The Black Gangster and the Latino Cleaning Lady DISCRIMINATION and PREJUDICES on TELEVISION

RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION The Black gangster and the Latino cleaning lady DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICES ON TELEVISION

Ana Eckhardt Rodriguez

The article summarises the stereo- of minority groups and the roles that nic minorities and religion (see, e.g., typical roles assigned to members are offered to them on television. Posi- Katz & Braly, 1993, 1935; Karlins et al., of minorities in TV and points out tive feedback and examples are then 1969). In earlier studies, results showed recognisable changes. presented. that black people and African Ameri-

Eurodata (2018). One Television Year in the World. cans were characterised, for example, In 2017, the global average TV viewing Available at: https://www.eurodatatv.com/en/one- as ”athletic”, “rhythmic” (both posi- time stood at 2 hours and 56 minutes. television-year-world [4.3.18] tive stereotypes), but also as ”low in Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (2010). Rassismus & Diskri- However, this figure varies a lot around minierung in Deutschland. Available at: https:// intelligence”. Pettigrew and Meertens the regions of the world (Asia: 2 hours heimatkunde.boell.de/sites/default/files/ dossier_ras- (1995) analysed both blatant and subtle and 25 minutes, Europe: 3 hours and 49 sismus_und_diskriminierung.pdf [8.10.18] racism in Western European countries. Browne Graves, Sherryl (1999). Television and preju- minutes, North America: 4 hours and dice reduction: When does television as a vicarious Amongst others they found that the 3 minutes; Eurodata, 2018). During this experience make a difference? Journal of Social Issues, French study participants voiced more 55(4), 707-727. time, people are often confronted with prejudice against North Africans than Harwood, Jake & Anderson, Karen (2002). The presence stereotypical portrayals of minorities, and portrayal of social groups on prime-time television. Asians, while Dutch participants discriminating actions and out-dated Communication Reports, 15(2), 81-97. showed more prejudice against Turks perspectives that are reproduced with- than Surinamers (see also Hagen- out reflection. Most of the time, this is doorn & Hraba, 1987). Additionally, not purposely intended by producers PREJUDICES AND they found that negative stereotypes but rather happens subconsciously DISCRIMINATION OF do re-appear again, in particular the (e. g., Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, 2010). As MINORITY GROUPS perception of “lazy” Blacks in Britain one of the leading media channels that and the Netherlands, and “dishonest” shapes the daily lives of many people, Prejudices nowadays are no longer North Africans in France. This is in line it is important to understand and criti- blatant but have rather developed with the results of an earlier study, cally assess these stereotypes, especially to a subtle and indirect form, the so- which found that the general ste- to prevent a systemic reproduction called “latent prejudice” or “everyday reotypes are not changing but rather of prejudices. While there are some racism” (Pettigrew & Meertens, 1995; personal beliefs are undergoing a shift television programmes that provide a Bergmann & Erb, 1986; Essed, 1990). (Karlins et al., 1969). balanced and realistic representation of This new type of prejudice, according The way these stigmatisms and ste- minorities, the presence of stereotypi- to van Dijk (2012), is a system of ethnic reotypes are voiced and reproduced cal roles prevails (e.g., Browne Graves, dominance along 2 dimensions: 1) the in discourse is particularly important 1999; Harwood & Anderson, 2002). social dimension; and 2) the cognitive for the media and television, as they This includes the limited types of roles dimension. The former includes every- reproduce our ideas about these that minorities are offered, as well as day social practices of discrimination minority groups. Mass media has the overall under-representation in against minorities and ethnically dif- the ability to shape the prejudices of television. Diversity and realistic rep- ferent groups, including discourse. The people who have little direct contact resentations on television not only in- latter refers to stereotypes, prejudices, to and with minority groups and crease inclusivity but bring many other and ideologies of minorities and ethnic communities (IFJ, 1997). For instance, benefits. While improvements have groups. Both lead to discriminatory studies have found that people watch- been recorded, much work remains to practices against those groups. Many ing shows depicting African Americans be done. This article provides a short studies focus on prejudices, ”specific or people with darker skin as suspects overview over re-current prejudices traits” that people associate with eth- of law suits rather found them to be

