Native American Representations

 

Media 10

Native American Representations

May 9, 2016

 

 

Native Americans

• The term “Indian” was most commonly used to describe Native American until 1970’s and it is still used by many people today even though it reduces a whole group of people to a simple symbol.
• This is also a historical misnomer (misapplied designation in this case). Christopher Columbus had been searching for a water route to India (to further trade between Europe and India) when he accidentally discovered “the New World” instead, and mistook its inhabitants for Indians. These people in fact were not lost, Columbus was lost so they didn’t need to be discovered or named. This incident is an example of Eurocentrism—the process of understanding the world and all of its cultures and ideas from a white European perspective. AMERICA, itself is a name from Amerigo Vespucci. After Columbus and Vespucci most European settlers renamed most of the “new world” in order to extract its riches. The people of this new world were often killed if they refused to assimilate. In fact, once Europeans arrived on the shores of North America, by 1890 Native Americans had reduced to less than 250,000 due to U.S. government warfare against them, Genocide (deliberate destruction of an entire culture group of people) and disease. In 1600 there were over 7 million. Native Americans occupy a unique legal status as members of self-governing, independent tribes, though they still encounter discrimination and many still live in poverty (regardless of casinos operated by tribes on reservations).
• It wasn’t until the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 that the U.S. government extended citizenship rights to Native Americans. Before then they were considered foreign settlers or aliens. (Long before electronic or digital media Native Americans appeared in negative depictions such as books, plays, stage shows, and paintings). These images influenced White society’s ideas and attitudes regarding Native Americans and their treatment of them.
• Three critical periods often highlight Native American representations.

1. Native-American images in early national history.
2. The rise and evolution of America’s Hollywood Indian
3. Late 20^th century and early 21^st century Native American representations.

• Eurocentrism eventually lead to what is termed the Manifest Destiny—Americans feeling it was their God given right to settle through North America, bring democracy, Christianity, and the American way of life to the newly discovered land and new people. The Manifest Destiney doctrine was used to justify US expansionism into the Western territories as well as into the Pacific Islands, Central America, and the Caribbean. Again, if the native people resisted they were killed or forced into the American way of life.
• The US government had policies that aimed to relocate Native Americans onto reservations and contain them which often resulted into them starving to death. Such treatment was justified since they were “not like us” or had animalistic ways of life. Think about many years how little boys played cowboys and Indians. The Indian was always considered the “bad guy”.

 

• The US government had an all-out war against Native Americans who would not allow themselves to be relocated. These conflicts between the US Cavalry and various Native American groups were known as the Indian Wars. It last roughly from 1850-1900.

 

• The US government delivered small pox infected blankets to various Native American tribes under the guise (mask) of charity and friendship.

 

• Remember this: History is written by those in power to a large degree. It is not highly unusual for historians to overlook facts and events that would have reflected badly upon America’s national image. We often talk about Thomas Jefferson as a great warrior of human rights and I am not suggesting he wasn’t a great man. Just remember he owned slaves and in fact had children by his favorite one. We often talk about Lincoln and his executive order to free the slaves but his order wasn’t meant to right a wrong and injustice, he actually didn’t want blacks to be free originally that was not the intent of the Emancipation Proclamation. People disagree with me greatly on this point. If he could have saved the union he would not have issued that executive order. Again, I am not saying President Lincoln wasn’t a good man. We often talk about returning to the good old days in this country, well that excludes; Blacks, women, and gays. The good old days were good for middle class/wealthy white men, period.

 

• Understanding Native American traditions and representations are not only found in textbooks but popular culture such as film, television, books, magazines, and other arts.

 

• There is no other racial group on earth that has been reduced to a simple symbol. Could the below teams exist in America today?

1. The Atlanta Niggers
2. The Washington Wetbacks
3. The Chicago Spits

 

• American mainstream media have always distorted Native American images from the film, Dances with Wolves; the television program, The Lone Ranger; and the countless John Wayne movies when he killed “Indians” for kicks.

