Renegades, Issue 15: Alex Chester-Iwata (Actor, Writer)

Creating a platform for mixed folx to discover their superpower

Alex Chester-Iwata

Actor, Writer, Editor-in-Chief
Co-Founder & CEO, Mixed Asian Media

Welcome to Renegades, a series spotlighting Asian Pacific leaders and creatives who are carving their own paths and defying stereotypes along the way.

This week, we proudly feature Alex Chester-Iwata, a remarkable multi-hyphenate who embodies the spirit of unstoppable success. She shares her journey of balancing various passions, including acting, writing, managing her media company, and making a positive impact on others, all while embracing her unique Asian and Jewish heritage.

What did you want to be when you were growing up, and how does that compare to what you do today? 

I was a child actor in LA. All I ever wanted to do was act and perform on stage, and for most of my life, it was all I ever knew.  While I have done everything from being in a pop group by Puff Daddy to Broadway to TV, acting is no longer my main focus.  If someone had told me I would be a founder and CEO of an organization 10 years ago I would have laughed, yet here we are. Creating and running Mixed Asian Media has been the most fulfilling experience of my life so far. 

I think the hustle of pounding the pavement as an actor helped prepare me for entrepreneurship. 

Without having the background that I do in the entertainment industry I would never have founded Mixed Asian Media.

You’re an actor, model, editor-in-chief, writer, and board member of a nonprofit. How does your Asian Pacific identity feed into these various roles?

Oh, my identity is what fuels everything I do. I believe representation is vital whether I am acting, modeling, running MAM, writing, or working with ACE Next Gen. Plus I just joined the Board of Directors for American Advertising Federation’s LA Chapter and I want to make sure that I give Asians a voice in all these vocations. My Asian-ness or more specifically my mixed Asian identity is the foundation for all the various hats I wear. Inclusion is vital if we want to see a change in any given industry, company, or not-for-profit. 

I think I used to try and separate myself from my identity, which was a direct result of constantly being told I wasn’t enough of my heritages.  I’ve come to realize that I can’t compartmentalize who I am. I am Japanese American, I am Jewish, I am mixed and I am Asian American. In my work, you get all of me. To do anything less isn’t authentic. I spent way too many years trying to be something I was not.

You began acting as a kid and have been in commercials and TV shows, such as ER and The Good Fight What are some significant challenges you’ve encountered when portraying a mixed Asian character?

The biggest challenge is that up until 2022 I had never portrayed a mixed Asian character. It wasn’t until I was in Keen Company’s Off-Broadway production of This Space Between Us that I finally played a role that was actually mixed Asian. Otherwise, up until that point, I have made a living as being “ambiguous.” Which basically means, you’re “ethnic” enough to make the white people feel comfortable with something they are not. 

Growing up in the industry I was often the only mixed Asian kid and I dealt with being exoticized. In auditions, I was asked, “What are you?” And then told how “exotic” I am (side note, it is illegal to ask what a person’s ethnicity is in an audition/job interview.) 

As you can imagine this has been incredibly frustrating. I was constantly being told I was not “Asian,” “Jewish,” or “white” enough. I tried desperately to fit into the boxes casting tried to put me in. Growing up I had several contracts drawn up between Disney and Nickelodeon. I was sure I had the series' regular role in my pocket,  but at the last min, I was told by my agents that the producers thought I was too “exotic” next to the white lead and I would pull focus. 

So I guess the biggest challenge has been that there is little to no representation of roles that are specifically mixed Asian. While I am super grateful for the work that I have done and continue to do, I think as a whole the entertainment industry needs to do better telling mixed API stories, and Hollywood needs to include ALL mixed APIs, Blasians, Latinasians, etc. being mixed Asian doesn’t just mean East Asian and white.

Embracing one’s mixed identity is an ongoing journey that evolves over time. Could you share a specific aspect or realization about your own identity that you find empowering?

I always say being mixed is a superpower. We mixed folx bridge the gap between cultures, communities, and creeds. Once I stopped trying to fit others’ expectations of me and I embraced my duality, I think I finally came into my power. 

This did not happen overnight. It has taken me years of therapy, and figuring out who I am as a human. Now, I finally love who I am. I embrace my mixedness and I like to think that while the journey to get to this point has definitely been messy it has given me the unique perspective to lead my life with more kindness and empathy towards others that might feel othered.

You created Mixed Asian Media to address the lack of representation for multiracial Asian Pacific individuals in the entertainment industry. How has this platform positively impacted and supported other mixed Asians?

