Lola Tung's Parents & Ethnicity: The Actress Is Excited about Asian-American Representation in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'

Lola Tung celebrates a milestone by landing a coveted role in the highly acclaimed television adaptation of "The Summer I Turned Pretty." Simultaneously, she is happy to add to the Asian-American representation in Hollywood.

Lola Tung is an actress who took the lead role of Isabel "Belly" Conkin" in the television adaptation of Jenny Han's bestselling novel, "The Summer I Turned Pretty." In this remarkable feat, she portrays a teenager, several years her junior, facing complex emotions and unrequited love.

Besides the actress, no one is more proud of her achievements than Lola Tung's parents. They have supported and guided their daughter since she wanted to join the entertainment industry.

Who Are Lola Tung's Parents?

Lola Tung's parents are also talented artists. Her father was a musician, while her mother, Pia Tung, was also an actress. They raised Lola in New York City, where she graduated from LaGuardia High School and later studied at Carnegie Mellon University in the School of Drama Acting and Music Theater.

After partaking in the "Wizard of Oz" musical in sixth grade, she fell in love with acting and was convinced it would be her career. Pia saw her daughter's passion for the arts and happiness while performing, so the doting other always gave Lola the support she needed.

During an interview, Lola shared how her mom would always cheer her on and give a pep talk before auditions, saying, "No matter what happens, I'm proud of you."

Lola Tung's parents are people she looks up to, especially her mother, whom she wants to be like someday. Although she has a private Instagram account, Pia sometimes appears in her daughter's social media posts.

What Is Lola Tung's Ethnicity?

Lola is of Asian-American descent and is proud of it. Fortunately, she has worked on stories exploring love and family and has seen different families, such as Belly's Asian-American family. She said:

"To be working with other Asian-American actors [...] and to have an Asian-American creator, writer, and showrunner who has that voice and that understanding is so incredible. We had an Asian-American director, too, Jeff Chan, who was amazing."

Several other Asian-American talents were also part of the cast and crew, including Sean Kaufman, who plays her brother, Jackie Chung, who plays her mom; and Minnie Mills, who is also in the show.

Besides her ethnicity, Lola has brought light to social justice issues through social media.

Lola particularly liked how the series' storyline explored her relationship with her on-screen mother, Laurel, who is much like her real-life mom.

How Does Lola Tung's Ethnicity Make Her Feel?

Lola is proud and grateful to bring her ethnicity to the small screen. The promising star remarked that it was wonderful to grab the opportunity to be part of the Asian representation on television.

She added that having such representation in the industry and bringing stories about love and family from an Asian-American perspective to the small screen is remarkable.

Besides her ethnicity, Lola has brought light to social justice issues through social media. She credits her parents for encouraging her to be outspoken about her opinions and fight for things she believes in because her voice and opinions matter. She revealed:

"I'm definitely grateful that I grew up where I did and that my parents were so supportive of that and so encouraging as well."

The actress has supported issues such as women's rights, climate change, and more because she believes everyone needs to be a part of the change. Another rising star born into a multicultural family is "Avatar: The Way of Water" star Bailey Bass. The actress has a Belarusian mother and a Black father, and like Lola, she has a close relationship with her mother.