What is made in Hollywood may seem like a trivial thing. But what comes at us in the form of movies, television, and books is us-telling-us (all Americans) who we are and what we're like and how we like to see ourselves.
When only white people are in control of making the movies, then the view of us is distorted into stereotypes
And stereotypes made more real, more lifelike by Hollywood can kill.
Rodney King was probably stomped by straight hate. But the police officers that attempted to murder him were likely set free by white people who do not consider themselves card carrying racists, but hold many anti-black stereotypes that they see as 'the truth.'
The man who killed Philando Castile was scared out of his mind. You can hear it on Castile's death video. And that officer was likely scared out of his mind by images he already had in his head. It doesn't sound like anything happened that should have scared this cop into shooting Philando.
The officer that murdered Philando, reportedly Asian, may have family that's been here since the railroad tracks were laid by the Chinese. But a few Asians, who have come to America more recently, told me that they were frightened of black people when they first arrived because they had seen on American television, while still in their home countries, that all blacks are violent and criminals. Some new immigrants are actually surprised to meet black people that have families, go to college, and have jobs.
I've also heard stories that White Americans processing immigrants into the country will make racist statements like "stay away from black people because they are..."
Therefore, it should have been expected that blacks and Asians (Koreans to be specific) would have problems getting along long before the Rodney King verdict came out. And they were having problems before the verdict and the uprising -- and that was before Asian shop owner shot Latasha Harlins over a bottle of orange juice.
I can't remember what wars were going on, but the Asian population in the U.S. doubled between 1980 to 2000 (2% to 4%) That might mean that a lot of poor Asians refugees with a lot of anti-black stereotypes in their pre-filled heads were still moving into the Los Angeles area during the Rodney King debacle -- all thanks to White American Television and White American Movies.
Our black and brown images being made negative matter yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The whitening of all good American Images matters yesterday, today, and tomorrow as well.
to be continued...
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