Portrayal and Representation of Multiracial Characters in Film

Kenji V. Kaneko

Abstract
This article represents an analysis of the portrayal and representation of multiracial men and women in film. I examined eight characters played by multiracial actors and actresses in eight different films to research the representation and portrayal of the characters that these multiracial actors and actresses play. These eight characters were analyzed based on three basic dimensions, including pro-social/anti-social characteristics, racial characteristics, and expression of multiraciality in the film. Through analyzing these characters, this paper found that these multiracial actors and actresses played diverse roles, encompassing a wide range of both pro-social and anti-social characters. Furthermore, in this sample set, these multiracial actors and actresses played monoracial characters since they were either portrayed as a monoracial aucasian character or a monoracial racial/ethnic minority character. !hen they were cast in racial/ethnic minority roles, these characters were often sub"ected to the stereotypes commonly lin#ed to racial/ethnic minority characters. In addition, since these characters were only expressed as monoracial, this study found that the actors$ and actresses$ multiracial identity was not shown in the film. Key Words multiracial% portrayal% representation% film% characters

!ntroduction
As the United States becomes more and more of a multicultural and multiracial society, the visibility and prevalence of a growing multiracial community commands attention. In states like California and Oregon, more multiracial babies are born than any other race e cept Caucasian !"avinfoundation.org#. $espite the rapidly growing multiracial population, there has been a dearth of research on the representation and

portrayal of multiracial people in the media. %ased on content analysis of a total of four multiracial actors and actresses in eight films, this article e amines how multiracial characters are represented and portrayed in film. &his article also considers what film roles multiracial actors and actresses play, and if their multiracial identity is e pressed on screen. In this study, the term 'multiracial( refers to those of multiracial and)or multiethnic descent, who have at least one parent belonging to a racial)ethnic minority group.

"iterature Re#ie$
"ost of the previous research on people of color in the media had focused on racial and ethnic minorities !i.e. %lacks, *atinos, and Asians#, but not specifically on multiracial people. Although it was not about multiracial people in the media directly, previous research shed light on the portrayal of racial minorities in the media, who like multiracial people, are people of color. +revious research on the portrayal of minorities in the media showed that there was largely a lack of positive, non,stereotyped images of racial and ethnic minorities !"astro - .reenberg /0001 &aylor - Stern 2334#. "any of the depictions of racial and ethnic minorities only depicted token and stereotyped representations and lacked the diversity of roles that was seen in 5hite characters. In an analysis of %lacks in mainstream maga6ine advertising, the %lack characters were mostly portrayed as either athletes or musicians !%owen - Schmid 2334#. Although the inclusion of %lacks in the media has largely increased over the past 78 years, the stereotyped representations of blacks as either musicians or athletes revealed that simple inclusion in media format did not e9ual progress. :ot showing %lacks and other

minorities in non,stereotyped roles failed to depict the diversity among minorities and instead encouraged the perpetuation of stereotypes. In advertisements that depicted mi ed race groups !i.e. groups of people consisting of 5hite, %lack, and Asian characters#, the minority characters were disproportionately seen in minor and background roles !%owen - Schmid 23341 &aylor - Stern 2334#. &his put the minority characters in token roles, where only their presence as a racial minority was important, but beyond which they served little purpose. ;or %lack characters in mi ed race situations, there were few face to face interactions with non,%lack characters !%owen - Schmid 2334#, and for Asian characters if there were interactions between an Asian model and a non,Asian model, it was most likely in a business situation. &aylor - Stern found that Asians, like %lacks, have had an increased representation in the media, but are also largely portrayed in stereotyped and tokeni6ed roles !2334.# ;or the Asian models, their portrayal was mostly through the view of the 'model minority( stereotypes, depicting them as affluent, highly educated, hard workers, yet non,personable and predominantly business,oriented. &his one,dimensional view of Asians was reflected in the fact that they were more likely to be seen in advertisements associated with affluence and work life and less likely to be represented in advertisements related to home or social life. In addition to stereotyped and tokeni6ed representations in mi ed race advertisements, advertisements with e clusively monoracial minority characters were rare !%owen - Schmid 2334#. &his research revealed that although media representation of racial minorities had increased, they still were largely cast in stereotyped or tokeni6ed background roles, and lacked the diverse portrayal that was afforded to 5hite characters. Although this research on racial

