Before this film, Asian Americans were often relegated to narrow stereotypes like "martial artists" or "nerds". Director Justin Lin fought to maintain an all-Asian cast, famously turning down a $1 million investment that would have required him to cast as the lead.
The film is widely cited for its aggressive subversion of the "Model Minority" myth 'Better Luck Tomorrow' w/ Alain Uy - Mediaversity Reviews betterlucktomorrow2002dvdripx264fst 2021
Justin Lin (who later directed several Fast & Furious films). Genre: Crime Drama / Coming-of-Age. Before this film, Asian Americans were often relegated