Racial Discrimination In The American Film

Racial discrimination takes many forms in many different countries. People can experience racial discrimination in a variety of different ways. In its most overt form, racial discrimination can occur as a result of stereotyping, prejudice, bias, and in this case whitewashing. Whitewashing is the casting practice in which white actors are cast in non-white character roles. The American film industry has a history of frequently casting white actors for roles involving people of color. This practice doesn 't only apply to African Americans, it applies to all races. Stemming from Othello (1965) to Aloha (2015), it seems that producers within Hollywood are willing to throw away accuracy in exchange for keeping Hollywood “white”. It begs the question

Granted this movie was released in the United Kingdom, the ramification of the performance resonated throughout American culture. Sir Laurence Olivier was very qualified for the role, other than the fact that he was a white male. His performance included him blackening his face in order to convey his devotion to the role. This performance resonated mainly based on the time frame in which is was released. The Civil Rights movement was under full swing during this time. By committing to this role fully, Olivier unwittingly perpetuated the very ideal of white superiority from a continent away. Breakfast at Tiffany (1961) provided an example of the extent of American racial discrimination. Mickey Rooney’s portrayal as Mr. Yunoshi maybe the most referred to example of whitewashing in American film history. Rooney wore makeup and a prosthetic mouthpiece in his portrayal as an arrogant and bitter Japanese neighbor. Again another example of a viable issue within American film culture. This portrayal is considered to be one of the most racist representation of Japanese Americans in film history. The falsified ideal of white superiority doesn 't stop at the misappropriation of African American success however it pertains to the success of all other races. Even animated media such as the fan popular Dragon Ball Z (1995) which is undoubtedly a show created by Japanese artist which debuted in Japan. However when it debuted as a live action movie in 2009, the main role was giving to a white male actor and a majority of the supporting roles also. Not to discredit the talent of these actors however it is important to see that accuracy is no longer a factor. People of Asian and Japanese descent have also faced a cultural misappropriation of viewability. By eliminating the opportunity for these individuals to be seen and their talents to be showcased it perpetuates the idea of white