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guilty than white suspects (see, e.g., groups are thus under-represented on ries Ally McBeal. In the show, “while she Hurwitz & Peffley, 1997; Oliver et al., TV, to such an extent that it does not is different from the typical submissive 2004). Therefore, it is problematic match the real and diverse world. Asian female stereotype, her sexuality that the majority of programmes are In Germany, for example, one study is used to define her as a person. Her to date not representative of the real- found that the TV show Gute Zeiten background is not completely explored, ity and often based on those (latent) Schlechte Zeiten (Good Times, Bad adding to her mysteriousness as a char- prejudices. Times), one of the longest running acter on the show. At the same time, she shows in the country and first screened is devoid of emotion – another Asian Pettigrew, Thomas & Meertens, Roel (1995). Subtle and blatant prejudice in Western Europe. European Journal in 1992, only started having a character stereotype.” (Sreedhar, 2013) of Social Psychology, 25(1), 57-75. with a Turkish background in 2008. It Dyer, Richard (1997). White. London/New York: Rout- Bergmann, Werner & Erb, Rainer (1986). Kommuni- ledge. kationslatenz, Moral und öffentliche Meinung. Theo- has up to date very few characters with retische Überlegungen zum Antisemitismus in der BR Turkish background, even though it is Phul, Patrick (2011). Migranten in der Medienwirk Deutschland. Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und lichkeit. Bachelor‘s thesis. Cologne. Sozialpsychologie, 38(2), 223-246. the largest minority group in Germany Morris, Rachel (2000). Gypsies, travellers and the me- Essed, Philomena (1990). Everyday racism: Reports (Phul, 2011). dia: Press regulation and racism in the UK. Tolleys from women of two cultures. Alameda: Hunter House. Communications Law, 5(6), 213-219. van Dijk, Teun (2012). The role of the press in the re- Goethe Institut (2014). Medien und Minderheiten – production of racism. In Michi Messer, Renee Schroeder Binary representation Fragen der Repräsentation im internationalen Ver- & Ruth Wodak (Eds.), Migrations: interdisciplinary gleich. Available at: http://www.goethe.de/lhr/prj/ d30/ perspectives (pp. 15-29). Wien: Springer. Another common way to define and ver/dok/de13758463.htm [20.9.18] Katz, Daniel & Braly, Kenneth (1933). Racial stereotypes show minorities is from a binary per- Sreedhar, Anjana. (2013). 5 most offensive Asian char- of one hundred college students. The Journal of Abnor- acters in TV history. Article in Salon. Available at: mal and Social Psychology, 28(3), 280-290. spective. This binary representation https://www.salon.com/2013/09/22/tvs_5_most_of- fensive_asian_characters_partner/ [20.9.18] Katz, Daniel & Braly, Kenneth (1935). Racial prejudice includes the characteristics of good vs. and racial stereotypes. The Journal of Abnormal and bad, civilised vs. primitive, ugly vs. exces- Social Psychology, 30(2), 175-193. sively attractive, repelling-because-dif- Karlins, Marvin, Coffman, Thomas & Walters, Gary (1969). On the fading of social stereotypes: Studies in ferent vs. compelling-because-strange- STEREOTYPICAL PORTRAY- three generations of college students. Journal of Per- and-exotic (Morris, 2000, p. 215). It also sonality and Social Psychology, 