2. Introduction
Ethnicity is an affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties e.g.
African-Caribbean, Latino, Arab, Asian communities.
Countries such as Britain and America are multicultural societies
and ethnic minority groups are forefront in their use of media
but are those realities mimicked in their media? Statistically
speaking, that is not the case.
The positive portrayal of people of color is crucial so that people
are aware of diversity, but also appreciate and celebrate that
diversity. Though less frequent for members of minority groups,
to see a face or body that looks like your own is powerful in its
effect to simply validate you as a worthy human being.
White boys see lots of white boys and men in the shows they
watch. And, not just that, but they regularly see these characters
and actors in positive, powerful, and central roles. This is less so
the case for other kids.
Though things have changed, and are continuing to change,
there is still much work to be done until we stop seeing
systematic underrepresentation and hearing about “the First
African-American X” or “the First Woman to Y.”
3. Key ways in which ethnic minorities are
represented within the media
Underrepresented
Represented in a stereotypical way
Represented negatively
As criminals
As a threat
As culturally abnormal
As unimportant and invisible
As dependent
4. Underrepresentation and Stereotyping
• Hollywood has a history of not integrating minority roles into their media despite racial diversity. In order
to avoid casting people of color Hollywood has often opted to racist practices such as black face in a
historical movie The Birth of a Nation based on the KKK, portraying black characters as buffoons whose
only goals in life are to try and sleep with white ladies and evade the ever-persistent Ku Klux Klan.
• Another example is yellow face in Breakfast at Tiffany’s random, inconsequential character of a bumbling,
annoying Japanese neighbor played by a white man.
• White washing is a practice of replacing non-white characters with white actors. An example of this is the
live action movie of Avatar: the Last Airbender. While the cartoon consisted entirely of Asian ethnicities,
the movie had a predominantly white cast.
5. Stereotypes and misrepresentations can be dangerous as the representation that is constructed by
the media is often the only experience some audiences will have. Viewers of American television
shows and films, for example, are far more likely to see Latinos play maids and gardeners than
lawyers and doctors. Furthermore, Hispanic men and women have both been sexualized in
Hollywood. Latino men have long been stereotyped as “Latin Lovers,” while Latinas have been
characterized as exotic, sensual vamps.
In classic cinema, Arabs were often depicted as belly dancers, harem girls and oil sheiks. When
Native Americans aren’t being depicted as silent, stoic types in film and television shows, they’re
depicted as bloodthirsty warriors out to spill the white man’s blood and harm white women. While
the black best friend isn’t a maid or nanny, she typically functions to help her white friend, normally
the protagonist of the show, transcend difficult circumstances.
Though Asian Americans have lived in the U.S. for generations, there is no shortage of Asians
speaking broken English and practicing “mysterious” customs on both the small and big screen.
6. Media is also dominated by white actors and their stories. Friends, although set in New York, one of
the most racially diverse cities of U.S, yet all of the main characters were white. In fact, almost all of
the secondary and minor characters were also white.
In recent years however, there has been some developments where ethnic groups have landed in
roles which are based on their individuality rather than stereotypes. For example, a black actor John
Boyega, being cast in multi million dollar franchises such as Star Wars and Pacific Rim. There have
also been television shows with predominantly black casts e.g. The Get Down and Latino casts e.g.
Jane the Virgin.
7. Ethnic Minorities are Criminals, a Threat, Moral Panics
Black crime & violence is the underlying theme in media news coverage.
Van Dijk has found the following to be common ways in which Black people are portrayed via the
tabloid newspapers: criminals, organized gangs, push drugs, violently defending urban territories.
Akinti has made similar findings in the television. He believes television reflects an inaccurate view
of Black life, with over-emphasis on gun crime.
Agbetu has found the following common portrayals of Black people: involved in criminality
(perpetrators), involved in sport Involved, and in entertainment.
Watson (2008) Racial profiling, unjust arrests of black people, seen as potential criminals.
8. Non-violent protests done by ethnic groups such as Black Lives Matter movement against increasing
police brutality in America is violence and wrong whereas white people burning property after lost
games and neo Nazis and KKK protests are freedom of speech.
The media coverage of the 9/11 attacks in the US & the 7/7 attacks in Britain have greatly
contributed to the idea that people should be afraid of Muslims; although it is fair to say that even
before these events Islam was often demonized by the media as being a threat to Western way of
life. Increased hate crimes against Muslims.
Similar treatment by the media to immigrants. Often portrayed as coming to Britain or America to
abuse the welfare state & claim benefits or to steal their jobs.
9. Future of Ethnic Representation
Change is happening, progress is there but we’re not there yet.
The paramount factor is that these TV series, films or whatever shows maybe, are created as a
money-maker, the scripts they were based on was due largely to attract as many audience as
possible, so since white population still accounts for almost two-thirds of the whole, this
phenomenon may not change dramatically in the short-term. The problem is that American media is
motivated by consumerism and the almighty dollar; that dollar is driven by marketers and marketers
are driven by limited analytics and demographics about television media.
Equal opportunity in media careers will lead to equal and fair representation in media itself. More
people working, media is diverse, more ideas being shared.
Audiences are also producers now, capable of bringing change.
