Emmy-winning Master of None writer calls for better Asian representation

Ansari and Yang called for better Asian representation at the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards

Netflix series Master of None has scored its first Emmy, with its co-writer calling for better Asian representation on screen.

Alan Yang and Aziz Ansari won the Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series for their Parents episode.

The episode explored the relationship between US immigrants and their children.

Yang used his acceptance speech to say Asian representation still had "a long way to go" in the US.

"There's 17 million Asian-Americans in this country, and there's 17 million Italian Americans," he told the audience in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

• Game of Thrones breaks Emmy records

• Emmy Awards 2016: Main winners

• Donald Trump gets a bashing at the Emmys

• Q&A: The Night Manager director Susanne Bier

"They have The Godfather, Goodfellas, Rocky, the Sopranos. We got Long Duck Dong," he said, referencing the cartoonish character from Sixteen Candles.

He went on to address Asian parents saying: "If you could just do me a favour and just a couple of you get your kids cameras instead of violins, we would be all good."

Ansari later thanked his parents, who starred in the Parents episode, on Facebook

Ansari, who stars in Master of None as an aspiring actor, was unable to give his speech because their time ran out.

He stepped up to the microphone but was interrupted by the cut-off music.

"You guys are in trouble!" he joked, before running off the stage and into his seat.

His parents, who played his parents in the episode, were present at the ceremony.

Later, he thanked them on Facebook for "giving me everything and more".

'Most Asian thing to happen at the Emmys'

Each episode of Master of None explores a different topic, from the challenges of dating in the internet era to feminism to moving in with a partner.

In Parents, Ansari's character, Dev, comes to realise the sacrifices his parents made for him when they moved to the US.

Many Asian-Americans have been praising the win online, saying it reflected their own story.

Master of None had previously been recognised by the Peabody Awards and American Film Institute Award.

But this is the first Emmy win for both writers, who had previously worked together on NBC's Parks and Recreation.

Both have been outspoken about the lack of diversity among characters on television before, with Ansari having previously called out television network CBS for its lack of diversity.

Some users had already predicted the win long before the Emmys.