Whether it was her multiple victories, or her thanking her parents in Korean in her winning speech, or her father proudly standing up for her Best Actress in a TV drama award, Sandra Oh brought us a lot of ugly-cries of joy during the Golden Globe Awards last night.
Her awards and her parents’ pride led many to highlight the importance of diversity and representation in Hollywood. Especially since 2018 was a significant year for proving that audiences want to see films with more people of color at their center, with Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther exploding in the box office. And people watching the Globes at home at last night were eager to express their pride at Oh’s wins.
What a night!! 🦅 💚 The Eagles win AND so does my fellow Asian American, Korean American peep @IamSandraOh AND she gave the best acceptance speech ever! 👏 👏 👏 I cannot wait to show our children the video of her bowing to her parents and saying 사랑해요 (I ❤️ you)! 🇰🇷 🇺🇸
— nydiahan (@nydia_han) January 7, 2019
https://twitter.com/cahulaan/status/1082096313150332929
https://twitter.com/annetteokwong/status/1082228635052851205
Except, there was a significant error in the way the history-making was represented, not only by viewers but even by some news organizations. San Francisco Chronicle and Today show headlines referred to Oh as the “first Asian American host.” However, Oh is from Nepean, near Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, and her fellow citizens were swift to point it out on Twitter.
Hey @NBCNews @TODAYshow Sandra Oh isn't Asian-American, she's Canadian-Canadian.
— Of moose and men (@mooseandmen) January 7, 2019
I was watching @TODAYshow this morning and they referred to @IamSandraOh as Asian-American. Slight clarification – she's Canadian, and we are proud she is! 😉Great work on Killing Eve and hosting the Golden Globes! 👏 #SandraOhAtGoldenGlobes #SandraOh
— Alie (19TV) – 🐈 ♍️ 📚 (@ophelialie) January 7, 2019
Hey @TODAYshow , @IamSandraOh is not Asian-American. She's Asian-Canadian. Or as we prefer to say, Canadian. Congratulations to Canadian @IamSandraOh on her #emmyawards win.
— Leo (@Leogodreau) January 7, 2019
Stop calling Sandra Oh Asian-American. She was born in Canada
— Dearly Beloved (@FruTegomoh) January 7, 2019
Or was it the #goldenglobes ? Too many award shows
— Leo (@Leogodreau) January 7, 2019
I was watching @TODAYshow this morning and they referred to @IamSandraOh as Asian-American. Slight clarification – she's Canadian, and we are proud she is! 😉Great work on Killing Eve and hosting the Golden Globes! 👏 #SandraOhAtGoldenGlobes #SandraOh
— Alie (19TV) – 🐈 ♍️ 📚 (@ophelialie) January 7, 2019
Nope. @IamSandraOh was Born in Ottawa, ❤️ #Canada 🇨🇦. Korean-Canadian. https://t.co/dkM4J6bXuu
— 💙 🟧 VOTE BLUE, SAVE WOMEN & DEMOCRACY 🦾🌊 (@6nsinvt) January 7, 2019
Wait till they find out Sandra Oh is a Canadian 😅 pic.twitter.com/YJSwhb2jhG
— Tea Rex 🍁🍵🦖🧶🛼 (@tearexmama) January 7, 2019
@metromorning I am a little surprised and disappointed that both Matt and his guest, talking about the Golden Globes last night, consistentently referred to Sandra Oh as “Asian American”. She was born in Ottawa/Nepean. When did that place become US territory?
— Cynthia Mohareb (@SenexMacDonald) January 7, 2019
That Oh is the first Asian woman to host the Golden Globes and the first in nearly 40 years to win a lead actress award in a television drama are no small things. But the assumptions about what these history-making victories are serve as a reminder that the celebration of diversity requires a bit of fact-checking, too.