Racial Discrimination In The Media

Viola Davis once said: “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.” My fellow peers, in history and to this day, the only thing that separates us from the white majority is simply this, opportunity. From the 20th century to today, I agree, there is no doubt that minorities have made significant strides towards equality in American society. We no longer see signs pointing individuals into separate facilities. We no longer see the practice of “blackface” occuring in theaters. As far as progress goes the blatant practice of segregation is no longer upheld nor supported, the goal of an America where every race, every color, every individual is equal has been achieved. Wrong, as far as we are concerned it hasn’t been. We cannot

Take “the Last Airbender” for instance, the three main characters Aang, Katara, and Sokka were all reputably Asian and Inuit characters in the cartoon version, but thanks to Hollywood they miraculously changed races and became all white. Not only that but the leading minority Dev Patel played the character of Zuko which is the villain in the movie, coincidence I think not. It’s disgusting, with evidence like this I must ask is the media industry promoting airbending or racebending? It’s unfortunate that the only time minorities are incorporated into a film is when the role of “the bad guy,” the role of the “supportive best friend” to a white lead, the role of simply a stereotype needing to be filled for humorous effect is open. I am Asian but I can see perfectly fine. He is Mexican but he will not be cutting your grass. She is Muslim but she is not a terrorist. She is Black but her hair is 100% real. I am Asian but I am not the math tutor. The media is in control of the widespread negativism of portraying the public image of minorities with characteristics they are perceived to

If not for us, for our children. Imagine 20 years from now, your 9 year old daughter, eyes bright with dreams, potential radiating off her smile, walks up to you and tells you she wants to be an actress. Imagine having to look her in the eye and tell your her she’ll be the greatest actress the world as ever seen knowing in your heart she’ll never be given the opportunity to be so because of the color of her skin she inherited from you. Put yourself in this position, what if you were told the job of your dreams hired based on the simple decision of whether you were white or not? What if you worked so hard if anything twice as hard as the next guy but then that next guy got the job because his white skin meant he was more qualified than your ten years of experience. However, some producers justify their whitewashing with the assumption that non-white actors/actresses do not reel in as much money and popularity for the box