minorities in the media did not directly answer the research 9uestions of this study, it did shed light on how people of color are depicted in the media. &he importance in discussing the portrayal and representation of multiracial people in the media and film is due to the fact that the multiracial population in America is rapidly growing. In /000, the government acknowledged this trend on the Census by allowing people to identify with more than one racial group for the first time !<arris Sim1 *ee - %ean /00=#. Although /.=> of the population or ?.@ million people overall identified as multiracial, <arris - Sim highlighted that this number was A multiracial population but most likely not THE multiracial population. &his was due to the fluidity of multiracial identity and the fact that those who completed the household Census form were not always those who were multiracial, but rather could have been a monoracial parent identifying their children !<arris - Sim /00/#. 2 in =0 people self identified as multiracial, and by /080, it was proAected this figure will rise to 2 in 8 !*ee - %ean /00=#. &his rapidly growing population was seen by many social scientists as a large factor in the blurring of the color line and will most likely lead to a decline in preAudice and less social stratification between the races. <istorically, AmericaBs racial composition has been viewed along a black)white dichotomy, but with increasing inter, racial marriage rates and many multiracial Asian and *atino children being born, the nation will move past the traditional black)white color line !*ee - %ean /00=#. Specifically, because of a rapidly increasing *atino and Asian immigrant population, *ee and %ean predicted that by /080 the inter,racial marriage rates of *atinos and Asians will greatly increase over the already high rate of 70> !/00=.# 5ith this e plosion of inter, racial and inter,ethnic marriages and its ensuing large multiracial population, there will

likely be a large multiracial population seeking images representative of themselves in film and other forms of media. Although their article did not specifically address this, *ee and %eanBs predictions !which were in line with other research on the multiracial population# on the e ponential increase of multiracial people by /080, implied that as the multiracial population grows, so will its need for representation in film and other media formats. Unlike the identity discussed in the research of monoracial individuals, the identity of multiracial was often characteri6ed by its fluidity and its ability to have 'chameleon changes( !"iville - Constantine et al., /008#. &he research on multiracial identity found that oneBs identity changed over time and their identity was largely the result of family)parental influence, community in which they were raised, social network and its racial makeup, and oneBs appearance)phenotype !<erman /00=1 "iville Constantine et al., /008#. $epending on conte t and the situation, the identity of multiracial individuals was found to often be fle ible and malleable. ;or e ample, <arris Sim discussed this chameleon effect in their finding that adolescent multiracial children often identified differently when at school versus when at home. &his was due to the finding that when taking a survey at school regarding their identity, the respondents were free of the influence of a monoracial parent who often identified the adolescent in one racial category. <erman found that this fluidity of identity based on the situation was often due to the desire to reduce cognitive dissonance !/00=#. "iville and Constantine et al. found 'critical periods,( which impacted the identity of multiracial individuals and displayed its fluidity. &hey found there to be three critical periodsC 2# during elementary years when the individual noticed they were different /# during high school when they

identified largely with their friends)peer,group and 7# during college when there was often an integration of identity !/008#. In addition to the chameleon changes in the identity of multiracial people, these studies also discussed how multiracial people identified when forced to choose a single racial identity. In most cases, the individuals chose to identify more with the parent of color or the parent whose race had a greater social stigma, due to e periences with racism and discrimination and the social norm of hypodescence !<erman /00=1 "iville and Constantine#. &hese studies on the fluidity of multiracial identity and influences on multiracial are important in the discussion of the portrayal of multiracial individuals in the media. ;or e ample, based on conte tual situation, multiracial actors may play a monoracial Caucasian character in one film and a totally different racial role in another film. Also, the influences on identity are factors in the roles that multiracial actors played. ;or e ample, <alle %erry, who is phenotypically seen as %lack by many viewers, often is cast in monoracial %lack roles despite her multiracial heritage. &he issue of both the self, identity of actors and actresses and the identity that is placed upon them is important in their portrayal and representation in film and other media forms, and is significant in what it communicates to viewers. Although there has been no known research regarding multiracial people in film, this study hopes to delve deeply into their charactersB portrayal and representation onscreen. <istorically, there has been some representations of multiracial people in television and film. Cedric Dobinson discussed the mulatto)mulatto genre of the early 2300Bs as they were the first representations of multiracial people in the media. Dobinson found that early movies, such as 232?Bs At Piney Ridge, created the tragic mulattoC an

embodiment of racial confusion that wreaked havoc and destroyed white society !/008#. DobinsonBs content analysis of these early films found these mulatto and mulatto characters to be represented as a 'hyperse uali6ed interbreed( !/008, p. /=#, whose eventual learning of their racial background ended in tragedy. Easmin Fiwani further found that even recent films, 'had emphasi6ed the negative outcomes of miscegenation( !/008, p. 2@8#. FiwaniBs content analysis of a recent television show, Relic Hunter, found that although the main character was multiracial and her portrayal was mostly positive, certain stereotypes still appeared. Sydney Co , the daughter of a 5hite father and an Asian mother, was often depicted as a mi of Gast and 5est. ;rom the 5est !her father# she got material and educational success, whereas she got her seductiveness, e oticness, and 'culture( from the Gast !her mother# !Fiwani /008#. <owever, the fluidity of her racial identity gave ;o access to areas that she otherwise would not have been granted access had she not been able to engage in chameleon changes. &he debut of a show featuring an obviously multiracial heroine nonetheless showed great progress in the representation and portrayal in comparison to the tragic mulatto)mulatta genre. &hese studies and articles highlighted the history of racial minorities in the media, the growing multiracial population and its importance, the fluid multiracial identity, and the little representation that has been in the media. &hese previous studies did not directly address the research 9uestions of this study but did give proper background to the portrayal of multiracial characters in film. Studies on stereotypes and portrayals of monoracial minorities in the media provided background into the ways that multiracial actors)characters !as people of color themselves# could be portrayed and represented. &he studies on the rapidly growing multiracial population highlighted the need for a

