The Caste of Avatar, the black man’s opinion
I know I am late to the blogging party when it comes to this but the more I come across the topic the more I find myself vexed to the point of stating my opinion. I am not a person of Asian descent however I feel the weight of this issue like any in their Diaspora mainly because as a minority I can fully relate to being place on the metaphorical sideline while someone else is on the court “representing” you. As an African-American I know firsthand how society beat minority actors and actresses into stereotypical niches. I admit The Last Airbender isn’t too far removed from the “Asian Martial Arts/Magic” stereotype but at least the managed to do so with a healthy blend of Americanization, which could have been monumental for Asian-American actors who often got to play up the foreign factor or face obscurity in the mainstream media. This movie could have been the showcase for young Asian American talent and a chance for more veteran actors/tress to step into what should have been well developed characters that are awesome and happen to be Asian. I was shocked and angered by the white washing of this movie and M Night
The Black Opinion 