Minority Representation in Television

and Motion Pictures

Nina Boggan
CAP 9 2016

Media has a strong hold on the minds of its viewers. Its influence is so powerful
that a popular movie or television program has the ability to manipulate the behavior of
anyone watching, with the possibility of positive or negative consequences. Even as
modern media claims to make an effort to diversify casting on the big and small screen,
there is still underrepresentation of minority race groups, as well as stereotypes that
people of color often represent when portraying their character. This is not an accurate
portrayal, due to the fact that almost the majority of citizens in the United States are
minorities. In order to eliminate the perpetuation of racial stereotypes, improve selfesteem in minority youth, and reverse the universal acceptance of white supremacy, the
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) should regulate films and television series that insufficiently
represent minorities, by identifying their low percentages.
When television first gained popularity in the late 1940s, the United States was
segregated, and television reflected the attitudes of white Americans alone. Television
was an opportunity for the exploitation of Japanese Americans during World War II.
Americans were scared, so they assumed most Asian Americans to act as their enemy. A
popular form of propaganda was the use of cartoons. For instance, a well-known navy
training cartoon titled Tokyo Woes shows Tokyo Rose, a name used for female
Japanese radio personalities who sided with the Axis powers during the war. She appears
as a large toothed fool with a heavy accent, screaming inaudibly into a microphone. This
particular video was the cause of many others that would follow its prejudiced portrayals
of Asian women. In cartoons, African Americans were depicted similarly, as mentally
subpar to those characters that resembled whites. In Hollywood, Blackface was used as

an opportunity to create black characters without actually having to cast anyone with a
darker skin tone. Al Johnson was an actor famous for his use of Blackface in the radio
and television sitcom, Amos n Andy,. These types of roles were considered demeaning
amongst many African Americans at the time, as backs were shown as clowns used for
ridicule instead of actual people.
Eventually, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) fought for Amos n Andy to be taken off the air because of the bigotry that
took place in the majority of its episodes. The NAACP as well as other civil rights
organizations began to take action concerning this issue starting in the early 1950s.
Members rallied for the casting of black actors in mainstream media, and boycotted
television programs that negatively showcased black culture. These protests resulted in a
change in black roles, although it was not to the extent that black citizens had hoped.
Blacks were typecast into roles of maids, butlers or any low-class citizen, always in the
position where they were under the control of the white characters. These kinds of roles
continued to be cast to black actors into the early 21st century, although they became less
extreme. African Americans went from servants to the popular characters of mean girls
sidekick, the basketball player, and the first to die. Characters such as Dionne from
Clueless, Jimmy from Degrassi, and Rue from The Hunger Games all fit these
descriptions. Despite their increasing, although certainly not equal, representation on
television and in the movie theater, black characters were continuing to be designed as an
exception from the norm, and supporting act to the white characters. Latinos usually held
to similar stereotypes as black people in movies and television shows. They were added
to the plot as a filler recipient for any misfortune. Especially in the late 1990s and early

200s, the trend of a black or Latino character growing up in a broken home or with
financial disadvantage became habitual. These depictions may be a response to the
publics taste, further proof that racial stereotypes have become a part of the American
lifestyle.
Today, many media production companies are increasing the percentages of
minority characters in newer projects, due to the complaints of viewers through new
outlets that allow communication with the public, such as social media platforms. The
Oscar Awards have recently caused an outbreak of conversation amongst minorities, who
claim that the film industry has not made a sufficient effort to produce an accurate
representation of the racial diversity that exists in the US. Currently, African Americans
are the largest racial minority, amounting to 13.2% of the population. Hispanic and
Latino Americans amount to 17% of the population, making up the largest ethnic
minority. The White, non-Hispanic or Latino population make up 62.6% of the nation's
total, with the total White population (including White Hispanics and Latinos) being
77%, (United States Census Bureau). The 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report at UCLA
shows that the total number of minorities, including blacks or African Americans, Asians,
and Latinos, is only 37 percent of the roles casted. 59.4 percent of these roles are reported
to be in comedy films, proving that films with more serious material contain a much
smaller minority count. These quantities present the cause of issues that exist in the
environment of people or color living in the US. When minorities are portrayed at the
disproportionate rate they are, they hold to certain stereotypes. These include being the
sidekick or minion to a white character, or someone who dies early on in the storyline.
Minority characters are also often portrayed as less academically gifted than the white

