My half Chinese children watch CBeebies Bedtime Stories produced by the BBC every evening. Over 800 stories have been recorded. In the two years we’ve been watching, not one single narrator has looked like my children or those of other East or South East Asians. Not one single book has featured lead characters that look like my children or those of East or South East Asians. 

This is easily remedied. East or South East Asian narrators could include Pui-Fan Lee, herself a CBeebies presenter, presenter Alexa Chung, actors Gemma Chan, Henry Golding, comedian Phil Wang or we could go for Hollywood and get actor Sandra Oh - there are plenty of options! According to a wiki page, there are some stories read by Emma Fan Lee but these haven’t been made available for viewing. 

East & South East Asian stories for children are not mainstream - but there are books out there. An example selection can be seen here: https://www.readbrightly.com/13-books-kids-celebrate-things-asian/. The book featured in the cover photo here would make a wonderful bedtime story: Eyes that Kiss at the Corners by Joanna Ho illustrated by Dung Ho. 

East & South East Asian people are too often the “silent minority” in the UK. We are simultaneously present in every community but invisible in media, press and in TV & Radio programming. For East & South East Asian children growing up in a country that has seen a huge spike in COVID-related race hate directed at Chinese and other Asian people, it is time for the media to step up and start walking the walk in terms of diversity. 

It is a heartbreaking moment when my child turns around and tells me no one on TV looks like her. I want this to change. I want her to see East & South East Asian people represented on screen, starting with a bedtime story!