13(1), 1-16. ALS AND ROLES PLAYED BY includes the dualism of the “good” and Hagendoorn, Louk & Hraba, Joseph (1987). Social MEMBERS OF MINORITIES distance toward Holland’s minorities: Discrimination the “bad” minority group. The “good” against and among ethnic outgroups 1. Ethnic and group usually being characterised by In the media and television, one main Racial Studies, 10(3), 317-333. stereotype prevails: that of the criminal International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) (1997). hard work, while the “bad” group by Media and tolerance. UN/UNESCO Seminar on Pro- stealing and criminality, and with being foreigner, the “bad” minority group. In moting Independent and Pluralistic Media (10-13 Sep- tember). Sofia. Available at: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ “too-different-to-share-the-Western- Germany, for example, one study found images/0011/001117/111758Eo.pdf [8.10.18] values” (Goethe Institut, 2014). One that Turkish men are often represented Hurwitz, Jon & Peffley, Mark (1997). Public percep- example of this binary representation is as “machos”, wearing trendy clothes, tions of race and crime: the role of racial stereotypes. American Journal of Political Science, 41(2), 375-401. the characterisation of Sinti and Roma. a lot of jewellery, and gel in the hair, Oliver, Mary Beth, Jackson, Ronald, Moses, Ndidi & Here, the dichotomy includes “the good as well as in connection to crime and Dangerfield, Celnisha (2004). The face of crime: Viewers’ gypsy”, the ”mysterious”, “carefree” per- violence (Schorb et al., 2003). There- memory of race-related facial features of individu- als pictured in the news. Journal of Communication, sona versus “the bad gypsy”, the ”dirty fore, most Turkish men in Germany 54(1), 88-104. thieves” and ”criminals” (Morris, 2000, are shown as the ”criminal foreigner” p. 215). This is similar to the stereotype on television. of black people, who are often shown The connection of minorities to vio- DISCRIMINATION AND along two themes: 1) as a ”problem”, or lence is also very predominant regard- STEREOTYPES IN TELEVISION 2) as a ”victim” (IFJ, 1997). Another type ing other men from ethnic minority of dichotomy is found in the portrayal of groups, including black men, Arab men Underrepresentation many women of minority groups. Arab and Muslims. Black men, for example, women, for instance, are either shown are often portrayed as being violent, The tendency in Western media and as the ”sexy belly dancer” or fully veiled, particularly in relation to sexual vio- television is the representation of white submissive, and oppressed. This is again lence (Hall, 1992). This prejudice is of- people in central, leading and elabo- observable in the portrayal of Asian and ten represented in TV, where they tend rated roles; they are depicted as the Latin American women, who are either to be offered the roles of the criminal, standard (Dyer, 1997). In comparison, ”excessively-attractive-because-exotic” the gang member, the drug dealer or non-whites and members of minority or shy, naïve and prude. For example, human trafficker, to name a few. groups are shown, if represented at negative responses were voiced against Latin American men are commonly all, as supporting characters. Minority the character Ling Woo in the drama se- stereotyped to be less educated and