 

• Common stereotypes include either nasty or cruel people or subservient. This happened when European settlers return to Europe to document their experiences.

 

1. Blood thirsty savage—were considered aggressive, violent, and demonic. Wanted to kill all white people especially women.

 

 

 

2. Noble savages—primitive and childlike rather than threatening and violent. Were considered too involved in the nature around them.

 

 

 

The Hollywood Indian

 

During the 1950s Hollywood westerns became a staple of American television along with the “Hollywood Indian”. Common characteristics were feathers, bows and arrows, moccasins, smoking peace pipes, living in teepees, and painted faces.

 

1960s Civil Rights Movement brought light to the on-going stereotypes of Native Americans and some of the stereotypes were challenged but many negative depictions continued. The American Indian Movement (AIM) called for justice and equality for the nation’s indigenous people. Hollywood made a poor attempt to correct its depiction. For instance, many of the Native American images were played by White actors and Hollywood continued to show Native Americans in primitive settings versus living contemporary lives.

 

During the 1980s Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans specifically due to Western films no longer being popular resulted in a decline of the “American Indian” altogether. There was a slight surge in interest in the 1990’s with the film, “Dances with Wolves” and “Smoke Signals” and the television program, “Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman”.

 

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEUl2keJK-w  (Whose Honor)

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVDyldTV9OA  (quiz may cover some of its content).

 

 

Screen: Reel Injun

 

 

 

Arabs in the Media

Media 10

Media, Gender, & Race

Arabs in the Media

May 16, 2016

 

• Quiz 4 is next Monday May 23^rd then the first wave of group projects start

 

• I was out sick since last Wednesday and did not grade the last quiz. It will be returned next week

 

• Screen: “Reel Injun” The American Indian in Hollywood (Native Americans and “Reel Bad Arabs” immediately after my lecture on Arabs in the media.

 

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdZuzdh2DZI

 

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1ZNEjEarw (Planet of the Arabs)

 

 

 

 

Like all of the cultural groups we’ve studied in class, people of Arab decent are a highly diverse group of people. They can trace their national heritage to over 20 nations that stretch across Northern Africa (Libya and Egypt) and onto the Arabian Peninsula including Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq). The Arab world overlaps with the Middle East which also includes Israel, Turkey, and Iran. What often seem to define the idea of the middle east in American’s view is the Arabic language and/or the Muslim religion, although there are many different languages spoken and religion practiced.

 

Most of the current fighting in the middle east is a continuous of centuries-long struggles between religions, tribes, and nations. During the middle ages Christian Europeans fought against Muslims (and others) in an attempt to claim and colonize the Holy Lands. These so-called Crusades eventually led to colonialism where various European powers controlled the region. Things became more complex when the creation of the Jewish state of Israel by the United Nations in 1948. Israel was created by dividing the former British territory of Palestine; Palestine was mostly populated by Arabs, and they vehemently rejected this plan. To this today they continue to fight, Israel, Palestine, and Palestine’s Arab supporters. Greed of money and personal wealth positioned some dictators to take power such as Muammar Qaddaif (Libya) and Sadam Hussein (Iraq) and anti-Western religious extremists such as Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban.

 

Muslims and Arabs are stereotyped as belonging to each other’s group. Muslims are individuals embracing the religion Islam, thus making Muslims are part of a religious sect. Arabs on the other hand are individuals that have many religions. They speak the Arabic (Arabian) language and can choose whatever faith or religion they plan to follow though many follow Islam.

Arabs live predominantly within the Middle Eastern nations.

 

Who is an Arab?

 

“Arab” is a cultural and linguistic term. It refers to those who speak Arabic as their first language. Arabs are united by culture and by history. Some have blue eyes and red hair; others are dark skinned; many are somewhere in between. Most Arabs are Muslims but there are also millions of Christian Arabs and thousands of Jewish Arabs, just as there are Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Americans.

 

Muslim and Arabs, have some important differences between them. Arabs are mostly Muslims, but Muslims are not always Arabs. Many countries consists of Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebannon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and others. Some middle-eastern countries do not speak Arabic but instead speak Farsi (Iran is an example).

