Media Representation of Racial Groups

 It is important to have positive representation of racial groups because youth need to have someone to model themselves after as they group up and have to grapple with their race. Another reason to have positive representation in the media is so other groups can develop positive ideologies around other races that they are not apart of and not assimilate bad characteristics to a specific race of people. Without positive representation of races in the media many people will only have anecdotal experiences to establish their opinion about other races, and the youth of that said race will start to believe that the world only sees them for the untrue characteristics that come with their skin color. When it comes specifically to having my skin color presented positively in the media there is little for me to go off of. Mexicans are usually in the news when it comes to border control or gang violence and just sets a negative stereotype for the group as a whole. Of the few positive portrayals the media has to offer they are mostly about an individual who became a first generation college student who found success after college. However, this feels somewhat backhanded to me because for many others going to college is just expected and to feel like someone simply going to college and finding success as news worthy seems very demeaning. These stereotypical representations in the media lead other to start developing untrue opinions about Mexicans such as most Mexicans being uneducated, non English speaking, or even that they are taking jobs. The website for Migration Policy Institution even states that " In recent years, the number of Mexicans leaving the United States has outpaced the number of new arrivals" (Israel, 2020). This is usually quite the opposite as most Mexican people adopt American culture easy enough and act the same as their white neighbors. This untrue media attention leads others to treat Mexican people differently, almost like children in some cases, which can eventually lead Mexican people to develop their own false opinions about how people don't know how to act without seeming superior when in the presence of other cultures. Going even deeper, some Mexicans may develop false views about themselves. An example being that, "Racial and ethnic stereotypes as well as lower academic expectations are significant hurdles for Latinos aspiring for higher education"(Lincoln, 2014).



          Israel, E. (2021, April 7). Mexican immigrants in the United States. migrationpolicy.org. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/mexican-immigrants-united-states-2019


         Lincoln, N. (2019, January 22). Challenges and strategies for assisting Latino students with college access and completion. Independent Education Consultants Association. Retrieved February 7, 2022, from https://www.iecaonline.com/quick-links/ieca-news-center/resource-library/college-focused-publications/challenges-and-strategies-for-assisting-latino-students-with-college-access-and-completion/


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