better understanding of its representation in the media and the impact that this population will soon have on many aspects of life. &he studies on multiracial identity displaying the influences on its formation and conte tual fluidity were significant, because they provided background into how multiracial people and actors self,identify and also how others categori6e them and their characters. ;inally, the studies on multiracial people in the media showed historically how multiracial characters have been depicted and gave a case study of how one show specifically depicted its multiracial character. All of these studies therefore provided a proper historical background of what has been researched, but at the same time revealed the large paucity of research of multiracial people in film and other media forms.

Methodolo%y
&he 'ample %ecause the research focused on analy6ing patterns in recorded human communications, in this case film, content analysis was the most appropriate research method to use. &he main purpose of content analysis was to reduce the content of the film to a systematic description of its elements. It was used to determine the themes and concepts from a recorded human communication and to understand the significance of these concepts. Content analysis was used to analy6e eight characters, played by two male multiracial actors and two female multiracial actresses, in eight different films. &he sample analy6ed was two male multiracial actors !Hin $iesel and Dob Schneider# and the characters they portrayed !a total of four characters# and two female multiracial actresses !Fessica Alba and $evon Aoki# and the characters they portrayed !a total of four characters#. &he sample drew one multiracial actor !$iesel# and one

multiracial actress !Alba# that, since the year 2334, had been cast in at least one high, profile, maAor role. A high profile role consisted of holding a main role in a movie that finished the year as one of the top /0 grossing films. &he definition of main role is in the coding guide. &wo Hin $ieselBs movies and two of Fessica AlbaBs movies were analy6ed. As mentioned before, one character analy6ed was from a top /0 film of that year, while the other character analy6ed was of the same actor)actress in a maAor role from a non,/0 top film from the year 2334,/004. &he other four characters analy6ed consisted of another multiracial actor and another multiracial actress. ;or these, the actor !Schneider# and actress !Aoki# had to be cast in one supporting role in a top /0 film of its respective year and a supporting role in a non,top /0 film of its respective year. &herefore, the sample was of @ characters !2 actor)2 actress playing a main role in a top /0 film, the same actor)actress in a main role in a none top /0 film, 2 actor)2 actress playing a supporting role in a top /0 film, the same actor)actress in a supporting role in a non,top /0 film#. &he sample of @ actors)actresses, their racial heritage, movie in which they appear, character from that movie, year of the movie, and movieBs bo office ranking for that year are shown in two tables below. !:oteC Dying to Get Rich did not rank among the top /00 movies of 233@ and is therefore marked by ':)A(# Main Actor ( Actress Mo#ie Character &he +acifier 'Shane 5olfe( ;ind "e .uilty 'Fackie $i:orscio( ;antastic ;our 'Sue Storm( <oney '<oney $aniels(

)ame Hin $iesel Hin $iesel Fessica Alba Fessica Alba )ame Dob Schneider Dob Schneider

Race*+thn. %lack)Italian %lack)Italian "e ican)Irish "e ican)Irish

,ear /008 /00? /008 /007 ,ear /00= 233@

Rank I24 I/72 I27 I37 Rank I2= :)A

'upportin% Actor ( Actress Race*+thn. Mo#ie Character ;ilipino)5hite 80 ;irst $ates 'Ula( ;ilipino)5hite $ying to .et Dich 'Steve(