 

Arab is a name given according to the place where people come from. It is not connected to a religion, though stereotypically it is connected to Islam. Again, an Arab is not necessarily a Muslim.

 

Hollywood and Arab Stereotypes

 

Hollywood has regularly depicted images of Middle Eastern Arabs but pretty much ignored the presence of Arab Americans. In classic Hollywood films, Middle Eastern Arabs could sometimes be found interacting with British or French characters (as soldiers, explorers, or tourists) and mostly commonly Arabs were overwhelmingly seen as bad and not good.

 

Traditional stereotypes: Villain, hustler, and thief

Modern stereotypes: Terrorist and the suicide bomber

 

The Terrorist is a crazed person who is happy to sacrifice his life to kill women and children, and because his reward is in the afterlife. Some say there are virgins waiting for them.

 

The Haggler

 

 

All sellers in the market are hagglers who ask outrageous prices for their goods, but they will cut their prices to the bone in the face of any resistance. In Appointment With Death (1988) Lauren Bacall says, Arabs “have a nose for bargaining.”

 

Hollywood has consistently stereotyped Arabs since the earliest films, but filmmakers did not create the stereotypes, they inherited and embellished Europe’s pre-existing Arab caricatures. Thomas Edison made a short film in 1897 in which “Arab” women in harem outfits dance to seduce a male audience. Here is a modern version of that stereotype from a popular television show of the 19060’s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XELze7CXKjk

 

It’s not surprising that so many people think of Arabs only as terrorists and murderers because of how the media usually presents them. Some in the Arab American community call this the three B syndrome: Arabs in TV and movies are portrayed as either bombers, belly dancers, billionaires. The most prominent stereotype of Arabic women in Hollywood was the belly dancer.  Hollywood ignored presenting Arab Americans interacting into American society.

 

Disney has had a hand in stereotyping Arabs. In its attempts to make “Aladdin” more appealing to the Western world, Disney Americanized the names and appearances of the lead characters. The film‘s light-skinned lead characters, Aladdin and Jasmine, have “White” features and Anglo-American accents while most of the other characters are dark-skinned, swarthy and villainous, with Arabic accents and grotesque facial features. “Reel Bad Arabs” talks about this in detail.

 

Ever since the 1970s Arab terrorists have become easy clichés in action films like The Delta Force, Executive Decision, And Rules of Engagement. Other films show Arabs infiltrating into America versus assimilating, The Siege and True Lies are examples. There are countless others. During 1990’s the ADC (American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee) protested stereotypes of Arabs and boycotted films like The Siege and True Lies

 

Arabs often fight against stereotypes in forms of media. In 2013 Coca-Cola released this ad during the Super bowl. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/31/coke-super-bowl-ad-racist-arab-american_n_2586620.html

So what do you think about it?

 

“Reel Bad Arabs”

The film online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKD3CnPJNOE

 

Focus Questions that you may see on the next quiz

 

1. Why do you think Arabs are represented so negatively in Hollywood films?

 

2. Do you agree with the statement that Arabs are “the most maligned group in the history of Hollywood”? What other groups of people have also been depicted negatively in Hollywood films? What are some consequences of negative media representations?
3. Arab men are often depicted as lusting after Western women. How has this stereotype also been used against other groups throughout history?

 

4. What is your response to Dr. Shaheen’s last questions? Are Palestinian lives just as valuable as Israeli lives?

 

 

 

Asian Americans

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Media 10

Media, Gender, & Race

Asian Americans

May 9, 2016

 

• Tell Me Something I Do Not Know

 

• Group Project Check In

 

• Quiz 3 will be at 8pm

 

• Asian Americans discussed today
• Film: The Slanted Screen ($2.99 on amazon.com for instant streaming if we do not finish in class)

 

• Native Americans discussed today
• Film: Reel Injun

 

• Group Project Work Day 7p-8:45p (after final Lecture on Arabs)

 

