The Sam Sanders Show What If You Could Change Your Race? w/ Amy Wang
Mar 13, 2026
Amy Wang, Chinese-born writer-director of Slanted, reimagines her immigrant upbringing through satirical horror. She discusses a story about ethnic modification, using body horror and satire to unsettle and provoke. Conversations cover festival reactions, casting choices, cultural memories, and why genre can make difficult topics more accessible.
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Trailer Sparked Different Reactions By Race
- Controversy around the Slanted trailer revealed different race consciousness across audiences.
- Amy Wang found white women angrily 'Karen'-ing at theaters while some viewers missed the satire and misread the trailer as literal.
Retail Jobs Fueled Young Amy's Desire To Assimilate
- Amy Wang immigrated from China to Australia at seven and learned English watching The Simpsons while working retail.
- At Target she was repeatedly asked where she was from and told to 'go back to China' on Australia Day, shaping her desire to assimilate.
Identity Doubts Are Nearly Universal For People Of Color
- Wang argues most people of color have moments of questioning their identity even if they later embrace it.
- She made Slanted to dramatize that universal insecurity and the extreme lengths some consider to belong.