Lots.
Off the top of my head, the only book I read last year with a main character that was NOT white was Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith.
Umm, the book was aight. I thought she reached a little far--it had lots of POVs and the weird names were for the sake of ONE scene--but I was impressed that a lot of the characters weren't white.
But then I saw Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
last night. And, again, I was impressed at the ethnic diversity represented. Then, screeching halt. My sister informs that in the book Grover is white--not black like the movie depicts--and it saddened me.
last night. And, again, I was impressed at the ethnic diversity represented. Then, screeching halt. My sister informs that in the book Grover is white--not black like the movie depicts--and it saddened me.
Check out the fan art for The Lightning Thief, the book. I have yet to read it, and I will after I finish Fire, but these kids look white to me.
Every one of them....
Harry Potter did well. The main trio was white but I remember some ethnic representations (mostly expressed by their name) without much thought:
Padma and Parvati PatilCho Chang
Dean Thomas
Lavender Brown
I know Lavender ended up white in the Half-Blood movie, but I imagined her as black the book and she WAS portrayed as such in the films (by Jennifer Smith) until Goblet of Fire.
And, you know, my main character is a white male. In fact, he looks a lot like Sterling Knight when he was all cute and pathetic in 17 Again. (In my mind, of course.)
Yep, his best friend is white too. The love interest as well. The twins are Italian! Does that count? Probably not, as I'm considering French to be white as well. Ughhh. Do you know, I can only think of only TWO black characters in the entire manuscript? One of them is also gay. In my head. There is no MENTION of said "black gay guy" being black or gay. It's not relevant to the plot. It may never come up. There is a Korean girl--just one.
And see--although I am guilty of the same, I think it's a shame. I think having a genre for "ethnic novels" is pitiful. It shouldn't be done with the INTENT to reach the Black/Asian/Native American/African/Indian/Inuit/Hispanic/Alien market. It should just be done.
White people aren't the only ones with stories to tell.
I agree, but writers need to be wary of the dreaded sidekick of color who comes across as a stereotype. There has been some backlash against writers for this. I think JK Rowling did a fine job of developing characters who feel natural and unstereotyped.
ReplyDeleteMost of my stories have white protagonists. But I do have a major character in one novel who has dark skin, dark hair, dark eyes but no definable ethnicity because it's a fantasy world. In another book my main character has a Polynesian look but, once again, it isn't precisely defined.
I'm glad you brought this topic up. It's important and deserves discussion.
Seriously good post!
ReplyDeleteThis topic is very close to my own heart. 'White people aren't the only ones with stories to tell'. Well said.
I've endeavored to sprinkle a wide spectrum of ethnic groups through my novel. I think it's especially important for children, black and white, to see themselves in print.
Oh, this is brilliant, Angie! Definitely a point to make. I think the thing I struggle with regarding non-white characters is that I'm afraid I won't be able to do it genuinely. I could probably pull off a Hispanic main character, given my background, and I've definitely aimed for diversity in my stories. But a non-white protagonist is more of a challenge because you have to delve so deeply into his/her mind and world. I like Tricia's take on it, though--characters with no definable ethnicity. In a fantasy world, that's probably more possible, although I can see doing it in a regular setting, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'm like Carolina, I'd be scared that I wouldn't be true to the ethnicity. Sounds like a cop out though. I might consider an Asian just becasue I have 3 Asian children. You've given me something to think about.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar opinion when it comes to gay characters. They aren't found too common and even with regular tv shows that hint at it for laughs, they aren't willing to take that step and make it happen. It is still seen as an oddity instead of a norm.
ReplyDeleteFor most of my books I don't give too many details on the color of skin. Some of the names hint but names don't always show much and can be used on many different people. I like the idea of the reader deciding the characters ethnicity on their own, while they read. Not sure what will happen if any get made into movies but that's the type of thing I won't really worry about until it happens.
Such an important an relevant topic, Angie! You said it beautifully and with obvious sincerity. More of us need to say it and keep saying it. :-)
ReplyDeleteI so, so agree with you, Angie. My friends and I were having a funny conversation at work about what it would be like if our lives were a horror movie. And one of them joked that I would be one of the first to get bumped off by the zombies because I'm Asian, and because the last survivors and the protagonist are always white. LOL so this reminded me of that.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have an Asian protagonist in my novels (and I do in the WIP I just finished) and NOT have the book be about race. Just a normal story with a narrator that happened to be non-white. I'm working at it!
Thank you for this thought provoking post!
Hey Angie! I just found your blog and I am so glad I did. I think you make a very valid point here. I always think writers tend to write about the kind of people they identify with the most - and that tends to be the kind of person that they are. Obviously I agree that people should be represented in literature regardless of race, and for the most part I think they are. But I am also wary of including racial diversity in my writing just for the sake of including it. Sort of like literary affirmative action. I don't ever think about race when I'm reading, so I don't do it when I write, either. If I went out of my way to include a character simply for their ethnicity, I'm afraid it would feel forced and unnatural.
ReplyDeleteAnne,
ReplyDeleteI dont understand your statement, "I am also wary of including racial diversity just for the sake of including it." When you write white characters, don't you just include them for the sake of including them? And we all think about race when were reading whether were conscious of it or not. Because white has become so normalized, we treat it as invisible. When you write characters that are only white, you have made a race decision. When we read, we often assume the characters are white, which is why we assume we are not thinking about race when we actually are. The real issue is laziness. No one wants to write abotu characters of color because no one wants to take the time to genuinely learn about people who arent white. If you make a character black, or latino, or Asian, you shouldnt have to give any extra thought to it. You just do it. Were people too you know.