Abstract

Yellowface and whitewashing have long histories in United States (U.S.) media, perpetuated globally through cultural imperialism (CI). Despite improvements to representation in live action films, culturally inauthentic casting appears slower to change in animation. This research explores audience perceptions of animated Asian and Pacific Islander (API) characters dubbed with voices from non-API actors in select films produced by Studio Ghibli. To answer this research question, 69 participants completed a qualitative survey, revealing divided views on whether cultural authenticity in animated voice casting matters, reflecting ongoing debates about race, representation, and global media influence. From these findings, I argue people’s perceptions of the importance of cultural authenticity in animation can be attributed to one of three factors: (1) the prevalence of visuals in the film medium, (2) the perceived inferiority of animated media compared to live action media, or (3) the overall effectiveness of CI.

Key Words: Cultural Imperialism, Media Representation, Yellowface, Whitewashing, BIPOC

About the Author

*Matt Jeremiah Jardin is a graduate student and adjunct faculty in the Department of Communication, University of Alaska Fairbanks Troth Yeddha’, Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A. as well as an Emmy®-nominated filmmaker and writer based in Anchorage, Alaska. His research examines the intersection of mass media, cultural identity, and social justice.

Author Declaration

The author acknowledges Dr. Victoria McDermott for providing invaluable mentorship and feedback on this article.

The author declares no known financial interests or personal relationships influencing the work reported in this article.

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to the author, Matt Jardin, University of Alaska Fairbanks Troth Yeddha’, Department of Communication, Gruening Building, 1790 Tanana Loop, 5th Floor, Fairbanks, AK 99775, United States.

^JCMR Journal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 18, No. 1, April 2026, pp. 132-143.

© Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

Article Citation

Jardin, M. J. (2026). Taking the words out of our mouths: An examination of non-Asian actors voicing animated Asian characters of Studio Ghibli Films in the United States. Journal of Communication and Media Research, 18 (1): 132-143.

Full Article

Words:  7,676

Pages: 12

To access full article, click on download.