How POC Narratives are Being Diluted to Meet the White Gaze

Not long ago, a tweet caught my eye on Twitter. It ridiculed the exaggerated portrayal often found in Latino literature, where phrases like “Mama” or “Leche” are carelessly tossed around. This sparked a profound contemplation on how we articulate narratives of people of color.

Let me preface this by acknowledging that I don’t come from Latino or Hispanic heritage. Yet, my engagement with a handful of Latino literature pieces has highlighted a trend worth delving into.

This trend of commodifying “culture” within works of art infiltrates both the entertainment and art worlds. It’s as if these creators are compelled to tailor their stories to satisfy the white gaze.

“The white gaze is the assumption that the default reader or observer is coming from a perspective of someone who identifies as white, or that people of color sometimes feel the need to take into account the white reader or observer’s reaction,”

as explained by Wikipedia and Toni Morrison.

This compels us to question: for whom are these narratives truly being crafted, or should I dare say, “tailored”? Existing barriers in these industries are already formidable for individuals of color and black artists. Unfortunately, it’s often the easily digestible “immigrant story” or the narrative of assimilation, burdened by perplexing stereotypes, that finds the limelight.

In the gradual evolution of Hollywood, strides are being taken toward inclusivity. Yet, it seems that the focus often skews more towards fulfilling a diversity quota than truly delving into narratives that resonate with black and people of color.

A prime example is Netflix’s original series, “Never Have I Ever.” This show follows the journey of an Indian teenager grappling with the complexities of dual cultures while navigating high school life. Nonetheless, like many narratives depicting people of color, it falls short of delivering an authentically relatable experience. The predicament lies in how characters like Devi, the lead, are molded to embody stereotypes as vessels for cultural messages. In this instance, Devi embodies the overachieving, nerdy, and overly righteous brown girl trope. Even her name, “Devi,” has been streamlined for easy consumption, an easy to pronounce “stereotypical” Indian name.

This isn’t to say that such character types don’t exist. However, it’s parallel to labeling every white girl character as a blonde cheerleader. These formulaic narratives are monotonous and fail to ignite meaningful dialogues within the communities they seek to portray. One might even question whether they accurately portray these communities at all.

The time has come for the media and art industries to move beyond debating whether authentic stories centered around people of color and black characters can resonate with white audiences. Throughout history, marginalized communities have effortlessly connected with narratives featuring white protagonists. In fact, the LGBTQ+ community has had to consume a plethora of hetero-normative love stories and has never failed to empathize with the characters.

The narratives of people of color and black individuals possess the remarkable potential to engage white audiences in empathizing with the genuine struggles and systemic challenges these marginalized communities endure. Simultaneously, these stories mirror universal human struggles. It’s through unfiltered narratives that art truly fulfills its purpose of encapsulating the essence of “representation.”