I honestly don't think it has anything to do with race... it's not impossible for Asian artists, actors, etc. to become recognized in the US. I mean, look at Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu! I'm not Asian, but I have several friends who are and I have also heard them say it could be in part due to Asian culture as well. I have heard that in some parts of Asia it is generally not acceptable to aspire for fame. (Not sure if it's true but that's what my friends have said, and since they're Asian I trust them!) But I honestly don't think the reason Utada isn't breaking out huge is because people refuse to listen to her songs because she is Asian. That would just be silly. After all, if people were hearing her songs on the radio, they wouldn't even know what she looked like.

I think it's mainly due to a lack of promotion. I haven't heard anything about her on TV or on the radio. I haven't heard Come Back to Me played once. I never heard any buzz about Exodus when it came out, either. For other artists, I see promotions of their new work all the time. But for Utada, if I wasn't seeking out news about her on the internet, I wouldn't hear a thing. I know that her producers have been trying harder to promote her this time, but it's still not enough. Most of my friends don't even know who she is unless they're into J-pop. Once they listen to her music, they like it, but they just simply have never heard of her! I think they need to work even harder to get her name and her music out there. She deserves to do well.