$evon Aoki $evon Aoki

Fapanese)5hite Fapanese)5hite

/ ;ast / ;urious Sin City

'Suki( '"iho(

/007 /008

I28 I7/

!"ovie bo office rankings accessed courtesy of &he "ovie &imes.#

Cate%ories and Codin% In order to perform a content analysis of the eight characters, a coding sheet and coding guide were created. &he coding sheet and guide were split into four coding categories, each with multiple subcategories. $ata sometimes fit into more than one subcategory and were recorded as such. &he categories that were used to code the characters in the films are as followsC 2# Qualities and CharacteristicsC <eroic !displaying three of followingC sacrifice, courage, selfless, conviction, determination, and loyalty#, *egal)Illegal !breaking)maintaining law, use)distribution of drugs, violence)killing, victim, criminal history#, +ro,social)+ositive !generous, kind, intelligent, cool, leader, prestigious, caring, brave)courageous, helpful#, Anti,social):egative !deceitful, unintelligent, loser, se ually promiscuous, dominate others, physical deformity#, :on,<eroic !anti,hero, anti,villain, femme fatale#. &he purpose of this category was to code the characterBs role and discover their most identifying 9ualities and characteristics. /# RacialC *anguage!s# spoken by character, *anguage!s# spoken by other characters, racial cues !family, neighborhood, friends, cultural and customs, miscellaneous !9uotes##. &he purpose of this category was to e amine how the race of the character was portrayed. 7# Degree of Importance in FilmC "aAor character !characterBs name known, appears in /8> of scenes, speaks in /8> of scenes, details of life, background, and)or internal struggles known#, "inor character !if does not fulfill re9uirements of '"aAor character(#. &he purpose of this category was to analy6e whether the character was a maAor or minor character !main or supporting# in the film. =# ultiracial E!pressionC Acknowledged ! multiracial heritage conveyed#, G plicit forms !dialogue, monologue, visually depicted through symbols and)or written#, Subtle forms !appearance and)or depiction of parents and)or siblings, language!s# spoken#. &he purpose of this category was to e amine whether the actorBs)actressesB multiracial identity was e pressed through his)her character.

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One coder e amined the eight characters in the sample. &he data collection and analysis were conducted in two steps. ;irst, the movies were viewed by the coder, while he simultaneously collected data on the coding sheet using the aforementioned categories. After all films were watched and data was collected for each character, the coder used the four categories to compare the characters and highlight main themes that appeared in the data.

Findin%s
&he Fluidity of Multiraciality &he racial portrayal of these multiracial actors and actresses in the eight films is characteri6ed by its fluidity, since they played both Caucasian characters and racial)ethnic minority. %y playing these characters and through the usage of 'chameleon changes( !"iville - Constantine et al., /008#, these actors and actresses embraced 'fle ible, rather than rigid, social group boundaries( and displayed their 'ability to adapt to the cultural norms or demands of the situation( !"iville - Constantine et al., /008#. Dob Schneider and Fessica Alba, displayed this fluidity by playing both a monoracial Caucasian character and a monoracial racial)ethnic minority character. $evon Aoki and Hin $iesel, although both multiracial, displayed this fluidity by occupying solely monoracial roles with $iesel playing monoracial Caucasian characters and Aoki playing monoracial Fapanese)Asian characters. &he fluidity that characteri6ed these actors and actresses is thus important because it not only allowed them to encompass both Caucasian and racial)ethnic minority arenas, but also showed their ability to undertake chameleon,like changes depending on the situation and character.

22

Hin $iesel, because of his multiracial half,Caucasian background, used this fluidity to play two monoracial 5hite characters. In Find e Guilty, he played 'Fackie

$i:orscio,( an Italian,American mobster and criminal and in The Pacifier, he fulfilled the role of 'Shane 5olfe,( a Caucasian :avy Seal. In Find e Guilty, his racial identity

as a Caucasian of Italian,American heritage was made clear through both outright vocal e pression and racial cues. Acting as his lawyer following his arrest, $ieselBs character displayed his racial background through the phrase, 'I guess if you are Italian, you should be in prison.( ;urthermore, the opposing counselor said to him, ':ow listen to me, you .uinea cocksucker( and referred to him and his Italian friends)mobsters as '.umbas,( both of which are derogatory terms for those of Italian descent. All of his friends and those in his community and neighborhood were also Italian, often displaying their Italian pride through actions such as waving the Italian flag. In The Pacifier, $ieselBs character was identified as Caucasian through the usage of racial and conte tual cues. Although his race was not verbally e pressed, those in his community and neighborhood were all Caucasian, his friends were all Caucasian, and his romantic partner was also Caucasian, thus cueing his own race as Caucasian. Although $iesel is half,%lack, his multiracial fluidity allowed him to play monoracial Caucasian characters in these films. *ike $iesel, $evon Aoki was cast in solely monoracial roles. <owever, AokiBs characters were both portrayed as monoracial racial)ethnic minority characters with her playing characters that were of Fapanese)Asian descent in "in City and # Fast # Furious. <er race was not verbally e pressed and she did not speak Fapanese in either film, but the conte tual cues surrounding both characters indicated that she was of Fapanese descent. In "in City, AokiBs character, '"iho,( was adept at Fapanese martial arts, often seen

