Hollywood's Now In Brown

Progress is slowly but surely being made toward increasing accurate on-screen representation of historically excluded populations. Among them is the South Asian community. Netflix television show characters like Bridgerton’s Kathani and Edwina Sharma, Never Have I Ever’s Devi Vishwakumar, and the full ensemble of Indian Matchmaking provide affirmation for audience members who share the same skin tones. Mainstream media coverage of the South Asian community is scarce, and up until recently, it was dominated by the typical Indian male archetype with monolithic identities. I grew up watching Phineas and Ferb’s Baljeet and The Big Bang Theory’s Raj Koothrappali who not only fall into tokenism, but both share thick accents and are admired for their insanely high IQs. This feeds into the harmful and constricting stereotypes portraying the South Asian character as dorky, uncool and without depth. As a young brown girl trying to find my own place in the world, I could never look to the media to feel supported.  

That is why, now at twenty years old, I was thrilled to see Kate Sharma play a leading dark-skinned protagonist in season two of Bridgerton. The actress, Ashley Simone, is an inspiration for brown women all over the world to feel represented, seen, and accepted regardless of how light or dark they are. As opposed to showcasing features that are generally ridiculed, the Sharmas were written to be beautiful and celebrated. Instead of simply playing the love interest of the leading white male protagonist, the sisters were celebrated for their culture (did you catch Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham cover?), traditions, and determination to live freely and independently.  

The calibre of representation in mass media has a significant influence on how those in marginalized groups see themselves are seen by society. It helps affirm one’s identity and experiences when the portrayals reflect and acknowledge the richness of people’s identities, rather than perpetuate stereotypes. Moreover, by providing a glimpse into the lives and experiences of people they may be unfamiliar with, these portrayals offer a possibility to forge connections between viewers and members of various identity groups. 

Despite the significant progress that should continue to be applauded and encouraged, there is still much potential for growth. “South Asian” or “brown” is more than just terms used to describe people of inherently similar cultures and a connected history. As South Asia covers Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, it is crucial not to paint over the vast array of peoples, traditions, languages, etc., who make up its diaspora. Thus, by recognizing and acknowledging this, we can celebrate and begin representing these differences along with their intersecting identities (e.g., culture, religion, disability, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) to promote diversity and inclusion in the media industry.  

Written by: Nyah Shah 

Edited by Jaime White