I grew up in the Comic book generation with Spiderman, The Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman being my heroes. Batman was one of my favorite shows. In one episode, Batman and Robin meet the Green Hornet and his "trusty sidekick" Kato. Thinking they are bad guys, the Dynamic Duo engaged with them in battle. Amazingly, Robin's martial arts ability is just as good as Kato's and it ends in a draw. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, Robin was played by a short, skinny white kid named Burt Ward. Kato was played by a guy name Bruce Lee.

Yes, that Bruce Lee.

My Irish grandfather chuckled over it. He said that Bruce Lee was stereotyped and he wondered how long it would last for the Asian community. He called it 'being put in a box.' The same was done when he was a boy when 'No Irish need Apply' signs were in the US. Irish were drunks, lushes and womanizers in most movies.

Flash forward to the 1998 and another Li, this one named Jet, is battling another white guy. In Lethal Weapon 4, once again the highly trained Chinese guy doesn't have the star power as Mel Gibson and gets his butt whipped. Oh, that's believable. My grandfather would have cringed too.

But in 1998, I'm older and perhaps wiser (that is debatable) and sit with my hands in my head in the theatre feeling sorry for Mr. Li. A powerhouse of screen in Hong Kong, he is relegated to demeaning roles as a bad guy.

Jackie Chan, who has the most success in Hollywood, plays sidekick to a white guy in his two "Shanghai" movies, to a foul mouth African American in the 'Rush Hour' series and with a girl in 'Tuxedo" (a movie I am sure he and Chan fans would like to completely take out of his portfolio). Each of these movies has pretty much the same formula: Chan rarely speaks, his acting is left to his emotional facial reactions and his superior martial arts ability and his characters are rarely developed unless they are playing off their partner.

Chow Yun-Fat has had the same dilemma. In all of his American movies, he has an associate who does most of the speaking, leaving Chow relegated to showing emotions by facial and body language.

The "Big Three" Asian brothers (Li, Chow and Chan) have had people whispering in their ears for years that the fans can not understand their accent, that the American public only wants to see their physical display of Martial Arts ability and that they are much better suited to be a co-lead male than a lead male.

I won't even get into the issue of an Asian male in an American movie being either sexy or sexual. That is totally taboo at this point. Ironically, Chow Yun-Fat does not have Martial Arts ability, but since he is Chinese and he is in a Hollywood movie, martial arts must be part of the formula.

In 1987, a wonderfully biting satire movie called "Hollywood Shuffle" was released. While not a box office blockbuster, it was heralded in critical acclaim for showing Hollywood's darker side. The movie is about a young African American actor who is trying to break into the business. But the white producer's pigeon hole him and all black male actors as pimps, clowns, slaves or other stereotypical roles.

If you have never rented this movie, it is a must. I have considered sending a copy to the Asian brothers and say 'you are not alone.' What has happened since 1987 is that with the help of Spike Lee, some up and coming African American stars, some things have begun slowly changing in Hollywood about African American male leads. They are still mostly crooks, cops and drug dealers but the roles have gotten bigger and wider.

One of my all time favorite movies is 'A Better Tomorrow.' I put it along side 'Casablanca' and 'North by Northwest' in style, characters and pace. I thoroughly enjoy that movie. Chow Yun-Fat has done some wonderful comedies and dramas, yet in American he is delegated the 'bad' guy. He is a wonderful actor. He deserves better.

Hollywood has been telling these three that they can be nothing more than martial arts side kicks in action movies. The same way, blacks in the '70s were relegated to slaves and pimps.

Isn't it time for a change, fellas?

Change does not come easy in Hollywood. Often, it takes a radical movie to change their mind about anything. The easiest way to change Hollywood is a hit. Easier said than done, yes, but it is possible.

My first suggestion is simple: find a damn good script that is worthy of your attention. There are many writers out there who would beg for the chance to write for you. Look for a screen writer who has respect for these actors, for their acting abilities and the culture. Stop doing movies whose plots are thinner than a piece of paper and talking or emotional scenes are only there to split time between the action scenes.

There are many good writers out there who do respect Chow. Hire one of them. And on the writer subject (I being a writer), hire someone who is American or completely understand our language and our customs. Hire someone who is not going to lean on degrading or toilet humor to sell laughs.

My second suggestion is stop leaning on the fact that English is not your first language. This is America, for crying out loud. We are called 'the melting pot' for a darn good reason. I am from Jersey (yo! Yous know JOY-ZEE) and I've heard just about every accent I can think of. And I grew up in a nearly totally white neighborhood. Stop listening to the morons in Tinsletown who are whispering in your ear that your accent is a blockade. Hardly. We aren't stupid, we can understand you.

Take a chance on a movie without thinking money first. Jackie Chan gets $25 million a picture at least. Chow's salary is between $10 and $15 million a picture. There are great little movie companies who would drool to get a chance at Chow. Hear them out, who knows that picture they have may be a huge break through.

Remember that 'familiarity breeds contempt. And right now, Chan has committed himself to 'Rush Hour 3' and 'Shanghai Dawn.' There is no promise that either will be smash hits. But there is a promise that it will peg him more as that 'nice Chinese guy who is a sidekick to those other guys.'

I realize being an 'unagented writer' gives me no room to talk or give advice. But sometimes it is us 'little guys' that can look through the mirror darkly and see perhaps a little clearer than those who are in the standing in front of it.

I do hope that Chow will find a role that gives him dignity and the grace that his talents and his abilities deserve.

It is time that someone steps out of the box and taking on a leap of faith. They deserve better than what Hollywood is offering.

And we, the paying customer, deserve better too.

-- M. Rikki Connelly (AKA Mongoose),