Nov 11, 2016

'We Bare Bears' is an Allegory of Being a Minority in America, Says Creator Daniel Chong

Daniel Chong, creator of the Cartoon Network series "We Bare Bears," issued a statement on Twitter this morning.

While Chung did not explicitly address the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, his message of "love, understanding, tolerance, diversity, and peace" to those "anxious about the future" could not be more timely.

As the only minority creator of an original series currently airing on Cartoon Network (and one of only a handful in the network's 24-year history), Chung believes that the show's often uninspiring and poor treatment of the bears, as an Asian American rooted in his own experience as an Asian American, and explained that it is "an allegory for what it feels like to be a minority in America." He explained that its seeds form the basis for the program's broader, more relatable thematic concept of "the need to fit in, to belong."

In his letter, he reaffirms that he will use his platform as a television series creator to tell stories that "showcase the better and brighter parts of us as human beings, and the virtues and flaws that unite rather than tear us apart."

In late October, Cartoon Network renewed "We Bare Bears" for a third season. The new season will begin in the first half of 2017. Episodes of the second season are currently premiering regularly on the network.

Here is Chong's full statement:

Why I created WE BARE BEARS pic.twitter.com/EqnXWfQhzr

- Daniel Chong (@threebarebears) November 11, 2016 [15]