2/

carrying two katana swords and shown precisely using hira shuriken !Fapanese throwing stars#. Along with the traditional Fapanese weapons, AokiBs character was only shown wearing traditional kimono,like garb, instead of more typically 5estern outfits like the other female characters in the film. ;urthermore, she did not speak at all, so although it was clear that she understood Gnglish, it was vague as to whether she was capable of speaking Gnglish. In # Fast # Furious, AokiBs character, 'Suki,( did display fluency in Gnglish, but there were still indications that she was an Asian character of Fapanese heritage. &he beginning se9uence of the film showed a street race between four racersC one was 5hite, one was %lack, one was *atino, and the other was Suki, therefore indicating that Suki fulfilled the other racial)ethnic categoryC Asian. <owever, her street racing car indicated that she was not only Asian, but was also of Fapanese descent. AokiBs character drove a bright pink 'rice rocket( !a term used for Fapanese sports cars# that had several images of her likeness as a "anga !Fapanese comic book# styled girl. &he "anga girl artwork decorated the left side of the car, as well as on the *C$).+S screen on the inside of her car with SukiBs name on the *C$ screen, indicating that the "anga girl represented her. &he images of AokiBs character in "in City wielding traditional Fapanese weapons and wearing traditional Fapanese clothing, as well as the "anga artwork in and on her car in # Fast # Furious clearly indicated that her characters were of Fapanese descent. Dob Schneider and Fessica Alba engaged in several 'chameleon changes( by playing both monoracial Caucasian and monoracial racial minority characters. In Dying to Get Rich, Schneider played 'Steve,( a 5hite, former car salesman turned criminal. &he other characters in the film were all 5hite and SchneiderBs character was also

27

described as 5hite. A police detective described a situation in which, 'three more white males arrived in three different vehicles( cueing SteveBs race as white, since he was one of the three men involved in that situation. On the contrary, in $% First Dates, Schneider played 'Ula,( a <awaiian beach bum. Out of the sample data set, UlaBs character is the only one in which language largely helped to indicate the characterBs race. In several scenes, SchneiderBs character mi ed Gnglish with what was depicted as <awaiian. ;or instance, in one scene, Ula cursed the protagonist in what is presumed to be <awaiian, with the protagonist responding, 'Ooh he Aust cast a spell on us.( *ater in that same scene, Ula said to the protagonist regarding women, 'Eou get some booby, some assy, a pull on your poi,poi,( interchanging the word 'poi,poi( for penis. Although, the scenes containing Ula speaking <awaiian may not have always featured authentic <awaiian, the significance of those scenes was that the audience was encouraged to believe that it was <awaiian and that SchneiderBs character was :ative <awaiian. Ula also referred to the protagonist, a white character, as '<aole,( which means white in <awaiian. &he usage of the term '<aole( signified that Ula was not 5hite by distancing himself from the 5hite character as being other. Outside of language, several other cues indicated that SchneiderBs character was <awaiian, such as displaying his <awaiian wife and children and engaging in <awaiian cultural dances. Alba displayed her racial fluidity in the portrayal of her characters in Honey and Fantastic Four. In Honey, Alba starred as '<oney $aniels,( a *atina aspiring to be a professional hip hop dancer. &he main cue of <oneyBs ethnic background was the appearance of both her parents, who are both *atino. ;urthermore, the setting of film was in the %ron , in a neighborhood with predominantly %lack and *atino residents. In

2=

Fantastic Four, however, AlbaBs character 'Sue Storm,( a scientist turned superhero, was clearly depicted as Caucasian. One of the main indicators of her race was the appearance of her brother. AlbaBs character said, '$o you remember my brother FohnnyJ,( and the camera panned to her brother, who is Caucasian, riding on a motorcycle. ;urthermore, the other main characters, both the heroes and the villain, were Caucasian and both of AlbaBs love interests were also Caucasian. &he drastically different urban *atina, <oney $aniels, and the Caucasian scientist)superhero, Sue Storm, displayed the great racial fluidity of AlbaBs characters allowed to her by her multiracial identity. &hese findings thus showed that the adaptability and racial fluidity of these multiracial actors and actresses gave them the ability to play characters outside of their true racial identity. 'tereotyped Racial*+thnic Minority Roles Although the actors and actresses played both monoracial Caucasian and monoracial racial)ethnic minority characters, the racial)ethnic minority characters were significantly more racially stereotyped roles. Degarding contemporary Asian women in television and film, Fiwani noted that 'many of these Asian women are in fact Gurasian and, in some cases, are used to fill in for :ative women( !/008, p 2@?#. &he findings in this study proved her statement correct, as Aoki and the other multiracial actors and actresses did enact the role of the ':ative,( meaning they fulfilled the role as monoracial racial)ethnic minority. As a result, when the actors and actresses played the role of the ':ative,( they also were subAected to the common racial stereotypes associated with racial)ethnic minority characters. As "iho in "in City, Aoki played an e otic, yet deadly prostitute. &he Fapanese weaponry and kimono, along with her inherent beauty, magnified the e otic, oriental stereotype commonly associated with Asian women.