Before Mixed Asian Media, there wasn’t a platform or community for mixed APIs. There wasn’t a mainstream platform where other mixed APIs could see themselves represented. Now there is. We receive emails and DMs from other mixed APIs telling us how happy they are that we exist. How they no longer feel alone and isolated. This makes my heart so happy.  When you see yourself reflected in the media you consume you feel seen, you feel heard. MAM has helped make that happen. 

During the pandemic and when Asian hate was on the rise we hosted intimate discussions with our community to make sure they did not feel alone and helpless. Many mixed Asians are of white and Asian heritage and with that does come a privilege. It was important for MAM to create a safe space for our community to unpack the complex emotions surrounding the hate many of our family members faced and continue to. Many folx felt they weren’t Asian enough to voice how scared they were. MAM provided that safe space where we could freely express our fears and support each other. 

While MAM tends to be entertainment heavy we love featuring community leaders, and small business owners, we love partnering with other AAPI and Mixed groups to further reach out to community members. One of my favorite things about MAM is when I or another writer is interviewing another mixed Asian, this is often the first time the person we are interviewing has had the opportunity to one, unpack their identity and how it relates to the work they do, and two, speak with another mixed Asian. I can’t tell you how often I have found both myself and the interviewee crying from the happiness of them being seen fully and authentically.  

There are now more mixed APIs on tv and film than ever before, and I like to think that MAM has had something to do with that through our activism and reach. 

You emphasize the importance of recognizing our identity beyond heritage months and continuously supporting API organizations. How do you personally stay engaged and involved in these efforts throughout the year?

I show up. I take up space. I am vocal about AAPI causes. We exist year-round not just during our heritage month and the work doesn’t stop once May is over. Once that spotlight goes away after May, we have to work even harder to engage folx outside of the AAPI community. That means, hosting events throughout the year, partnering with other API-led orgs, and supporting each other. 

Another way I stay engaged is by supporting my local Asian small business and creators. I also LOVE connecting people, organizations, and businesses with each other. I believe in the mindset of abundance, meaning the more we support, uplift, and partner with each other the more opportunities we create for the AAPI community.  I hate gatekeeping. I see it all the time within the AAPI community and it makes me so sad.  I know that mindset goes back to the model minority myth and the lack of opportunities. That way of thinking is a direct result of colonization and white supremacy. It is up to us community leaders, creators, and business owners to dismantle that mentality. 

I love helping others form lasting relationships and partnerships, as I said above I believe in abundance and it is up to us as leaders and individuals within the AAPI community to help nurture and create those opportunities for our community and each other. We aren’t in competition, there is room at the table for us all.

On YouTube, you co-host the show, Boba Break, with your friend and fellow actor, Sam Tanabe. How do you choose what topics to discuss for the show, and is there a particular subject that you enjoy the most?

Sam and I love anything funny and juicy. We try our best to feature API content, from Kpop to some guy in Japan stealing urinal drains. I like topics that we can be sassy or excited about. The day before or the day of we shoot Boba Break, I round up content I find appealing and I share it with Sam and Chelsea the Managing Editor of Joy Sauce, where our show lives. We then have to narrow it down to 3 - 5 topics max. Sometimes we don’t know if we will use something until we start talking about it and then usually, Sam will say something snarky and I’m like we have to talk about this topic, what you just said is gold. Other times, Sam is like you can’t say that Alex you are gonna get us canceled and then that topic is nixed.

What are you currently working on that’s exciting you the most?

I am so excited that MAM is working on hosting the first-ever Mixed Asian Day in NYC and D.C. We are planning on this happening in September in conjunction with our annual Mixed Asian Media Fest. Save the date for Saturday, September 16th! 

Besides MAM and MAM Fest, I am super excited about the work I am doing with ACE Next Gen’s NYC Chapter, we have a bunch of events planned. And I can’t wait to get to work with American Advertising Federation’s LA Chapter. 

I am also part of The Workshop a Jews of Color cohort for artists. I have been working on a project I have titled Becoming Whole. With the grant money I have received, I have documented the process of having my very late in life Bat Mitzvah (you're never too old,) and in late September I am going to Japan for the first time with one of my best friends and her family. I am the first Iwata to go back to Japan in 3 generations and I am excited to document this experience. 

Lightning Round

Daily Habit
I call my mom and grandma every day.

Most Productive Time of Day
I’m a night owl, and nighttime is best for me, I would rather have a meeting at 11 pm over 8 am.

Favorite Film or TV Series
I recently went to an early screening of Joy Ride. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. 

Fun Fact
Through 23 and Me, I found out that one of my best friends and husband (both of Asian and Jewish heritage) and I are related on the Jewish side.

Challah or Shokupan
Challah

Favorite Broadway Show 
Hedwig and the Angry Inch