This week in class we read chapter 9 “Latino Americans and Asian Americans in Film & TV”, and chapter 10 “Native Americans, African Americans in Film & TV”. Both chapters were discussing these different races, and how they are portrayed in the media. Latinos are displayed as either Greasers, or Latin lovers usually. Asian women were always seen as “sexually deviant”, and one that I had never heard of before; Dragon Lady. Apparently Dragon Ladies would seduce American soldiers that had come overseas to fight. This put American men in a favorable and heroic light, while the natives of the land were accused of seducing them.
Native Americans were portrayed as lovers of all animals and nature, yet always primitive and simple. They could be very passive or violent. African Americans however have always been portrayed as lazy, slaves, violent, or usually always under the white man. What’s still prevalent today is that there are so many movies in which the lead is a white man, and the secondary is a black man. There are many lead black man movies, but this stereotype has always been used. The chapter also went over the use of black face, which is extremely distasteful and rude. White actors would leave a large area of their white skin near their mouths showing to emphasize the stereotype or large lips, and the rest was a black face.
We also watched an episode of “The Office” this week in class. The Office is very funny in my opinion, and in this episode was about diversity in the workplace. The office does a good job of trying to break these stereotypes by placing its characters in uncomfortable situations. Michael Scott gets called out for being racist in doing an embarrassing impression of Chris Rock. He also had his staff participate in a “diversity day” his way.
Our student led presentation that my classmates gave this week continued on various ethnicities. It was disheartening to continue learning and hearing horrible situations about how terrible people are being treated. We are all human, we are part of 1 humanity, we breathe the same as anyone. The group also discussed how Asian characters are never main characters in the show and if they are, they are being ridiculed in a way.