[PREV - WHITE_CHILD_SPEAKS]    [TOP]

LATIN_TASTE

                                                    October 11, 2016

Ben Child, in the Guardian UK, "Why is Hollywood still
using 'yellowface' in 2016?", remarks that there is...       WHITE_CHILD_SPEAKS

  "... a sense in Hollywood that audiences won’t turn
  out to see a movie unless there are Caucasian faces
  involved somewhere. This is especially strange given
  research shows that people of colour, Hispanics in
  particular, make up a sizable portion of the US
  cinemagoing public."

  [ref]


  Well first of all, I would never assume that
  anyone in Hollywood knows what they're doing.
  It's entirely possible they've latched onto an
  entirely mythical idea that white leads are
  more popular, and hence a financial necessity.

  On the other hand, it could be that they know
  something that we don't.

  My question is why would you assume that Latino
  people don't want to see white people in lead roles?
  My suspicion is that racial attitudes are much more             WHITEFACE
  complex than Ben Child is allowing for... and Latino
  people are under no obligation to behave according
  to his preconceptions.

Child links to this Lucas Shaw story:    [ref]

   "Hispanics are the fastest-growing ethnic group in
   the United States, and their passion for movies is
   unsurpassed. The group bought 25 percent of the
   tickets sold in 2013 though they comprise just 17
   percent of the population ..."

   "According to figures from the U.S. Census and a
   Nielsen report on movie audiences, Hispanics make
   up 15 percent of the population over the age of 12,
   and 19 percent of tickets sold for teens and older."

   "The group, defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as
   people of 'Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or
   Central American, or other Spanish culture or
   origin regardless of race,' is making its presence
   felt at the summer box office."



Lucas Shaw has written many stories like this (all
based on just a couple of stats and an interview with
writer-director Roberto Orci, as far as I can tell):

   [ref]

The idea seems to be that since a lot of
Hispanics are going to see movies Hollywood
should Do Something to cater to them... but     (They should've cast Selena
I would think you could argue it the other      Gomez as Major Motoko.)
way, they're already showing up a lot, so
they must like the product.                               WHITEGHOST

Back in 2014, there was a Pew Research
study that showed a lot of people who once
identified themselves as Hispanic are now
reporting themselves as white.  Nate Cohen
wrote about it at the New York Times:

  [ref]

This phenomena really bugs some people-- I gather
the idea is that "passing" may be good for you
personally, but what we really need is a society
where no one needs to pass:

   "Hispanics are Becoming White and It’s Not Good" by Jenn M. Jackson
   [ref]

I see the point, but I stop short about telling anyone
how they should think about their ethnic identity...




--------
[NEXT - JAPANESE_SHELL]