Analyzing the depictions of the multiracial child character in children's media【翻译】

Acknowledgements
I am so grateful to my thesis committee for helping me to get through this project in
one piece. First, I would like to thank Dr. Amanda Allen for stepping in as my thesis chair.
Her consistent enthusiasm for this project helped me to get it done. Dr. Allen was genuinely
attentive in reviewing my work and provided excellent and much-needed feedback
throughout the writing process. Thank you.
I would also like to thank Dr. Ramona Caponegro for stepping in as my second
reader. Despite everything on her plate, she always made herself available to answer
questions and provide feedback on my work. Dr. Caponegro’s skills and expertise were a
welcome addition in the continuous editing process. Thank you.
I would like to thank Dr. Ian Wojcik-Andrews for supporting the seed of an idea that
I first shared in his graduate Multicultural Children’s Film class. Thank you.
I also want to thank Dr. Annette Wannamaker for guiding me towards an actual
argument and pushing me to find my voice. Thank you.
I am incredibly fortunate to have had Matt by my side through this entire process. He
unknowingly signed up to help me manage what became a rollercoaster of personal and
emotional episodes that came from taking on this project. I would not have been able to
complete this project without his constant support, love, and ability to keep me laughing.
Thank you.
iii
Abstract
The 2000 U.S. Census is the first in which a person could mark more than one racial
identification box. Acknowledging this identity marks progress by recognizing an
underserved population, but the media lags behind in the representation of Multiracial people
in texts. My analysis of contemporary media examples (1) has the capacity to initiate
conversations about the bigger social implication of race and diversity in the media; (2) sheds
light on the rarity of Multiracial characters and the ways in which Multiracial characters are
depicted; (3) suggests that greater access to Multiracial characters is granted to older
audiences; (4) recognizes that hegemonic media studios control what media gets produced.
This work is essential in continuing to give a voice to underserved characters since little can
be done to induce change and increase production of texts that showcase Multiracial
characters if few even question or acknowledge that such a lack exists.
iv
Definition of Terms
While I provide operational definitions for terms in the context of how they will be
used in this thesis, the very nature of words means that their individual definitions are
socially constructed, situational, and always evolving. Before going into my analysis, I
immediately recognize the challenge in selecting terms that I think most accurately define my
work, and note that others may be more familiar with different definitions for these terms. I
have selected the following words based on their common usage in scholarship, my
familiarity with these words, and my interactions in the world. Even though these words are
helpful in clarifying my scholarship, they are also a hindrance, positioning both the reader
and the writer in a specific time, forcing them to focus through a specific “filtered” lens. All
of the terms I have selected relate to racial/ethnic classifications in the vast spectrum of
societal labeling. In constituting the words often used to describe differences and similarities
among racial/ethnic groups, I run the risk of inadvertently pitting one against the other, but I
do hope to avoid making generalizations about particular racial/ethnic groups. This
undertaking positions me, as a writer, with the near-impossible task of presenting one
definition for words that are socially constructed, and as such are always changing, and are
limiting in that at any moment they can shift into another definition. Additionally, society
places judgment values on words, labeling them good, bad, politically correct, empowering,
pejorative, demeaning, and so on; however, even these labels demonstrate the limitations of
words and how people react to them. Consider the evolution of the terms used to refer to
people of multiple heritages/multiple races: colored, mutt, mud people, half-breed, biracial,
multiracial, and mixed. The judgment placed on words extends to when referring to people
of multiple heritages and carry a range of assigned values.
v
Biracial Refers to an individual whose biological parents are of two
different racial/ethnic groups.
Color (Black, White) Skin color has been one of the most significant identifiers in
discussions about race in the United States. I do use the terms
Black and White throughout my work, when referring to
Americans of either Black African or White European ancestry
instead of African American/European American. I do not use
the terms “Yellow” or “Red” which are frequently viewed as
pejorative when referring to those of Asian or Native American
ancestry.
Ethnicity A category of people who identify with each other based on
common ancestral, social, or cultural experiences.
Immigrant A person who enters a foreign country and resides there
permanently. As I explain later in this thesis, the character of
Vijay Patel is Indian-American. I use the hyphen to indicate
that he is an American immigrant, as opposed to his Multiracial
son, Sanjay Patel, who was born in the United States.
Interracial friendship A friendship that exists between multiple individuals, each of
who are of different racial/ethnic identities. In Hey Arnold!, the
vi
White protagonist Arnold is best friends with a Black character
named Gerald. The friendship between these two characters is
evidence of a multiracial cast, but not of a Multiracial
character.
Interracial relationship An affectionate/physical/sexual relationship between people,
each of who are of a different racial/ethnic identity. In Sanjay
and Craig, the Indian-American Vijay Patel is married to the
White American Darlene Patel.
Miscegenation The sexual relationship between people of different
racial/ethnic backgrounds. In the United States antimiscegenation
laws were imposed with the fallacious belief of
racial/ethnic supremacy, claiming that racial/ethnic mixing
could lead to physical and developmental abnormalities.
Multicultural Refers to several cultural or ethnic groups interacting.
Multicultural can refer to a group of diverse people interacting
with one another, or refer to an individual person of multiple
cultures. In Hey Arnold!, the Multiracial character of Phoebe
Heyerdahl is multicultural because although she is an
American, her family acknowledges and celebrate their
Japanese heritage.
vii
Multiracial/ Mixed race Refers to a specific individual who has biological parents of
different racial/ethnic backgrounds. This term is currently one
of the most popular and is often interchanged with Mixed race.
multiracial Refers to a group of individuals of varying racial/ethnic
backgrounds interacting with one another. Sanjay and Craig is
one example of a multiracial show because Sanjay
(Multiracial), Megan (White), and Hector (White) are all
friends.
Nationality Refers to a person who belongs to a particular nation.
Nationality and racial/ethnic difference are sometimes
interchanged unintentionally. Although the character of Kyo
Heyerdahl in Hey Arnold! is of Asian descent, the audience is
meant to view Kyo as American.
Race Remains the most difficult of these terms to attempt to define.
A word that has changed drastically since the science
community initially used race to classify various organisms,
plants, and animals. Instead of a people with shared interests,
habits, or characteristics, race has come to be referred to as a
measure of nationality, ethnicity, skin color, and difference.
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements................................................................................................................ii
Abstract..................................................................................................................................iii
Definition of Terms................................................................................................................iv
Personal Background and Interest..........................................................................................1
Introduction............................................................................................................................3
Chapter 1 – Race is All Around Us! History, Media, and Protecting the Children..............18
Chapter 2 – Challenging Traditions:
New Modern Families and Marketing to the Masses.....................................................30
Chapter 3 – The Multiracial Child in Animated Cartoons....................................................46
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................63
Works Cited ..........................................................................................................................67

原文地址：

http://www.hongfu951.info/file/resource-detail.do?id=e7585cc2-5e0a-43d4-86e4-f7e38a5ba89b