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more prone to criminal activities Carter, 2008); other stereotypical Mok, Teresa (1998). Getting the message: Media images (Latino Voices, 2014). They rarely play roles are: 1) the wise/mystical advisor and stereotypes and their effect on Asian Americans. Cultural Diversity and Mental Health, 4(3), 185-202. major roles in television, such as in the or Kung Fu master (Park, Gabbadon & Zhang, Qin (2010). Asian Americans beyond the model TV show CSI Miami, and if they do it is Chernin, 2006); and 2) the shop, kiosk minority stereotype: The nerdy and the left out. Journal usually the role of the criminal instead or restaurant owner and vegetable of International and Intercultural Communication, 3(1), 20-37. of being a member of the police or the merchant (e.g., Treviño, 1985). Asian forensic team (Lozovina, 2016). Arab men, in addition, often play the nerd and Muslim men are mostly portrayed or geek, which tends to come together as the “threat of a State of Islam in the with being socially awkward and inse- POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND West” (Said, 1997) through roles as the cure (Mok, 1998; Zhang, 2010). EXAMPLES fundamentalist Muslim and terrorist The list of cliché roles is large and these (Halse, 2015). roles above are only some examples. Many improvements have been record- Next to crime and violence as returning What tends to bind all the characters ed in the representation of minorities prejudices against ethnic minorities, is the continuous portrayal of all these in the media and television, as well as another big issue is the limited types characters having a thick accent and the roles that are offered to members of of roles minorities are offered in tele struggling with the local language. minority groups. In Europe, the UK, the vision. Stereotypical roles of minority Netherlands and by now also Germany, Schorb, Bernd, Echtermeyer, Karin, Lauber, Achim & women include: 1) prostitutes (e.g., Eggert, Susanne (2003). Was guckst du, was denkst du?: media producers are increasingly par- Eide & Nikunen, 2011); 2) cleaning staff Der Einfluss des Fernsehens auf das Ausländerbild von ticipating in multicultural programme Kindern im Alter von 9 bis 14 Jahren. Schriftenreihe (Ill. 1; e.g., Rivadeneyra, 2006); and 3) der ULR, 22. Kiel: Schmidt & Klaunig, ULR. development. This encompasses the in- immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers Hall, Ronald (1992). African-American male stereo- clusion of minorities in the mainstream (e.g., Mastro & Greenberg, 2000). types: Obstacles to social work in a multicultural soci- shows, the supporting of minorities ety. Journal of Multicultural Social Work, 1(4), 77-90. Black women, for example, are screened in media companies, and providing Latino Voices (2014). The impacts of crime and criminal as loud, angry and controlling; their nat- justice policies on Latinos. Available at: http://www. specific programmes for minorities in ural hair is considered unprofessional lchc.org/wp-content/uploads/LatinoReport_low- the information- and entertainment res_06.23.14v2.pdf [20.9.18] and rarely shown (see, e.g., Walley-Jean, areas (Volf, 2003). Some examples Lozovina, Dario (2016). Racial profiling inCSI Miami. 2009; Thompson, 2009). Available at: https://repozitorij.unizd.hr/islandora/ of television programmes that have Besides crime and violence related object/unizd:1122/preview [20.9.18] received positive feedback regarding Said, Edward (1997). Covering Islam: How the media roles, men from minority groups are and the experts determine how we see the rest of the their representation of minorities, are often offered the role of low-skilled world. New York: Random House. presented below. workers or labourers (Punyanunt- Halse, Rolf (2015). Counter-stereotypical images of Positive feedback was found, for exam- Muslim characters in the television serial 24: A difference that makes no difference. Critical Studies in ple, regarding the TV show Insecure. A Television, 10(1), 54-72. review states: “I saw not just my life, Eide, Elisabeth & Nikunen, Kaarina (2011). Media in but the lives of my friends — both men motion: Cultural complexity and migration in the Nordic region. New York: Routledge. and women — projected on the small Rivadeneyra, Rocío (2006). Do you see what I see? Jour- screen in a way that didn’t involve fist nal of Adolescent Research, 21(4), 393-414. fights or screaming matches over a Mastro, Dana & Greenberg, Bradley (2000). The por- man. (…) The second element many trayal of racial minorities on prime time television. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 44(4), of us viewers were grateful for was 690-703. the (friendship) relationship between Walley-Jean, Celeste (2009). Debunking the myth of Molly and Issa. (…) Third, I was grateful the “Angry Black Woman”. Black Women, Gender + Family, 3(2), 68-86. in this season to see the microaggres- Thompson, Cheryl (2009). Black women, beauty, and sions brown folks often encounter at hair as matter of being. Women’s Studies, 38, 831-856. work depicted with both seriousness Punyanunt-Carter, Narissa (2008). The perceived real- and levity.” (Davis, 2016) ism of African American portrayals on television. The Howard Journal of Communications, 19, 241-257. Positive reactions were also found Park, Ji Hoon, Gabbadon, Nadine & Chernin, Ariel regarding the representation of eco- (2006). Naturalizing racial differences through comedy: Asian, Black, and White views on racial stereotypes in nomic classes in the TV series Jane Rush Hour 2. Journal of Communication, 56(1), 157-177. the Virgin. Here, the writer of a review © dpa/Fotoreport © Ill. 1: Stereotypical roles in Hollywood Treviño, Jesús Salvador (1985). Jump Cut: A review states: “Many non-Hispanic Americans of Contemporary Media (No. 30, March 1985), movies: the Latino room maid in Maid in 14-16. Available at: https://blogs.uprm.edu/film/ mistakenly believe that Latinos are Manhattan files/2012/12/Latino-portrayals-in-film-and-televi- largely confined to lower-level jobs sion_Trevino.pdf [8.10.18] like as maids or gardeners (…). Jane

