A critical semiotic investigation of Asian stereotypes in the short film Bao: Implications for classroom practice

Research in a broad range of disciplines has explored how specific modes of communication can contribute to meaning-making in diverse texts such as picture books, films, short animated features, and to a lesser extent video games. Fields such as literacy, semiotics, and critical communication studies have aimed to reveal different interpretative possibilities expressed through language and image, but to a lesser extent gesture and sound featured in produced narratives. This paper analyses the speechless Oscar winning short film Bao, directed and written by Domee Shi and produced by Pixar animation studios. We do so from two perspectives. First, we share intended interpersonal meaning of characters through the multimodal ensembles of gesture, image and sound. Second, we apply a critical multimodal lens to discuss the inclusion of cultural stereotypes by arguing a popularisation of what it means to be Asian. We discuss how these findings are relevant for critical literacy curriculum development and enactment in the classroom.