Fakes takeaway: Rebecca Li in this teenage crime drama is rich, popular, and not the typical on screen Asian-American

Jennifer Tong stars in the Netflix show Fakes, which was released on Friday, September 2, 2022. Fakes follows the story of two best friends, Zoe and Rebecca, and how they accidentally ended up creating the biggest empire of fake IDs in America.

Tong plays the role of Rebecca “Becca” Li in the 10-episode show created by David Turko. She stars alongside actors Emilija Baranac as Zoe, Richard Harmon as Tryst, Eric Bempong as Ken, Matreya Scarrwener as Sally, Mya Lowie as Sophie, and Oliver Rice as Guy, among others.

Tong has spoken about her character Rebecca, and said,

“It’s not about her being Asian. She rebels against the typical stereotypes that are pushed onto Chinese women and is a fully fleshed-out character with unbelievable charms and fatal flaws.”

Jennifer Tong in the show (Image via IMDb)

Read on to find out how Tong’s Becca is a landmark character in Asian-American representation in Hollywood.

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Rebecca Li in Fakes has weaved a complex character sketch

Rebecca Li, also referred to as Becca, is one of the primary characters of the show Fakes. Actor Jennifer Tong plays Becca, who along with her best friend Zoe gets into the illegal business of creating fake IDs.

It is refreshing to have an Asian face lead a show. Fakes is a teenage crime drama that also throws light on the menace of fake IDs in the US.

There has been a role reversal in Fakes. Contrary to popular opinion that has been shaped by popular representation of Asian-Americans, Becca is on top of her style game.

The reversal has also been portrayed in terms of the financial background of Becca and Zoe. While Zoe, a white American, hails from a modest background with a mother who works at a hospital and a brother who steals their money, Becca comes from a rich family.

Jennifer Tong in 'Fakes' (Image via IMDb)

She is basically Maddy from Euphoria, just rich, less wild, and without the claw-like nails. Its amusing to note that Netflix has been quite inconsistent in terms of its portrayal of non-white characters.

In another recently released Netflix show, Never Have I Ever, for instance, the Asian-American character of Eleanor Wong (essayed by Ramona Young) not only belonged to one of the least popular groups at school, but was also stereotyped as nerdy.

This can be overlooked since Fakes comes as a breath of fresh air because Becca is also a non-white Asian-American.

The racial distinction among Asian-Americans was highlighted after the film Crazy Rich Asians was released in 2018. While the film was hailed for its predominantly Asian cast, its critics pointed out that the film ignored the racial hierarchies within the Chinese community in Singapore, one of the locations that Crazy Rich Asians is based in.

Although the element of race does not hold significance in the plot of Fakes, it is interesting to see the creators choose a non-white Asian-American to lead the show. Fakes also follows the fourth-wall format wherein the protagonists interact directly with the viewers by sharing their take on a given situation.

Through this device, a distinction is drawn between how Becca’s character is perceived by her white American best friend Zoe, versus herself. For instance, in the first episode, narrated from Zoe’s perspective, Becca is a drunkard who is gagging throughout the drive after Zoe picked her up from a party.

In Becca’s narration of the same tale, she is neither drunk nor funny. Although this can be brushed-off as just two perspectives of the same story, the undercurrent emerges from a space of identity. Becca also comes from a family where her relationship with her parents undergoes a test of time.

Jennifer Tong in the show (Image via IMDb)

Becca’s parents are immigrants who worked hard and made it big in America, but they are not stereotyped as bizarre parents who disapprove of their daughter’s wayward American lifestyle. Becca’s morals are not questioned, and neither are comparisons made between American and Chinese values.

Fakes' representation of the Asian-American community stands out. However, the traits are not just restricted to Becca. Another Asian-American character, Sophie, is also rendered the title of one of the most popular students at school.

So, the developments don’t seem tokenised either, but a few more characters from the Asian-American community could have added extra value to the already ground-breaking show.