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stereotypes and hostile perceptions toward CONCLUSION Muslims by exaggerating these attitudes or expos- The representation of prejudices and ing their instrumentali- discriminatory practices in television sation by Western me- likely shapes the view of people to dia. (…) The characters the negative (e.g., Fujioka, 1999). At in Little Mosque reflect the same time, diversity in the media the diversity among the and television not only is inclusive by followers of Islam and enabling a larger number of people its varying ideologies to identify with the characters, but in opposition to the also brings other benefits, such as: 1) perception that the reli- attracting a broader range of readers gion is homogenous and and viewers; 2) providing access to monolithic; their desig- diverse sources of information lead- nations include reform- ing to an increase of standards; and 3) ist, moderate/feminist, attracting consumers from different conservative, and also backgrounds leading to an increase of nominal.” (Chao, 2015) economic benefits (IFJ, 1997). While In Germany, one exam- some actors and actresses have suc-

is currently broadcast on Sky Home (Germany). Box © [2019] Office, Inc. All rights reserved. ple of an actress that has ceeded in escaping stereotypical roles escaped stereotypical in Western media and the representa- roles is Sibel Kekilli, a tion of minority groups has improved, Game of Thrones of Game HBO® and all related programs are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. German actress from a a lot of changes are left to be done. One Ill. 2: German actress Sibel Kekilli as Shae in the fantasy series Game of Thrones family with Turkish ori- way to increase the number of success gin. She has played in the stories by eliminating stereotypes and film Gegen die Wand in providing a realistic representation of 2004 and more recently minority groups is to support positive the Virgin dispels this myth by depict- in the US TV series Game of Thrones coverage. This can be done, amongst ing Latino characters of all economic (Ill. 2). Sibel Kekilli had also become others, by generating incentives and classes — from the incredibly wealthy the inspector Sarah Brandt in the Ger- offering further education and train- family of Jane’s father and her child’s man TV crime series Tatort (Made for ing, or promoting the access of ethnic father, to Jane’s own working-class fam- minds, 2016). minorities into the media production ily. The characters pursue a variety of (Bonfadelli, 2007). careers (…).” (Zeilinger, 2015) Volf, Patrick (2003). Medien – Minderheiten zwischen Fujioka, Yuki (1999). Television portrayals and African The TV showsFresh off the boat, Master Klischee und Mainstream. Demokratiezentrum Wien. American stereotypes: Examination of television effects Available at: http://www.demokratiezentrum.org/ file- when direct contact is lacking. Journalism & Mass of None, and The Edge of Seventeen also admin/media/pdf/volf_medien2.pdf [20.9.18] Communication Quarterly, 76(1), 52-75. got positive responses, in these cases Davis, Arianna (2016). Dear Issa Rae: Thank you for Bonfadelli, Heinz (2007). Die Darstellung ethnischer regarding the representation of Asian season 1 of Insecure. Refinery, 29. Available at: https:// Minderheiten in deutschen Massenmedien. In Heinz www.refinery29.com/2016/11/131136/insecureseason- Bonfadelli & Heinz Moser (Eds.), Medien und Migra- people on television. It is stated that 1-review-issa-rae-black-women-stereotypes [20.9.18] tion: Europa als multikultureller Raum? (pp. 95-116). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag. “the quest for increased Asian repre- Zeilinger, Julie (2015). 6 ways “Jane the Virgin” is de- sentation is, at its simplest, a desire stroying Latino stereotypes. Available at: https:// mic. com/articles/110768/6-ways-jane-the-virginisdestroy- to be portrayed as Dev in Master of ing-latino-stereotypes#.F1quD4LKX [20.9.18] THE AUTHOR None or as Erwin Kim in The Edge of Seto, Fern (2017). How Aziz Ansari & ‘Master of None’ improves Asian representation on screen. Article in Seventeen: just a normal person, with Highsnobiety. Available at: https://www.highsnobiety. Ana Eckhardt Rodri- normal anxieties about dating, eating, com/2017/05/18/aziz-ansari-master-of-none/ [20.9.18] guez, BA in Political career paths and all the other foibles Chao, Jenifer (2015). Oppositional banality: Watching Science, Msc Eco- ordinary Muslims in “Little Mosque on the Prairie”. nomics and Business of navigating modern life.” (Seto, 2017) Available at: https://necsus-ejms.org/oppositionalba- Regarding the portrayal of Muslims, nality-watching-ordinary-muslims-in-littlemosqueon- Administration, is a the Canadian TV show Little Mosque the-prairie/ [20.9.18] Research Manager on the Prairie was found to be “a comic Made for minds/Deutsche Welle (2016). Diskriminierung at VVA Economics & im deutschen Film? Available at: https://www.dw.com/ Policy, Brussels, Bel- relief to succour anti-Muslim fears and de/diskriminierung-imdeutschenfilm/a-19007719 [20.9.18] gium. hostility, as the show directly opposes

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