*Originally published in The Point Magazine, a Biola University publication
Cultural appropriation, whitewashing, stereotyping, ethnocentrism. When discussing the representation of different cultures in media, these terms are prevalent throughout interviews, statistics, real-life stories, and the mindsets of producers, writers, and directors in the industry.
From Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” to Netflix’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” the film industry aims to entertain the audience by telling stories of “relatable” characters and plots. But, how relatable can they be when they represent one aspect of society?
A study on “Racial and Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Children’s Television Use and Self-Esteem,” revealed that for every hour of television consumed by children, the self-esteem of black children and white girls significantly lowered while the self-esteem of white boys increased. There becomes no question as to why when superheroes are mostly white men.
Abel Vang, Assistant Professor in the Biola Cinema and Media Arts Department, recounted his own childhood experience.
“When you’re a kid you don’t see color. I love Spiderman, I love Batman, I love Superman, but as I grew up, I thought, ‘Wait, Superman doesn’t look like me. Superman looks like that other kid over there.’ You feel like your value isn’t worth as much as some other guys because they’re the heroes on the screen and the cool people on TV,” Vang said.
Why is it that Hollywood is fixed on the notion that whites make up the majority when demographically America is changing?
A study called, “Beyond Black and White: Metropolitan residential segregation in multi-ethnic America,” found that the number of Hispanics, African-Americans, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians have grown more rapidly than the white population in the last few decades. This is mainly due to the increase in children of color and the decrease of white children in the United States.
The lack of total representation in film consequently makes individuals feel invisible. When the big screen is a reflection of how individuals view society, it is vital that it is wholly inclusive and accurate, as Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Arts Lisa Swain believes.
As author of "Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism," Sociology Department chair and Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Nancy Wang Yuen shared on representation in media. In a Huffington Post article, she stated how the recent representation of Asian-Americans in film is a huge step forward for minorities. Growing up Asian-American, Yuen found it difficult to relate to her favorite movies because the main lead never looked like her. She was pleasantly surprised this past August when the main character of a Netflix romantic comedy featured an Asian-American female lead.
“It makes a real difference when the protagonist looks like you. When I saw ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,’ I felt seen for the first time in a rom-com,” Yuen said in her article.
However, there is still a great disparity between the representation of white people and people of color in film. In a study called, “Inequality in 900 Popular Films,” statistics revealed that, in terms of invisibility, a total of 25 of the top 100 films of 2016 did not feature a single African-American or black speaking character on screen. A total of 54 films were completely absent of Latino speaking characters. Forty-four films were missing any Asian or Asian-American speaking characters. These findings also highlight that many of said roles portrayed by people of color are minor roles and afflicted with stereotypes that minorities cannot escape.
Films continue to be plagued with stereotypes attached to people of color and women. No matter the genre, minorities quickly and frequently become criminals, terrorists, sexual objects or sidekicks to white heroes and whitewashed characters. When films influence societal perceptions, these stereotypes can become dangerous and detrimental to one’s identity.
“Media is so influential in what we believe in society. Culture plays a huge role in our stories. It is important to represent these stories that are untold,” said Michelle La, actress in the feature film “Searching.”
A problem arises when these stories are not only untold but told wrong. Each story is unique to one’s culture and deserves to be heard correctly. However, the harsh cycle continues. How can one’s story be heard correctly when they are not even given the chance to be told?
Among Biola film professors, including Vang, Swain and Associate Professor Dean Yamada, there is a consensus that change will come only when Hollywood stops limiting actors of color to one-dimensional characters. In order to fight these stereotypes, Hollywood needs to produce more films that feature people of color.
“You’re going to need a whole body of films in order to represent any one community. Because we are not given the chance to showcase people of color, there are not enough films. Even if one comes out, it only represents the community through one lens,” Vang said.
There are so many different kinds of films starring white people that the Caucasian community is seen through myriad lenses. Consequently, stereotypes cannot harm white culture since there are ample opportunities given to represent other aspects of it. People of color are not given the same chance.
“If you’re a minority, you’re always fighting stereotypes,” La said.
It is necessary to create more three-dimensional characters of color in a larger body of films. Ultimately, the question of whether or not these stories are told falls into the hands of producers, directors and writers. But, when the ladder to the top is scarcely extended to people of color, the responsibility falls on to those who are already in these positions to speak up for their community.
“As an Asian-American filmmaker, I think that our representation ultimately falls into our hands. If I want that story, I have to get out there and do it,” Vang said.
Individuals in power need to initiate change. Only then will viewers start to see themselves on the big screen.
“Not only did we see movies such as ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ ‘Searching’ and ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,’ but we saw them do well. Money talks in the industry. When these films make money, Hollywood listens and will continue to make them,” Yamada said.
We need to be open to seeing how others who are different from us live life from a completely different cultural lens. We must strive to be inclusive, encouraging and supportive. We, as a community, need to break down cultural barriers, fight stereotypes and take a risk by representing everyone in film. Television is no longer in black and white. It is time we recognize the beauty of its color. It is time we see the Lara Jeans in films instead of focusing on the Peter Kavinskys
