It was about a decade ago when Reshma Shetty landed her role in the series Royal Pains as one of the first South Asian female roles, she recalls. Standing as one of the few South Asians in television she then acknowledged her responsibility to share her family’s and her own immigrant experience.
“It’s important to speak about something that is major for immigrants, which is a sacrifice,” she said.
Shetty was born and raised in Manchester, England, U.K to Hindu parents who then migrated to Richmond, Virginia in the United States. She added that she recognized that her experience was different from the undocumented experience, but still underrepresented in television.
“Our representation is getting better, but the roles are still stereotypical,” she said in an interview before her participation in the panel “Immigrants in entertainment” for the third annual Define American Film Festival.
“The day that I wait for is the day that I go for a role, and they don’t see this [pointing at her appearance] but they see this [pointing at her heart and eyes], and they see that I’m a strong woman and they see my skills.”
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