A still from the film "Crazy Rich Asians": Based on Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel by the same title, the movie has struck a chord with Asian-Americans.

Asian-Americans splinter the 'bamboo ceiling'

Activist voices bring change, from Hollywood's 'Crazy Rich Asians' to the boardroom and voting booth

ARIANA KING, Nikkei staff writer

August 16, 2018 15:54 JST

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES -- A Singaporean family walks into an upscale London hotel, but is turned away by a snooty manager who refuses to serve them. A short time later the family returns to the lobby with a surprise: They have just bought the property.

So begins Kevin Kwan's international best-selling novel "Crazy Rich Asians" and its new $30 million film adaptation. It's a memorable, funny scene depicting an Asian family's experience with discrimination -- a moment that is likely to resonate with many Asians in the West.