28

;urther perpetuating stereotypes was the fact that AokiBs character did not speak at all, which portrayed her as the silent, deadly, yet se y, Asian killer. She was twice described by other characters as, 'deadly, little "iho,( emphasi6ing her deadliness and !Asian# diminutive stature. In # Fast # Furious, her Fapanese ancestry was also emphasi6ed and stereotyped. Symboli6ed by the "anga girl artwork on her car, AokiBs character represented the childish cuteness that has recently been associated with Fapanese young women especially with the popularity of .wen StefaniBs '<araAuku .irls.( *ike the <araAuku .irls, Suki embodied the 9uiet, cute Fapanese girl commonly linked to the girls in "anga. In Honey, Fessica AlbaBs character is that of the stereotypical urban *atina. <oney was depicted as the urban *atina struggling to achieve success while at the same time giving back to her impoverished neighborhood and 'not forgetting her roots.( &hus, <oney represented the stereotypical urban *atino or %lack character who lives in a poor neighborhood and must overcome great obstacles to achieve success and personal goals. Similarly, in $% First Dates, Dob SchneiderBs character perpetuated the <awaiian beach bum stereotype. *acking a real Aob and constantly accompanied by a throng of his children, Ula represented the negative stereotyped image of <awaiian malesC la6y, 'chilled out,( and not having any real purpose or direction in life other than having children and enAoying the rela ed, <awaiian lifestyle. &hese findings therefore suggest that while multiracial actors occupied 'native( or monoracially racial)ethnic minority roles, they also were burdened with the same stereotypes that are commonly associated with monoracial actors and actresses in racial)ethnic minority roles. -i#ersity of Roles

2?

Although when representing racial)ethnic minorities, their portrayals were stereotyped, on a whole, the range of characters played by the actors and actresses in this sample si6e was 9uite diverse. &he range of characters in these eight films is shown belowC A# %# C# $# Hin $iesel K :avy Seal turned %abysitter - "obster)*awyer Fessica Alba K <ip,<op $ancer)Community Supporter - Scientist)Superhero Dob Schneider K <awaiian %um - Criminal Accomplice $evon Aoki K Street Dacer - $eadly +rostitute

&he above list therefore shows that these characters are 9uite diverse and that as multiracial individuals, these actors and actresses on a whole are not pigeon,holed into a specific role type. &he various characters portrayed also displayed variety in the actual character type played, ranging from heroes and leaders to anti,heroes and unintelligent minions. &he four characters regarded as having a maAor role in their respective films !$ieselBs 'Shane 5olfe( and 'Fackie $i:orscio( and AlbaBs '<oney $aniels( and Sue Storm# were portrayed as either a hero or an anti,hero. &he '<ero( characters !Shane 5olfe, <oney $aniels, and Sue Storm# shared most characteristics, and were characteri6ed as engaging in pro,social activity and having positive attributes. &he findings regarding the hero characters were that they only used violence when necessary)in self,defense, largely followed and)or maintained the law, were intelligent, were depicted as cool, prestigious, and as a leader, and often helped and cared for other individuals. ;or e ample, although all three characters were depicted as intelligent, this knowledge was based in a specific field. Sue Storm was depicted as knowledgeable in topics regarding science and scientific e periments, <oney $aniels was shown as an e pert in the arena of dance, and Shane 5olfe was depicted as knowledgeable regarding military tactics, procedures, and e9uipment. Although there was some variation

24

regarding what fields the characters were knowledgeable in and who deemed them prestigious and a leader, they largely shared similar, pro,social characteristics. &he lone anti,hero, Fackie $i:orscio in Find e Guilty, did have heroic

characteristics although they were applied in anti,heroic methods. ;urthermore, he engaged in more anti,social activities than the heroes, such as involvement with using and distributing illegal drugs and unnecessary violence, and lacked certain characteristics shared by the heroes, such as prestige and helping others. Although $i:orscio displayed similar 9ualities that defined the heroes as heroic, such as loyalty, sacrifice, and conviction, the intention and target in which these 9ualities were displayed were anti, heroic. ;or e ample, whereas the heroes displayed loyalty towards individuals with pro, social ideals and motives, $i:orscio displayed allegiance toward those with anti,social ideals. Gven after his cousin, a known drug user and dealer, attempted to kill him, $i:orscio refused to press charges or indicate that his cousin was involved in any illegal activities. Unlike the heroes who have a large amount of knowledge in a certain area, $i:orscio lacked any specific knowledge and was not depicted as particularly intelligent. &he analysis of these four characters indicated that the three characters depicted as heroic shared many 9ualities and positive, pro,social ideals and motives, while the anti,hero had heroic 9ualities but with 9uestionable motives, lacked some of the pro,social characteristics of the heroes, and engaged in far more anti,social activity. &he four characters regarded as having a minor role in their respective films !SchneiderBs 'Ula( - 'Steve( and AokiBs '"iho( - 'Suki(# did not fall under precise archetypes like the four main characters described above. Instead, the analysis of these characters suggested that the character types were more linked to the actor)actress than in

