Stereotypes From Our White American Culture example essay topic

Although it's the twenty-first century, as a nation we are still recreating the past in the present. In films such as "Birth of a Nation" African Americans are seen as insignificant figures. The white culture tends to look at African Americans as inferior. Their traditional roles in films were that of slaves and nothing more. Now they are still portrayed as inferior just in more present terms such as drug dealers, gang bangers, or savage beast like characters.

In "Hollywood Shuffle" it demonstrates how African Americans were inferior to their white counterparts. In the film the white woman that is the director demeans all African Americans by saying she needed a black actor that could act "more black" or be an "Eddie Murphy type", saying all African Americans are all the same. Once Mr. Taylor gets his acting job against his grandmother's wishes the woman directs Mr. Taylor to "stick his ass out more" just another "black" characteristic. Mr. Taylor's grandmother is so against his demeaning acting jobs, because she has seen the past carry into the future. The grandmother knows that her grandson is just being portrayed inferior to whites in another form. Mr. Taylor argues that it is work, and the grandmother replies there is work at the post office.

Meaning he would be more respected if he held a typical job like a postman rather than belittling himself to a pimp, drug dealer, or gang banger. In addition the post office always will accept him where as the industry will only accept him if they need someone to play the demeaning bad guy role. In the film "The Cheat", the Japanese American represented the savage beast character that uses his power and money to take advantage of na " ive women. Tori, "The Cheat's villain was originally calculated to represent the height of evil as a Japanese threat to American identity, the villain's ethnicity was easily switched because of pressure from the Japanese government thus when America entered WWI as an ally of Japan, the film's anti-Japanese inter titles were changed for the 1918 release print to make the villain Burmese" (Marchetti, p. 18).

The past is in the present for example if there were to be a remaking of this film today, Tori would be Middle Eastern. American's use propaganda in order to combine as a country. Meaning we all hold the same stereotypes. Films are easiest way for information to be released. "Due to Tori being of another ethnicity he is able to desire for forbidden desires. He can indulge in these desires "guiltlessly" and "naturally" since he is Japanese and beyond Christian notions of morality" (Marchetti, p. 22).

In addition, "Tori is powerful, threatening, wealthy, and enviable; however his racial differences also codes him as pagan, morally suspect, and inferior" (Marchetti, p. 19). The Cheat is one of many examples of ethnicity banning us from understanding other cultures. The film "Mandingo" was the first de constructional film that showed that African Americans were not content with slavery. In previous films it made it seem as though blacks were servants and were fine with where they were. However "Mandingo" shows another side.

It shows how the black women were raped by the white men and had no choice about it. In the movie it seems as though there are relationships being built between the white man and the black girl, but there isn't anything permanent. She is simply sex for him and not much more. Not only that, but it would not be accepted to have anything more.

In order to avoid possible feelings and other difficulties the men are not "supposed" to kiss the females on the lips. They are strictly "bed slaves" and nothing more. Women that are forced to be free prostitutes. The women are led to believe this is all they are good for, and this is what whites felt at the time. In conclusion, the past in one way or another is apparent in the future and is bound to show up somewhere. It has the capability to carry into the future through future generations.

Each generation prior to me as dealt with this idea of ethnicity and culture and it needs to come to an end sooner rather than later. In order to prevent this vicious cycle from reoccurring it is up to the small 22% of us that are educated to eliminate stereotypes from our white American culture.