The Misrepresentation of Immigrant Groups in the American Television Media and its Impact on Society
It happens in millions of homes all across America every evening: it's the end of another long, hard and everyone is exhausted. Dinner is over, and the dishes sit scattered across the countertops and sit piled in the sink. The children have been bickering since the moment they walked in the door. Desperate for a few moments of peace, Mom walks determinedly into the family room and turns on the television, announcing to all children within earshot that it's time to sit down and chill out in front of the "toob" for a few minutes so she can clean the kitchen in peace. Without thinking twice, she has just set her children up to be bombarded by images that will significantly impact them in ways she might not even realize for years to come. Once she sits down to join them, the characters, communities, and ideals portrayed influence her as well.
It's true that in our society, Americans watch more television than ever and the images they consume help shape their opinions, their perception of themselves and their peers, and their view of the world around them. As such, it is imperative for television and movie writers and producers to present their audiences with a fair and accurate representation of the world and its peoples. Unfortunately, many ethnic groups do not receive such fair treatment.
In series television that is written and produced in the United States, immigrants and ethnic groups are often cast in stereotypical and/or negative storylines and character portrayals, leaving the audience to form their own prejudices about the cultures the negative characters represent. Unfortunately, the result of such trends is the continuation or heightening of racist stereotyping in society and a negative public view of immigrants and ethnic groups. In order to fully explore how series television impacts the formation of the ...