Whitewashing in the media refers to white actors playing non-white characters. Historically, white actors have played black and Asian characters, as well as classical and mythological characters. For example, in the 2022 film Super Express, Brad Pitt and Joey King played Japanese characters from Kotaro Isaka’s original novel, even though they are not of Japanese descent.
Whitewashing is a form of racism and can lead to negative mental health effects. Whitewashing leads to a lack of representation of non-white communities in popular culture. As a result, non-white actors don’t have the same space to tell their stories as white actors.
Learn more about whitewashing, including what it means, how it plays out in our culture, and why it’s harmful.
In its narrowest definition, whitewashing in film and television is the removal or replacement of people of color with white actors, says Dr. Leilani Nishime, a communications professor at the University of Washington and author of Undercover Asian. Told. health.
Whitewashing involves favoring white actors or other roles, such as directors or producers, over equally qualified people of color. Similarly, non-white actors not receiving representation in award nominations such as the Academy Awards is a form of whitewashing.
One of the most classic examples of whitewashing is in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. In this film, white actor Mickey Rooney plays Mr. Yunioshi, an Asian man. In this role, Rooney plays a stereotypical Asian man while wearing yellowface.
Media personnel have used techniques such as blackface, brownface, and yellowface, in which white actors wear makeup and change their skin color, to portray offensive caricatures of primarily nonwhite characters. .
Whitewashing continues to be prevalent in pop culture. In 2021, TV and film producer Kevin Feige, the lead producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, admitted in an interview that casting white actor Tilda Swinton in the 2016 film Doctor Strange was a mistake. Ta. Men’s Health. The original Marvel Comics character “The Ancient One” is an Asian man.
“Doctor Strange” is just one of many examples of subterfuge in the media. In the 2015 film Aloha, Emma Stone plays an Air Force pilot named Alison Ng. The character has Chinese and Hawaiian ancestry, while Stone does not.
Another type of whitewashing, Nishime said, is replacing characters of color in a story to focus on white characters.
For example, the 2015 film “Stonewall” tells the story of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. This movie centers around a cis white gay man. In fact, Black and Latina trans women such as Sylvia Rivera and Miss Major led the Stonewall riots.
Whitewashing can even involve creating a fantasy world in which people of color do not exist. A prime example is his “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy, released from 2001 to 2003. Other examples include the 2016 film Fantastic, where he is erased from a time and place where a person of color exists: the streets of 1920s New York. The beast and where it is found. ”
In a practical sense, Nishime says, whitewashing takes jobs away from actors of color.
“More than that, there is very little representation of people of color in the media. Losing even one hurts us. It also silences us so we can’t tell our stories.” added Nishime. On a personal level, whitewashing can have significant psychological effects.
“Unfortunately, stereotypes, media and family influences perpetuate this condition,” said California-based psychiatrist Dr. Leela Maghavi. health. “Minority people can feel pressure to look, speak, and express themselves a certain way, which can lead to debilitating anxiety.”
Dr. Magavi recalled evaluating adolescents and adults who reported feeling pressured to soften their tone or change their voice to fit in.
“Whitewashing can cause low morale, exacerbate feelings of impostor syndrome, and exacerbate symptoms of low mood and anxiety,” Dr. Magavi said.
How discrimination affects mental health
Many people who experience the effects of whitewashing will never see a psychiatrist or therapist because of it. Still, whitewashing is part of a larger pattern of discrimination and can have serious effects on mental and physical health.
In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared racism a public health threat because it severely impacts mental and physical health. A report published in 2016 found that people facing discrimination have higher stress and worse overall health than other people.
Stress increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and anxiety, and menstrual disorders.
According to the 2016 report, those who did not report discrimination included:
- 45% report good or very good health
- 46% of whites report good or very good health
- 37% of Hispanics report good or very good health
- 32% of Black people report good or very good health
In contrast, researchers found that for those who reported discrimination:
- 31% overall reported good or very good health
- 34% of white people (including those in the LGBTQ+ community) reported good or very good health
- 29% of Hispanics report good or very good health
- 28% of Black people reported good or very good health
Nishime said we need to hear the voices of people of color protesting the whitewashing in entertainment media, news media, politics and history.
“We also need to support more independent media makers, who are producing stories that center Asian Americans and other people of color,” Nishime added.
People can make a difference by showing empathy for a cause. Empathy creates space for open communication and helps those who suffer from whitewashing and other forms of racism feel safe and supported.
“By empathizing, we can eliminate the multifaceted harms of racism,” Dr. Magavi explained. “Hearing people from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds talk about their life experiences makes us better, more compassionate people.”
Whitewashing in the media is a discriminatory practice that excludes people of color or replaces them with white actors. Whitewashing can rob people of color of their voices and undermine their health and well-being. When amplifying the voices of people of color, it is important to practice empathy and listen carefully.