The Fault in Our Stars

The right representation of a culture is as important as practicing it. Most indigenous cultures face the dilemma of not being perceived and portrayed correctly, leading to increasing stereotyping. This problem is especially prevalent for the indigenous cultures of the Global South. As globalization’s bitter fruit suggests, the world expects everyone to uniformly adopt the West’s way of life. Deviations from this standard are often portrayed and misrepresented as inferior, less respectable, less humane, and more exotic. The First World and the Global North set the rules, causing the Third World’s people to face misrepresentation.

West’s Entertainment Media & Cultural Misrepresentation

Nowhere is this misrepresentation of indigenous cultures and values more evident than in Hollywood. Latin Americans, South Asians, and Africans all face fallacious representation in Hollywood movies and TV shows. This misrepresentation has multiplied identity crises for immigrants in the US and Europe. The focus on accents, appearance, and supposed socially awkward characteristics defines this portrayal. These representations are costing South Asians the true essence of their culture. Consequently, many South Asians aspire to practice Western culture and feel uncomfortable practicing their own.

The rules are set by the First World, the Global North, and the misrepresented are the people of the Third World.

The native culture of an individual is her/his primary identity in a diverse and multicultural world. According to Barry Buzan’s Theory of Securitization, it is important to securitize your identity in the international world in order to survive. One way to securitize identity is to preserve the culture and ensure its accurate representation. However, most third-world cultures are deprived of this.

The stereotypical generalization of cultures is a big dilemma in the era of globalization. With the increasing usage of words like diversity, heterogeneity, and inclusiveness, the real meaning and utility of these concepts have faded away. Stereotypes often depict Latinos or South Asians as individuals with thick accents, lacking intellect, and, in the case of Pakistanis, as having religious fanatic tendencies. People with dark skin are frequently shown as sportspeople, such as footballers, or rap singers.

The stereotypical generalization of cultures is a big dilemma in the era of globalization.

Misrepresentation in Some Famous Shows & Movies

Many examples in the history of cinema prove this point. The sitcom “Citizen Khan” portrays Mr. Khan as a low-IQ Pakistani immigrant living in the US with three kids. While Mr. Khan’s daughter tells him about her best friend becoming her bridesmaid, he replies: “Shazia, we Pakistani don’t have bridesmaids. In our culture, your bride becomes your maid.” Just as people generalize Pakistanis’ core beliefs and values, they also misquote the historical essence of India.

In the movie “Eat, Pray and Love”, Julia Robert visits India embarking on her spiritual journey, and attends yoga classes over there. India presents itself as a country with a history of yoga and peaceful spiritual inclination. However, this portrayal does not fully reflect the reality. Yoga became prominent in India only about fifty years ago, and prior to this, only a few of its founding leaders practiced yoga.

“Shazia, we Pakistani don’t have bridesmaids. In our culture your bride becomes your maid.”

In Seinfeld’s 1997 “The Backward Episode,” India appears as one of the most unhygienic and wildlife-infested countries. Similarly, in “The Simpsons” episode “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore,” Mr. Burns sends Homer to India for employee training, presenting it as an exciting opportunity. This depiction mirrors the White savior mindset. The episode shows India as a hub of hard-working employees who look forward to Homer for their needs and direction. They provide their cheap labor to him and to compensate for it, Homer teaches them how to stand for their rights by forming a union. It is analogous to what colonizers did two hundred years back in this region by imparting and imposing culture on the indigenous people.

Conclusion

With many more examples of misrepresentation of South Asian cultures and the unsafe space along with identity crises that it creates for the indigenous people of the culture, it would not be wrong to draw misrepresentation, globalization, neo-imperialism, and neo-colonialism as contributors to the phenomenon of culture stereotyping. The responsibility also partially lies with indigenous people as well.

It is puzzling and demands attention that most South Asians know more about Western literature than their own. A Pakistani will know more about Shakespeare, John Keats, and Sylvia Plath than Waris Shah, Ghani Khan, Amrita Pretam, Hamza Baba, Rehman Baba, Mirza Asad Ullah Khan Ghalib, and Bulleh Shah. Indigenous people of South Asia can make the East meet the West, on the East’s own terms by practicing their languages, learning their literature, and taking pride in their cultural values. Draping a dupatta around should be as normal as wearing it on shoulders. A Balochi shalwar should be as normal as any jeans pants, because as Mother Teresa said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of the South Asia Times.