2@

the case of the main characters. ;or e ample, in both Dying to Get Rich and $% First Dates, Dob SchneiderBs characters were more strongly characteri6ed by their depiction as unintelligent and as a 'loser(, than any other 9ualities. %oth of SchneiderBs characters lacked real employment, lacked healthy and happy relationships with women, and had no real prestige or respect from other individuals. Ula in $% First Dates was Aoked as being 'the state idiot of <awaii( while Steve in Dying to Get Rich failed to kill a man despite a close range opportunity and was even described on the back movie cover as being one of the 'two losers who owe Lthe protagonistM a big favor.( 5hile SchneiderBs characters were largely depicted as unintelligent 'losers,( $evon AokiBs characters also mainly lacked any pro,social characteristics. %oth "iho and Suki were not portrayed as abiding the law, although the characters differed in the severity of their legal infractions. "iho brutally killed eight other characters with none of the murders out of direct self,defense and also worked as an illegal prostitute, while Suki engaged in illegal street races and gambled on street car and Fet Ski races and cards. Another commonality between all the minor characters was their general lack of social prestige. :one of these characters held traditional or steady employment positions !Steve was an unemployed car salesman, Ula was a beach bum, "iho was a prostitute, and Suki had no apparent Aob#, and thus were not admired by other individuals. &his analysis therefore suggested that while the main characters, specifically the heroes, were depicted as pro,social individuals, the minor characters lacked many pro,social 9ualities and are were not depicted as prestigious. &herefore, while there was a wide range of occupation)character types that these four actors and actresses portrayed, the characteristics and 9ualities of these characters were seemingly dependent on the role importance of the character !maAor vs. minor#.

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"ack of +.pression of Multiraciality Although all four actors and actresses in the sample set had a multiracial background, this multiracial identity was not e pressed on screen. Instead, as described earlier, the actors and actresses only played monoracial characters, thus eliminating the possibility for e pression of a multiracial heritage. <owever, although their multiraciality was not e pressed onscreen, this does not suggest that it was impossible to do so. ;or e ample, although Dob SchneiderBs character Ula was depicted as <awaiian in First $% Dates, the significant e tent to which he differed in appearance to his family could have allowed for his multiracial identity to be e pressed. UlaBs children had a significantly darker skin comple ion than Ula and had more stereotypically <awaiian features, such as almond shaped eyes and dark brown hair. %ecause Ula and his childrensB appearances largely differed, it would have been believable, and in fact would have seemed more accurate, if he was depicted not as <awaiian, but as a multiracial Asian or multiracial <awaiian character.

'/la0

1/la2s Children0

/0

&herefore, although the actors and actressesB multiracial identity was not e pressed through their on screen characters, it would have been possible to do so, and in some cases would have made their character more believable.

-iscussion and Conclusion

&he findings of this study indicate several important conclusions regarding the representation and portrayal of multiracial characters in film. %ecause of the dearth of research on this subAect, the data and findings of this study provide new information regarding the portrayal of multiracial characters in film, and act as a beginning in the research of multiracial people in the media as a whole. As a first step in the research of this topic, this study found that multiracial actors and actresses showed great racial adaptability in the roles they played, yet when they played a racial)ethnic minority character, it was often one that was burdened with common racial)ethnic stereotypes. ;urthermore, although the character types in this study were 9uite diverse, there was not a character whose multiracial heritage was e pressed. &he multiracial actors and actresses showed racial fluidity by portraying characters not sharing their true racial)ethnic identity. "iville - Constantine termed this phenomenon the 'chameleon( e perience, since multiracial individuals showed 'fle ibility in adaptation to various social settings( !/008#. &he multiracial actors and actresses in this sample set embraced their chameleon,like racial fluidity as they played both Caucasian and racial)ethnic minority characters. &he finding that Dob Schneider could play a monoracial Caucasian character in one movie and a distinctively <awaiian character in another movie showed the variety of racial characters that some multiracial actors and actresses effectively portray. &his finding suggests that while monoracial

