The Color Hierarchy: The Lack of Ethnic Representation in American Media
There is a psychological ranking of people that takes place in the minds of human beings, almost as involuntary as a heartbeat. When it comes pigmentation, ideologies and beliefs, people tend to have a hard time at adapting to the differences seen before them. America is a great example of this. After its discovery, the new world was an escape from the judgement and the persecution that Europe had inflicted upon those who fit under the categorization of “different”, whether it was Christians of tabooed denominations or middle to lower class families. This nation was founded upon the reasoning that people from different walks of life could build something that would encourage the diversity it had to offer. It was also founded upon slavery and the genocide of its indigenous people. Because to its colonizers, “differences” had limits. America has always suffered from a serious case of white supremacy. Today, the sadistic cycle of racism and bigotry towards minorities is unconsciously being practiced in the mediums of entertainment and communication that influence and govern a great part of our understanding of the world around us. It’s important that we stop this continuous cycle by forging an industry that is representative of what America looks like today.
These issues stem from supremacist beliefs and racist ideologies that were programmed into the American psyche since the inception of this country. For those of white European descent, there is this constant fear of change. The melting pot of different ethnic minorities is a threat to someone unwilling to lose a national and racial identity in the coming generations. This perception of a pure racial identity is recognized and executed by the male dominated industry. As much as 96% of CEO’s and executive heads of the six media giants are white and 100% male (Smith & Choueiti & Pieper). When minorities are given representation in entertainment mediums, their portrayal is often less than ideal. They are essentially limited to appearing in degrading or stereotypical roles and inescapable stigmas that socially weigh down entire communities by misrepresenting them. A generic example of this would be the portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in US media. Given the hostile political climate that is always deemed to describe the Middle East and its people, the duty of representing a raghead, a radical, a religious fanatic, a TERRORIST mostly, if not always seems to fall on characters with a Middle Eastern background. Numerous studies have proven that an Arab character is always more likely to be characterized in the role of a villain than a hero because of how a post-9/11 world views that entire ethnic community. It is an obvious anti-Arab sentiment that propagates the idea that all Arabs and/or Muslims are mercilessly violent and inherently evil. These characters are always portrayed as uncivilized and irrational often speaking in loud, exaggerated Arabic dialects as to emphasize the harshness surrounding the culture (Deep, 2002). And even though it is wildly and historically inaccurate, the one-off barbaric villains that appeared in the movie Gladiator were Arabic-speaking men (Shaheen, 2000). The trouble is, there is an interchangeable miscasting that takes place as much as 78% of castings for “actors of middle eastern origin” (Salazar, 2004). There seems to be this non-existent care among casting directors when it comes to continuity and regional accuracy of actors and their respective characters, a view of people that suggests “it doesn’t matter as long as they all look the same”. South Asian actors are mostly if not always tasked with portraying Arabs. The Iraqi character Sayid from Lost was portrayed by Naveen Andrews, a British-Indian actor who wasn’t able to do as little as pronounce his own character’s name correctly throughout the entire series’ six year run. Though this isn’t a complete form of white-washing, it is yet another way of erasure of cultural identity and accuracy. It is disrespectful to both parties as it bluntly disregards any consideration for the differences between cultures, traditions and languages. It’s difficult for Arab-American youth to identify with any or all fictional yet positive influences that could navigate their perceptions just as any role model would for the “majority” of American youth. There are no or superheroes or saviors that look or speak like them because people who DO look and speak like them are never given the opportunities to be leaders and protagonists.
This eventually comes down to the fact that there is a difference between “Diversity” and “Good Diversity” that actually impacts viewers emotionally and makes a difference influentially. For instance, research has found that even though there are female characters on screen, viewers may hear them speak two to three times less than men (White). They’re opinions and views are often shadowed by men; so does it really matter if the number of women is equal to men if they aren’t heard at all? Rashad Robinson, an executive director at Color of Change, a civil right advocacy organization in the US explains that true diversity is one that is fair, authentic and has humanity, not ones where “black people are the side script to larger stories and are just seen through white eyes.” (White). There have been a few occurrences throughout 21st entertainment where people of color have made a breakthrough. ‘Luke cage’ a Netflix original series was a prominent step forward for the superhero comic book universe because it was the first “minority” lead superhero production. It’s special because most of the show’s narrative revolves around the fact that he is a black man, figuring out his place and purpose in society while dealing and with superhuman capabilities. It discussed the vital and applicable racial complications that we face in our nation today, much it is that of police brutality and the consequences of living in a white man’s world. It being a creation of a Black writer, Cheo Hodari Coker, reflected a true and authentic representation of the black community without any stereotypical or hackneyed “norms” that are so frequently associated with black folks, such as the depiction of them all being thugs, drug dealers, thieves and so on and so forth. As fictional as the show ended up being, superpowers and all, so much of it spoke to those struggling as much as Luke was. His knotted complexity represented his humanity and life’s ongoing challenges. That is why he is an important figure to young black men and women who by now have been so used to seeing white saviors on screen. ‘Luke Cage’ proved to be successful as it became the most viewed superhero show on Netflix in 2016. It’s a fantastic example of how a more representative industry can help people reevaluate their perceptions of others who don’t look and think like they do. Though it does stir a sense of pride and satisfaction that a show like this consists of mostly minorities whose voices are usually so silenced and unheard of, it is disappointing that there aren’t many examples like it when there should be now more than ever.
It’s important to remember that representation does sell. It’s powerful, personal and completely and utterly relatable when done right, which is what diversity in the media is about in the end. Just as it is important to remember that America is no longer composed of a White everlasting majority. It is a nation of a growing number of immigrants and dreamers seeking refuge and fair shot at pursuing the American Dream. There is no longer a convenient excuse not provide them with the opportunities to contribute to society other than the fact that they don’t fit under a specific class, creed or color. By now it should be known that there is a commodity that unites us beyond what is race and belief. It is where we go to make those dreams come true for ourselves and the generations of future Americans to come.