As each day passes we are exposed to representations of minorities through media whether we realize it or not. Media is a part of everyone’s life. It can be through TV, social media, movies and portrayals in books and comics, just to name a few. However, because of the media, we are getting a skewed perception of what minorities truly are. Based on a recent survey our class completed, we see that many people have an interesting outlook about minorities. While it may not be strictly because of media, it is definitely not helping the cause of minorities. Before I completed this survey, I never thought how poorly minorities are portrayed in media. Once you see the results and actually think about it, it really starts to open your eyes.
When I
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Based off the groups on our survey, I can think of a way each of them are portrayed in at least one aspect of the media off the top of my head. Immediately the movie Mean Girls comes to mind. When Cady arrives at the school, she is shown around and learns the ropes of school from her new friends. In the lunchroom we see many stereotypical groups including the “Smart Asians” doing their homework over lunch, dressed in a dress shirt and tie with a pocket protector. Again, in another movie called 21 Jump Street we see a black man portrayed as a cop named Captain Dickson. He works in a ghetto precinct, is tough with big muscles and tattoos, and loves eating fried chicken. Taking a step back from the movies, we can see how Native Americans are portrayed in sports media. The NFL has a team named the Washington Redskins. Their logo contains a Native American man, with a big nose, red skin, braids and feathers in his hair. Fans sometimes attend games with Native American headdresses and war paint. Finally, think of the movie starring Jennifer Lopez called Maid in Manhattan. She is a single mother, working with numerous other Hispanic people as an