The Awkward Indian Male Stereotype

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Nobody is born ignorant nor racist. Racism is passed down through older people by teaching the younger generation stereotypical claims. The same goes for Film/TV; by portraying false assumptions about a specific race or gender. An example stereotype that is portrayed in many films and television, is the “Awkward Indian”. A famous stereotypical role is, Apu, from The Simpsons. Apu is an Indian convenience store owner played by a white male actor, Hank Azaria. Azaria portrays this character with a heavy, thick Indian accent. Throughout the series, creators fail to mention that Apu is Hindu. This can lead to major religious controversy which can then depict Hinduphobia. Although there is some unfortunate truth to this, the main problem with this role is that it’s a modern day stereotype for brown face. Even though it’s only a cartoon, it continues to be offensive and racist. 

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