characters, or they are put into a situation where they are less like to achieve their goals.
This produces the idea that minorities are inheritably less likely to succeed, which is
easily interpreted as discouragement to minority children, and can be seen by white
children as an excuse to treat children of color as less than their equals. These beliefs are
the cause of awards such as the Montgomery County African American Achievement
Award are given to black students as a prize for overcoming the situations that they are
born into, without acknowledging the fact that society constructs these harsh learning
environments through any media outlet.
The tendencies of television and film to represent the majority of its characters as
white reinforces the underlying message of white supremacy, that the US reflects in its
entertainment industry. White characters are shown as a base for any possible variation
in physical appearance, when in reality, there is no such thing. In the United States, only
62.6% of the population is non-Hispanic White (Census Bureau), which is
disproportionate to the number of white roles cast in movies, where 89% of roles go to
whites (Lyons). Glorification of white beauty standards has been proven to decrease selfesteem in minority youth, especially in girls. A recent study titled Adolescent Self
Esteem shows that 64% of girls aged 12-17 did not believe they were beautiful (Clay, 6).
This reflects the effect of television on adolescent minds. The television shows and
movies that have such a huge influence on teenagers lives is preventing those who
belong to minority race groups from seeing the American standards of beauty in
themselves.
In order to recognize the imbalance in minority versus white roles, the MPAA and
FCC should place identifiers on films and shows that warn against lack of racial diversity.

This would be similar to the parental warnings found on shows and films containing
sensitive material that may not be appropriate for children. Ratings such as G, PG, PG13, and R are not required by law, but usually are recommended because these labels
increase sales (MPAA). Placing a rating on primarily white films with a small icon
comprising of the letters IMP (insufficient minority percentages) will provide the creators
their freedom of expression, but allow people, especially parents to control the influence
of media on minorities.
Another way to identify films and televisions programs that could create prejudice
is to include racial stereotyping in causes for a certain rating. Violence, drugs, and other
graphic material are included in rating descriptions. If racial stereotyping is also stated, it
will clarify that these generalizations should not be taken as fact, and could possibly
negatively influence a younger childs outlook.
In order to remedy the issue of low self-esteem in minority youth, television
channels and websites that allow TV and movie streaming could select the series that
tend to exclude minorities, and use the percentage of white actors in that show and play
an equal percentage of commercials featuring minority actors. This erases the illusion that
being white is any more normal than coming from a minority race. The amount of
minorities on public broadcasting will increase dramatically because of these
commercials. Media producers will realize this imbalance, therefore a resulting increase
in minority castings.
It is stated in the Washington Post article Where Will We Be in 35 Years that in
2050, whites will be considered minorities. The increasing number of people of color in
the United States is proof that there needs to be equal representation in anything that

influences the public. If the low percentages and habitual stereotypes continue, this next
generation will grow up believing that minorities are less than those who come from
white backgrounds. They will continue the acceptance of white supremacy that has
prevented the success of people color for hundreds of years, proven in the single minority
president that has ever been elected, or the 90% of nonwhites in poverty.
When minorities are depicted at the low rates they are, they are often showcased
as second-class citizens. If the MPAA and FCC publically pin point the motion pictures
and TV shows that portray minorities this way, it will become an option for people to
chose whether they are influenced by inequality. If medias influence on minorities can
change from being exclusive to whites, to a reflection of the melting pot that is the US,
there will be a significant decrease in the deep-rooted prejudice in American society. This
will bring attention to the issue of underrepresentation, which means a more diverse
Hollywood and open minds in those who follow it.