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actors and actresses are often bound to race,specific roles, multiracial actors and actors in this sample have more racial freedom in the roles they can play and can effectively blend into different situations. ;or the actors and actresses who played racial)ethnic minority characters, they largely fulfilled roles laden with racial stereotypes. +revious research on minorities in the media has found that this was common in their depictions as most were portrayed in tokeni6ed or stereotyped roles !%owen - Schmid 23341 &aylor - Stern 2334#. Similarly, in this study, when the actors and actresses played racial or ethnic minority characters, they often received the stereotypes commonly associated with that respective racial or ethnic group. &his finding suggests that despite their multiracial identity, when multiracial actors and actresses portray racial)ethnic minority characters, they are not e empt from the same stereotypes that are commonly seen when monoracial actors)actresses play their respective characters. &he finding that these actors and actresses played diverse role types in regards to occupation)social position and characteristics suggest that these multiracial thespians are not pigeon,holed into racial specific roles. 5hile previous research has found that black characters were disproportionately portrayed as either athletes or musicians !%owen Schmid 2334#, this study has found these multiracial actors and actresses embody a wide variety of character types. Although certain actors, such as Dob Schneider, played similar characters in terms of 9ualities)characteristics, on a whole the actors and actresses were not racially cast into specific roles. &he variety in the character set, ranging from pro,social heroes to unintelligent, la6y accomplices suggests that, as a whole, these

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multiracial actors and actresses were not cast into specific character types, but rather enAoyed a large diversity in the characters they played. $espite the diverse roles and the ability to engage in 'chameleon changes,( there was never e pression or implications of a multiracial background in the characters studied. &he superficial reason for this finding is that these characters are instead cast into monoracial roles, but the underlying reason as to why they are not cast into multiracial roles is unclear. "ass media, such as television and film, are important ways that people, especially youth, learn about themselves and others !Cole - Halentine /000#, and without multiracial representation in film and other media, it hinders people with whom multiracial youth and greater multiracial population can identify. !mplications $espite the small sample si6e of this study there are several important implications of the findings. &he most problematic finding was that in these eight films there was no multiracial character despite there being multiracial actors and actresses. &he U.S. multiracial population is rapidly growing, with 2 in =0 people already identifying as multiracial !*ee - %ean /00=#, but these findings show that, at least in this sample set, this population is not being represented. At least ?.@ million people in the U.S. identify as multiracial !<arris - Sam /00/#, but with no multiracial characters in film, there is a lack of characters with whom this population can identify. &his is problematic, because since the media acts as a key sociali6ing and informant agent, with a dearth of multiracial characters in film, the multiracial population lacks a reference point and images from which they can learn about themselves.

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&he racial fluidity of the actors and actresses has both negative and positive aspects. On the one hand, the finding that these actors and actresses played diverse roles and character types showed that they are not only placed in race,specific roles, but instead may actually have more freedom in the roles they can play than monoracial actors. &he negative aspect of their portrayal was that when they occupied racial)ethnic minority characters they were often stereotyped. &his finding implies that racial and ethnic characters in film are still largely only fulfilling stereotyped or tokeni6ed roles. 5hen these characters occupied Caucasian roles, they were not racially stereotyped roles, therefore displaying that the problem of racially stereotyped characters still e ists, even with multiracial actors and actresses playing those roles. "imitations of the study Although study provided a foray into the untouched area of multiracial portrayal in film and provided several key findings, there were also some large limitations of the research. %ecause of time restraints, the study only covered eight films and only a total of eight characters played by four actors and actresses. &herefore, because of this small sample si6e, the findings cannot be generali6ed to all multiracial actors and actresses or they characters they play, but instead can only be applied to the characters depicted in these eight films. Although the goal of the study was to research how multiracial people are depicted in film, the small sample si6e limited the aim of the research to the portrayal of the eight characters in the sample. Also, the nature of content analysis often causes reliability to be a limitation. Gspecially in terms of racial perception, it is not necessarily true that other researchers using the same coding instruments would find the same racial cues and e pressions of race found in this study.

/=

Future Research &his study acted as one of the first, if not the first, study regarding the portrayal and representation of multiracial characters in film. <owever, in order to make broader generali6ations and improve results, future researchers could benefit from using a much larger sample of characters and films in their analysis. Including more multiracial actors and actresses and more films in a study could help provide a broader picture of the main depictions of multiracial characters in film. ;urthermore, with the multiracial population e pected to rise to 2 in 8 people identifying as multiracial in the U.S. by the year /080 !*ee - %ean /00=#, a long,term study chronicling the movie industryBs response to this fast growing population would likely show whether or not this population is reflected in the characters. Also, in this study, some of the actorsB)actressesB appearance were more stereotypically Caucasian while others appeared racially ambiguous or appeared to be a monoracial racial)ethnic minority. &herefore, further research could also benefit from analy6ing the link between the facial features and racial appearance of multiracial actors and actresses and the characters that they portray. %ecause there has been no known research on topics of multiracial individuals in film, there are various research areas that will re9uire attention as the multiracial population continues to grow in the U.S.

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