Diversity in mainstream media
Kayla Crotty
Mesa Legend
In the past few decades, immigration has skyrocketed, making America one of the most diverse countries in the world. The most noticeable change is in television. It’s been making great attempts to reflect the diversity of the communities in America. In 2014, ABC introduced “Black-ish”, a comedy about an average black family. One extremely important thing to note is the lack of the common “ghetto” stereotype. The show did so well that it is currently in its second season. Also in 2014, ABC introduced the award winning show, “How To Get Away With Murder”. Not only is it one of the most popular and addicting shows, but it proved that Viola Davis, a woman of color, is a brilliant actress that audiences will watch, regardless of race.
This year, East Asian representation soared like never before. Early this year, ABC debuted “Fresh Off The Boat,” a sitcom loosely based around famous chef, Eddie Huang’s childhood. While being a family friendly comedy, this show about a Chinese family living in the 1990s also talks about racism and identity issues that East Asian Americans face. The most revolutionary decision of all was ABC’s “Quantico.”At first glance, it seems just like another drama, but the casting is what makes it stand out. The lead role is played by Indian actress, Priyanka Chopra. This is a victory for both South Asian viewers and South Asian actors, since they’re one of the least represented ethnicities in mainstream American media. Unfortunately, that’s where the current representation ends. Native American student, Bryan Denteclaw, does not feel represented in the media at all. Although some races and ethnicities have little or no representation in the mainstream media, these are a series of amazing first steps to truly represent the real demographic of America.