• Quiz 4 has been pushed to May 23^rd

 

• Group Projects Begin on May 23^rd after quiz 4

 

 

 

 

Asian Americans

• Asia is the largest continent in the world and home to hundreds of different cultures and communities. Yet, for most of the 19^th and 20^th American media reduced the complexity of actual nations, cultures, and characters to simple stereotypes. It didn’t matter if the character was from China, Korea, Japan or Malaysia; he or she was marked as physically different from White characters through costume, makeup, and performance. Hollywood created an “Oriental” character much like creating an “Indian” character as either a side kick (Bruce Lee as the Green Hornet) is an example.

 

• Whites have a long history of portraying Asians. One of the most popular shows of the early 1970s’ was Kung Fu starring David Carradine. Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwBL8nhW2yQ Many wanted the role to go to Bruce Lee but instead they hired a white actor.

 

• The term Oriental has been used by the West to mean cultures, peoples, countries, and goods from the Orient. “Oriental” means generally “eastern Asia”. Because of historical discrimination against Chinese and Japanese Americans, most people consider the term derogatory.

 

Most Common Stereotypes of Asian Americans

 

• Broken English
• Exaggerated slanting of the eyes to suggest something evil and sneaky.
• Teeth seemingly too big for their mouth
• Roles in films frequently included (railroad and laundry workers, cooks, and various servants).

 

Common Images of Asian Americans

 

Coolie— originated with Chinese laborers in the 1850s as a means of preventing the Chinese from entering the skilled trades. The lowest-paying unskilled jobs were called “coolie labor” or “nigger work.”

 

Yellow Peril—directed against Japanese immigrants in the early 20^th century, the “yellow peril” racial stereotype played a role in the World War II incarceration of people of Japanese decent. In California and other western states, many politicians, journalists, and labor unions warned that the Japanese would overrun the United States, take control, and corrupt and contaminate the white race. These slurs had earlier been directed at Chinese laborers. They were declared inferior to whites, but at the same time attributed mysterious “Oriental” powers and devious plans.

 

Dragon Lady—Asian women have often been portrayed as cunning “Dragon Ladies” — aggressive or opportunistic sexual beings or predatory gold diggers.

 

 

• Asian Americans were relatively unknown in the U.S. until the second half of the 19^th century when Western expansionism allowed US citizens to come into contact with Asians – primarily Chinese men who were crossing the Pacific Ocean to California and other western states. Generally, European immigrants came to the eastern US, Asian immigrants came to the western part of the US. Many US citizens referred to Asian Americans a “yellow face”. In Hollywood it is known much like “Blackface”, white actors in make-up to look Asian is yellow face.

 

• U. S. government passed laws specifically against Asians. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which legislated the types of jobs Asians could and could not have. The law suspended Chinese immigration for ten years and declared the Chinese were ineligible for citizenship. The law was renewed in 1892 for another ten years, and in 1902 Chinese immigration was made permanently illegal. The legislation proved very effective, and the Chinese population in the United States sharply declined. The law kept Asians in poor working jobs and aided to Asian stereotypes (laundry worker or working on the railroad with broken English). This also made it nearly impossible for Asian men to bring their women to the U.S. or send for them later. This led to some Asian men gravitating toward urban sections of cities which were later called “Chinatowns”. They were excluded from the American free market system by racist work laws so some men turned toward illegal means of making money and organized crime or TONGS. “The Tong Wars” occurred in various Chinatowns from 1900-1930 which fought over drugs, gambling, prostitution. In films of the 1930’s, depictions of Asians were overwhelmingly as criminals. The Chinese Exclusion Act finally ended in 1943.

 

• Absence of diversity sends a clear message: The symbols of Caucasians being the “standard” of beauty which is clearly represented through television, films, and magazines, and the messages this sends to non-Caucasian children in particular is clear, you’re NOT THE STANDARD.