Works Cited

Bachman, Jerald G., Patrick M. OMalley, Peter Freedman-Doan, Kali H. Trzesniewski,

and M. Brent Donnellan. "Adolescent Self-Esteem: Differences by Race/Ethnicity,
Gender, and Age." Self and Identity : The Journal of the International Society for Self
and Identity. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

"Amos 'n' Andy: Blackface Example." YouTube. N.p., 9 Nov. 2007. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

"Film Ratings." Motion Picture Assosiation of America. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

Hunt, Darnell. "2015 Hollywood Diversity Report." 2015 Hollywood Diversity

Report: (n.d.): 1-66. Bunche Center UCLA. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

ImbD Users. "IMDb Top 250." IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

"Mr. Hook: "Tokyo Woes" 1945 US Navy Training Cartoon World War II Mel
Blanc." YouTube. N.p., 17 Nov. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

Annotated Bibliography

"Black Student College Graduation Rates Remain Low, But Modest Progress
Begins to Show." Black Student College Graduation Rates Remain Low, But Modest
Progress Begins to Show. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
This journal entry analyzes the success rates of black students and the treads of their
college application processes.
"Federal Communications Commission." Federal Communications Commission.
N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
This website was used to retrieve many of the regulation for ratings for Tv shows vs films
here.
"Film Ratings." Motion Picture Assosiation of America. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar.
2016.
This website contains laws on motion pictures.
Hunt, Darnell. "2015 Hollywood Diversity Report." 2015 Hollywood Diversity
Report: (n.d.): 1-66. Bunche Center UCLA. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
This journal entry is done every year on the amount of minorities in media.
ImbD Users. "IMDb Top 250." IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
This website showed the top movies ever reviewed online.
St. George, Donna. "New Report Shows Disconnection among Black Youths in
Montgomery." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 22 Oct. 22. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
This articles shows the mistreatment t that black students face due to prejudice, which
can be influenced by media.

"EVERY SINGLE WORD." EVERY SINGLE WORD. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar.
2016.
This YouTube series compiles every word a person of color has said in primarily white
films.

Clay, Daniel. "Adolescent Self Esteem." Policy Research Bureau, London University of
Sussex (n.d.): n. pag. 2005. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
This paper displays the variations in self-esteem amongst teenagers, mainly girls.

Clueless. Dir. Amy Heckerling. Perf. Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy
|. IMDb/Clueless. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
This movie is primarily white, and the mannerisms of students of color are focused on
prejudiced beliefs.

Hood, Kit, Yan Moore, and Linda Schuyler. "Basketball Diaries." Degrassi: The Next
Generation. TeenNick. 29 Apr. 2002. Television.
This television series represents the small percentages of minorities in major television
roles.

The Hunger Games. Dir. Gary Ross. Perf. Jennifer Lawre

nce, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. IMDb/The Hunger Games. N.p., n.d. Web. 24
Apr. 2016.
The character Rue is used to showcase the first to die stereotype of blacks in movies.

Lyons, Kate. "Why Hollywood Is Frozen in the 1950s: White Men Are Still King of the
Silver Screen with Lead Roles Going to Just 26% of Women and 11% of

Minorities." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 20 Feb. 2014. Web. 24 Apr.

2016.
This article explains the percentages of white males in the entertainment industry.

"NAACP | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People." NAACP |

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. N.p., n.d. Web. 24
Apr. 2016.
The NAACP documented its cases online.

"Poverty Rate By Race/Ethnicity." Poverty Rate by Race/Ethnicity. N.p., 2014. Web. 24

Apr. 2016.
Poverty rates according to race are shown in this data.

"White Supremacist: Defenition." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 24 Apr.

2016.
This website contains the definition of a white supremist.