Junot Diaz said that dismissing any opportunity for a person to be culturally represented turns them into a “monster” (goodreads.com). So, how does that apply to the media, specifically, Hollywood film? Recently there has been a growing outcry over the lack of complex minority experiences in award-winning films. As a result, more Black actors and actresses have been nominated in their respective categories. However, the same cannot be said for South Asians and Hispanics, who struggle to find movies where they are being accurately portrayed on-screen. The Hollywood film industry has made slight progress by creating pieces with complicated minority characters, especially for Blacks. Despite that, South Asians and Hispanics are still not seeing
…show more content…
Of course, this term perfectly describes the dilapidated dwellings of Mumbai in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, as well as the stunning scenes of poverty-stricken people in Garth Brook’s Lion. Western films continue to have this fascination with India that reinforces the stereotype of whites needing to escape and rejuvenate or rescue the natives from their primitive conditions. “Ray’s analysis, made in the 1970s, holds true even today because the films listed above follow the familiar European colonial tropes of the mystical east as the site of rejuvenation for the jaded Western man/woman—Darjeeling Limited, Eat Pray and Love or Best Exotic Marigold Hotel—or the west as the heroic savior of the eastern man or woman from its own barbarity such as Slumdog Millionaire and Million Dollar Arm” (Roy, “Slumdog Millionaire: Capitalism, a Love Story”). As a result, Americans are only viewing this country through one …show more content…
Naomi Rodriguez, a Hispanic actress at Houston Community College, explained how Spanish directors and screenwriters who know what it is like being Hispanic in a predominately white society is crucial for genuine performances. “So, I think it’s just because people want to assume that we’re not competent at what we do, and I feel like race should not define that. I mean, you could be the wealthiest most white person on the planet and not know what you’re doing versus someone of color” (Rodriguez). Once Hollywood recognizes that hiring more minorities behind the scenes leads to more dramatic performances, then moviegoers will be more inclined to see
Of course, this term perfectly describes the dilapidated dwellings of Mumbai in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, as well as the stunning scenes of poverty-stricken people in Garth Brook’s Lion. Western films continue to have this fascination with India that reinforces the stereotype of whites needing to escape and rejuvenate or rescue the natives from their primitive conditions. “Ray’s analysis, made in the 1970s, holds true even today because the films listed above follow the familiar European colonial tropes of the mystical east as the site of rejuvenation for the jaded Western man/woman—Darjeeling Limited, Eat Pray and Love or Best Exotic Marigold Hotel—or the west as the heroic savior of the eastern man or woman from its own barbarity such as Slumdog Millionaire and Million Dollar Arm” (Roy, “Slumdog Millionaire: Capitalism, a Love Story”). As a result, Americans are only viewing this country through one …show more content…
Naomi Rodriguez, a Hispanic actress at Houston Community College, explained how Spanish directors and screenwriters who know what it is like being Hispanic in a predominately white society is crucial for genuine performances. “So, I think it’s just because people want to assume that we’re not competent at what we do, and I feel like race should not define that. I mean, you could be the wealthiest most white person on the planet and not know what you’re doing versus someone of color” (Rodriguez). Once Hollywood recognizes that hiring more minorities behind the scenes leads to more dramatic performances, then moviegoers will be more inclined to see