 

• Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGcgn65db5A (trying to fit in)

 

• While the under representation of Asian Americans in the media remains a considerable issue, it is the misrepresentation of Asian Americans that perpetuates the more disturbing trend of minority stereotypes and typecasting. For instance, how many Asian actors are cast as martial artists or the smart one? Name a mainstream leading Asian man in films?

 

5 Critical Themes and Stereotypes of Asian Americans

 

• The Yellow Peril or “evil villain”

 

• The benign houseboy or housekeeper

 

• The exotic beauty or “Dragon Lady”

 

• The martial arts master (Still exists today)

 

• Model Minority (While other groups—African Americans and Gays) were fighting for civil right particularly during the 1960’s, Asian Americans became the target of media companies who focused on the success  of Asians and their hardwork, lack of crime, financial gains, suggesting that other minority communities could learn from Asians and be the “model minority”.

 

World War 2

Japanese Concentration Camps in America

 

 

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6gSShuQCUE

 

 

Aftermath of Pearl Harbor

 

 

• On February 19, 1942, FDR signed an executive order that rounded over 100,000 Japanese Americans and forced them into U.S. internment camps. This happened Americans feared the Japanese due to Pearl Harbor and questioned how loyal Japanese citizens were to America.

 

• In 1988, the U.S. government apologized to the Japanese internment camp survivors and each were awarded $20,000 in reparations.

 

• Americans of Asian descent have had a continuous presence in the U.S. for over 300 centuries: Filipino sailors founded coastal fishing villages in what would become Louisiana in the mid-1700s, Chinese American laborers built the western half of the Transcontinental Railroad, and Japanese Americans revolutionized the farming industry in the late-1800s.

 

Korean Americans

 

• The history of Koreans in American began just over a hundred years ago, on January 13, 1903, when the S.S. Gaelic arrived in Honolulu Harbor, carrying the first significant group of Korean immigrants to the New World.

 

• Today, Korean American populations exist throughout the United States, with the largest communities residing in LA, New York, Chicago, and Northern Virginia. The 2000 U.S. Census reports that the population of Korean Americans is well over one million … and that number is growing briskly to 1.7 million today.

 

• The media has portrayed major racial in-fighting between Koreans and African Americans. The most highly visible example of racial tension began on April 29, 1992 in South LA (is actually when the LA riots started) when African American customers revolted violently against Korean American businesses.

 

• The result of a long series of racially-charged events between Koreans and African Americans started around a nationally reported incident. It started with a 15 year old black girl shot was shot in the back of the head by a Korean store owner who had accused the teen of trying to steal from her convenient store in South LA. Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86PKB0jXtzA

 

• The events were portrayed by the media as an all-out racially motivated battle between Korean American merchants and disgruntled African American residents who felt the criminal justice system continuous to fail them. In fact, the conflict between the two groups are far more complex since it involves two minority groups who were both plagued by a history of racial inequality and oppression by the dominate culture.

 

Screen: The Slanted Screen (Take Notes)

 

Color Adjustment focus questions

1. What is the American dream according to the film?

The hard core of American dream is if people work hard enough, they will get nice home, delicious food, good-looking car, smart and healthy children, and a happy family. At those time, people were struggled to get comedy performed by black people onto televisions. African Americans were eager to watch one of their own on TV. They hoped that they could be treated equally as white people. They also wished that white people could appreciated those shows as much as they did.

2. How does television reinforce this dream according to the film?

At the beginning, African Americans were only allowed to play certain roles like mammies and sambos. Hattie McDaniels is the first African American to win an Oscar for her role in Gone with The Wind. She was famous for her mammy roles. People thought her role had negative effect on society. However, what African American could play in a movie was not decided by African Americans. They could only play roles that were through at them. Hattie McDaniels said she would rather play a mammy rather than be a mammy. As time passed by, there were more and more family comedies played by African Americans. They have normal white family life styles. At late 19th century, they were even allowed to talk about racial problems in the show, which promoted the human right movement.

