Michelle Yeoh says she was taught to be ‘seen and not heard’ while growing up

International superstar Michelle Yeoh said in a new interview on Wednesday that she grew up believing she should be “seen and not heard,” explaining that her childhood was shaped by expectations common in many Asian households.

Speaking on the “How To Fail” podcast, the 63-year-old Malaysian actress reflected on the rules she absorbed as a girl in Ipoh before leaving for London as a teenager to study at the Royal Academy of Dance.

“I feel that with Asian parents, especially moms, they try to have their children be seen and not heard,” Yeoh said. She explained that her mom taught her that “girls should behave like girls, not make loud noises and things like that.”

According to Yeoh, challenging those norms was a gradual process as she grew older. “My mom instilled that in us and it took me a while to go to her and say, ‘actually, it’s not true, we can speak our minds and we don’t always have to agree with what everybody else is saying.’”

Yeoh also discussed racism she has encountered throughout her career. “I would be lying if I say no,” she said, noting that even in more recent years she has witnessed people question “what’s an Asian person doing here.” She pointed to ongoing attacks against Asian Americans as evidence that discrimination persists and said that projects like “Wicked” help audiences embrace difference. “I think that is something I hope that we all learn that an act of kindness or compassion goes a long, long way in our world, and we are in so desperate need of that,” she added.

“Wicked: For Good,” the second of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical, releases worldwide today.