrassed and then looks miserable as she explains that she's going with Neville.

In book 5, you see Harry and Ginny establishing a decent level of friendship, what with her hanging out with the trio over the summer, then taking the train with Harry (because Ron and Hermione are prefects), and of course being in the DA. It's also where we start seeing her display skills in two areas that Harry is good at: combat-capable magic and quidditch. She also calls him out a few times. I think this passage is particularly key:
Through the rest of the book, the friendship between Harry and Ginny continues to strengthen, first when she replaces (and impresses) Harry as seeker when he gets kicked off the team, and later when she helps originate and later execute the plan to contact Sirius. She's one of very few people outside of Ron and Hermione who Harry repeatedly takes advice from. Also, it's subtle but I think clear that Ginny still cares for Harry, most obviously in the scene where she argues passionately for joining the trio on the trip to the Ministry. It's also notable that she has multiple exchanges with Harry where they share a bit of a joke with a look or a brief phrase; I don't remember anything similar with anyone else outside the trio.

And then of course there's book six, which has a ton of setup leading up to the moment when Harry "suddenly" realizes that he's attracted to Ginny. I particularly like this passage when they board the train to Hogwarts:
So yeah. Harry may have been clueless about Ginny until almost halfway through book six, when he was forced to acknowledge her sexuality by walking in on her making out with someone. Notably, this is after he's been single for a while, and has had time to process Sirius's death. But, I saw the potential coming from back in book 4 when the little hints from the earlier books kept showing up more and more often.

(Also, no chance it was a love potion--he's practicing with the team and then encouraging Ron leading up to them walking in on Ginny+Dean).

Jesus i really need to reread these books

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