3. What was the difference during the 1960’s portrayals of race relations in America by news and entertainment shows?

 

In the late 60s, the media forbade liberal thinking producers from putting any other kind of image on televisions except for the happy big black families. The media tried to persuade people that African Americans’ lives were just like, or as bad as, white people’s lives. They tried to prevent African Americans from being in part of any human right movement. The television tried to tell people that race does not matter. African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and whites are all the same. However, African Americans were experiencing unfairness.  In a 1960’s news footage, an African American said that he was an educated Americans. He served in the arm. And he was sick of racism against African Americans.

4. The film compares the character of J.J. on Good Times to the 19th century minstrels. What is a minstrel show and in what ways did J.J. fit this stereotype?

 

Minstrel shows were white actors who put on black make-up playing stereotyped African Americans. J.J. was funny, humorous, easy to be scared, childlike, and foolish. J.J. wore similar customs as minstrels. People loved this kind of character, and J.J. stole the show successfully. The character damaged the progress that people had made on racial problems. Though, some people knew that the character had negative effect on the society, this little doubt in their minds didn’t stop them from applauding.

 

 

 

 

 

ethnic notion focus questions

1. What do you think accounts for the enormous popularity of “Black minstrels” with White audiences?

Minstrels were created by a Canadian named Rice. Like movies, minstrel shows were created based upon audience tastes and values. The first step for superior group to control another group is to objectify them. Minstrel shows portrayed African Americans as simple minded, happy, musical, and lazy people who are happy to be a slave. White people wanted justify slavery. They wanted to see that black people could benefit from the slavery. They liked to think that their slaves were minstrels rather than normal human being like themselves.  In addition, people love watching idiots and they want to believe that they are smarter than others.

2. What is the signature feature of the “Sambo” caricature and describe its historical significance?

Sambo is a simple minded, lazy, childlike, loyal slave who benefited from their masters. Sambo and Coon created double defense for slavery. They failed to adapt to modern free society, and they were happy to be slaves. They could only be slaves to survive in the society. The stereotypes were completely fictional. White people was willing to believe those stereotypes were true. Some people played those roles for money which further justify the slavery.

3. What is the signature of the “Mammy” caricature and describe its historical significance?

The mammy is overweight, grinning, desexualized, loyal housekeeper. However, in reality, “mammies” were young and sexy ladies. Only wealthy white people could hire a housekeeper in slavery era. The original Mammy figure was a threat to the mistress of the house, which had the power to break the system. White people created the desexualized mammy stereotype which is known by everyone today. Another reason of the appearance of the stereotype is that African American women were sexually desired by white men. White people wanted to cover their crime. They just pretended they have no interest in black women. This stereotype also justified the modern slavery after emancipation. The stereotype against black women made it possible for middle class white men to hire a housekeeper.

4. What do you know now that you didn’t before…or what did you know before that you now understand in a different way after watching the film Ethnic Notions?

I did not know about any negative stereotypes against any race before the class. The documentary made me realize that racism is a big problem. Ruling class made up stereotypes against others to justify their crime and control them. “Innocent” cartoon characters have huge influence on children. They may accept the stereotypes unconsciously which is dangerous, because once they accept the idea, it’s extremely hard to reverse the figure about other people in their minds.

5. How did minstrels characterize African Americans?

The minstrel shows presented African American males as sambo and coons. Coons were easily frightened, too lazy to work, slow. Sambos were simple minded, childlike, loyal, happy to be slaves. They believed that they benefit from their masters. African American females were presented as mammies. They were desexualized, overweight. They have wide grin, very dark skin. They love their masters’ children more than their own. They all spoke weird English.

6. How were African Americans stereotyped in cartoons? Give specific examples?

Cartoons provided the best form for racial caricature, because in the cartoon fantasy world, physical distortion and violence were comical. They were all desexualized. Those stereotypes were different from the stereotypes from movies. Males were skinny and females were fat and strong. They all had very big lips. For example, in SCRUB ME MAMA WITH THE BOOGIE WOOGIE BEAT, all black people were musical. After the mammy asked what do you mean by rhythm, people started to work and dance with the jazz music. In some cartoons, African Americans were running from wild predators and killed cruelly.