The Problem with the Media and South Asian Representation

As movies, tv shows, and media in general became prominent to society, so did certain types of characters. We have the jock teenage boy, the nerd, or the character that somehow always cues a laugh from a fake audience when they speak. At times that character seems to be a South Asian person with an accent used as comedic relief. Although the time these characters were created seemed normal, it’s far from it because the character with the “funny” accent now is being racially stereotyped. In “Indian Accents: Brown Voice and Racial Performance in American Television and Film” by Shilpa S. Davé and “The Evolution of South Asian Representation in American Media” by Eesha Rampal discuss the impacts the media has made since they started to create stereotypes towards South Asians.

In her book, Davé discusses the tv show The Simpsons, and she states, “Apu speaking with a John Wayne accent challenges how we think about Apu’s identity. What assumptions do we make or not make about his citizenship, and how do different characters in the show aid him in his attempt to become a citizen?” (15). 

In The Simpsons Apu was a South Asian character portrayed with the stereotypical accent and the stereotypical convenient store job that was used as comedic. The creators of this character probably just though it was funny but didn’t consider how much it would affect how the viewers portrayed South Asians while watching the show. This directly relates to Rampal as she states, “Several responses point out the necessity to move away from clichéd roles such as taxi drivers or characters with exaggerated accents. This includes a call for “not using stereotypes as comedy or entire character arcs,” which can diminish the complexity and humanity” (28). Apu fits into that cliché role of a South Asian, connecting to Rampal statement of how the role can effect others. Characters like Apu truly have changed the humanity of South Asians as they are portrayed as “jokes” in the media.

The way roles and genres have been affecting stereotypes got more negative as time went by. The comedy aspect created a new view on the stereotypes, Davé said, “Drama offers an opportunity to empathize with a particular group, but comedy can challenge cultural assumptions, particularly through parody and satire with a critique of social conventions. “(14). Comedy wasn’t seen as a way to challenge cultural assumptions, instead it was taken to make fun of South Asians. The need for certain types of genres to show a characters background is ignorant as Rampal said, “This reflects a broader desire for stories that resonate with the lived experiences of South Asian individuals today, portraying them in roles traditionally occupied by white characters, thereby normalizing South Asian presence in diverse narrative contexts.” (29). There shouldn’t be a specific role or genre to put South Asians in as that will just keep growing the stereotypes people have on them. Shows, movies, and media in general can still be comedic without the need of the racist stereotypes created. There still can be South Asian representation in the media by simply making them one of the main characters.

This video is titled “Howard’s Indian accent” emphasizing what stereotypes of South Asians have done for the world of comedy. Throughout the scene none of the other characters had the audience laughing until Howard mimicked Raj’s accent, which got a continuous laugh. “South Asians were often assigned to comic relief roles, exemplified by characters like Raj in “The Big Bang Theory,” who were depicted with exaggerated accents and stereotypical job roles” (Rampal 17). Although Raj’s job wasn’t talked about in this clip but still shows that overtime as stereotypes towards South Asians grew, so did their lifestyle. Both Apu and Raj were given the jobs that when you think of South Asians that’s the job you think they would have based on the media.

 Usually, people don’t even acknowledge all South Asian countries mainly only India. Even Davé states, “Thus, although the title of this book is Indian Accents, I also utilize the more general term “South Asian” to underscore how the “lumping” of multiple histories under one label occurs and can be both problematic and illuminating in U.S. discussions of race and ethnicity” (8). Since these stereotypes have begun, there hasn’t been much acknowledgement to the rest of the countries in South Asia, only India, and even then, they have a negative connotation. Throughout the regions of South Asia there is a limited scope in actual portrayal of a lot of South Asian countries (Rampal 8).  

In this survey Rampal demonstrates how the highest percentage is people saying that the accuracy of the whole region of South Asian portrayal is slight. This reinforces the statement of how stereotypes have now not only astrayed from true portrayal of South Asians but also grouped them into one category, Indians.

The media has ruined a countless number of peoples perspective of South Asians because of the creation of stereotypes. The use of comedy, inaccurate representation, and grouping of South Asians has created a false narrative. These resources are depicting the truth behind how media has conformed the world into stereotyping a group of people. In the analyzation of South Asian stereotypes Dave uses examples of tv series while Rampal uses a combination of tv series and statistics. Both ways of analyzation showed the truth behind how the media overlooks the wrong it has done and will continue to do if this problem isn’t fixed