Analyse the ways in which the media represent British Asians
By Elliot Hogan-Keogh
I have chosen to look at how British Asians are represented
as a collective identity on TV, film, radio, the internet and the press, as
well as how British Asians represents themselves.
One thing I have looked at is whether there is such a thing
as British Asian collective identity. The term ‘British Asian’ is a word that
implies unity amongst a range of ethnicities, not just one, with a wide range
of different cultural and religious practices taking place in one country. The
fact that the term itself isn’t focusing on one ethnicity, can mean that it
accounts for the many generations of immigrants that have come over to Britain
to start a new life – this forms the implication that there simply isn’t just
one identity associating with the term British Asian as this applies to many
different races that are in Britain, such as Indians, Pakistani’s and
Bangladeshi’s. These are a few examples of the different ethnicities I have
been looking at recently, with many of these ethnicities coming out in TV and
film’s that I have studied, such as the Indian
Doctor and Citizen Khan. The fact
that there isn’t one single identity associating with the collective term of
British Asian, allows us to see in these TV and films I have looked, the
differences between the different cultural practices, even though they all come
under the ‘British Asian’ term.
Another thing I have looked at recently is the question of
whether representation in media texts alters how we see the real world around
us. This is an interesting matter to focus upon because the British Asian
productions we watch ourselves can immediately paint a picture of what these
ethnicities are really like – whether that’s good or bad. All representations
are arbitrated meaning, the media offer the viewers, whether it’s the Indian Doctor or Citizen Khan, a mediated picture of what we see and feel about
these British Asians living in our country, with TV shows like the Indian Doctor, implying that having an Indian Doctor come to the Welsh Valleys
to be the local GP, is almost an ‘alien’ thing. In a small place such as the
Welsh Valleys this would be seen as different, especially considering the time
period with the Indian Doctor being
set in the 1960’s when immigration to Wales wasn’t a massively popular move.
However, an influx of Asians were immigrating to our country to support the
NHS. However, if you were to compare this mediated view of the 60’s to a modern
day British Asian production such as Citizen
Khan, there is an obvious difference in cultural practices and the ways in
which these immigrants live. Citizen Khan
is seen to be a very typical Pakistani man, who claims his dominance over
females, and tells all the males in a shopping mall, to tell their wives who to
vote for in the general election, whilst hacking back his spit. This is a very
stereotypical view, and that is why Citizen
Khan created such a stir from other Pakistani origins living in our
country, as well as globally. This shows how the media over time create a
mediated view of the different British Asians, and that there is not one simple
‘collective’ identity to explain all of the British Asians living in Britain
from any specific time period.
Recently, I have also been looking at texts that explore
racism and stereotyping, just like Citizen Khan and the Indian Doctor that I
mentioned above. The Millionaress is
a great example of stereotyping and makes fun of the fact that a beautiful
woman played by Sophia Loren could find an Indian man who is playing a doctor,
played by Peter Sellers (blacked up) so attractive and irresistible, even
though she is a Millionaress and could have practically any man she wanted.
This shows how time has changed associating with stereotypes as nowadays, there
are many non-Indian and Indian couples, and this is shown throughout TV and
film.
The Indian Doctor played by Sanjeev Bhaskar, is set in the
same time period of the early 1960’s but gives a sympathetic view towards the
Indian Doctor who is travelling to a small village in the Welsh Valleys, who is
seen as practically ‘alien’ towards these people, giving an extremely hostile
feel and environment for the Indian Doctor to be in. Even the fact the TV show
is called the ‘Indian’ Doctor is a stereotype and shows racism in a certain way
as it is singling out that the doctor is ‘Indian’.
Dr Sharma is on the train with his wife, travelling through
idyllic scenes that he continues to admire, whilst the song in the background
is ‘Halfway to Paradise’ which portrays images of Eden, and heaven – however,
this image is soon faded and his hopes dashed when he arrives to the village to
see the community being prepared for his arrival by being shown The Millionairess. This isn’t recognised
as being inappropriate by the villagers due to the specific time period it is
set in, the 60’s, however as an audience, we can see how inappropriate this is
and it is almost cringe worthy, watching Dr Sharma enter the screening of the The Millionairess, and realising why
they are watching it, and it’s to prepare for his arrival, in which he is a
week early. Richard Dyer (1979) said ‘Stereotypes are about power. Those with
power stereotype those with less power.’ ‘The ideological work of stereotyping
involves closing down the range of possible meanings, making fast, firm, and
separate what is in reality fluid.’
A more modern day set film, is My Beautiful Laundrette 1985 marks a turning point in British
cinema with its representation of intricate but sometimes funny relationships
between the Asian and White communities. The success of the film proved that
issues associating with British Asian identity were of hot topic, and that many
people, White English or British Asian, were very much interested in these
issues, as the plot delves deep into sensitive issues associating with the
British Asian communities and their religious beliefs, associating with
homosexuality, racism and Britain’s economic policies during the 1980’s. It was
very controversial in the fact that it caused massive issue with the Asian
race, due to its degrading representation of Pakistanis.
I have also been looking at trends associating with British
Asians. Along with film and TV representations of British Asians, we now have
Web 2.0 which is interactivity and allows the British Asian people to create
their own vision and representation of this ethnicity and post it online. For
Michael Wesch he said that, ‘this is the future and I can see that this will
continue’ and he sees the ‘consumers as producers’. He expresses how looking at
the popularity of things such as ‘Dairy
of a Badman’ which has nearly 4 million views in which a British Asian
Muslim presents a comic video diary, can reinforce how this sort of thing will
be the future as Michael Wesch stressed.
To what extent is human identity increasingly mediated?
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Media is
becoming an increasingly powerful means through which our understanding of
human identity is developed and mediated over time. This is becoming dangerous
because we can come to accept representations as true as second hand, not first
hand. These representations, if they were not true beforehand, become
self-fulfilling and real because the media makes them appear as real. I am
going to explore British Asian representation as a powerful example of how
human identity is mediated, focusing on Yasmin and the effects of 9/11”.
Representations of British-Asians in mainstream media have helped to construct
negative stereotypes – terrorists, status obsessed, religiously fanatic etc. The
film ‘Yasmin’ does demonstrate
cultural authenticity, but to fit in Asians often, have to position themselves
away from their culture – like Yasmin in the film – where she is seen changing
into normal clothing instead of her headdress as she goes to work with non-
religious people. This is to avoid any
conflict from the workplace as she wants to fit in, and indeed likes one of her
male workers and wants to make an impression on him. However, on returning
home, she gets dressed into her headdress and religious clothing to return to
her family who are extremely religious. When the event of 9/11” occurs and
Muslim terrorist organisation ‘Al Qaeda’ crashed planes into the twin towers,
we see how human identity is increasingly mediated as all Muslims are stereotyped,
and we see this in Yasmin, when
Yasmin receives notes on her locker saying ‘Yas loves Osama’. We also see
another Muslim woman circled by children on bikes after the event as they chant
‘Get back to your own country’ before she is forced to the ground.
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