The Need for Diversity in Media

  I am a proud Salvadoran, and I want to see more Salvadorian people in movies and TV shows. Growing up, I watched a lot of movies and I always asked my parents, “Why aren’t there any Salvadorans in movies?” and their answer was always “I don’t know,” So, I just brushed it off. As a kid, I didn’t really care that much. But as I grew older, wiser, humble, and experienced. I started to think of it a little bit more, and maybe even answered my own question. 

   The reason why there aren’t many Salvadorans in movies or shows is because people didn’t see acting as a real job. A “real job” for us would be a doctor,lawyer, or an engineer because they were the ones that got the most money. This does not only go for Salvadorians, it goes for many other people of color Blacks, Latinx, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Asians and many others people of color. Don’t see jobs like acting or writing as real and stable jobs because we didn’t think it was a good enough means to put food on the table. At least we all used to think that way, because now it seems like we have abandoned that idea as more and more people of color become actors and directors.  

  With more people of color coming into the fray of media, things may have started to decrease. For example, I think people have become less racist than they were in the 60’s and 70’s, In Dr. Martin Luther King’s time. Art of this may have something to do with people of color being in the media. Diversity also allows viewers to relate to people on the screen not just because of their race, but also because of their personalities-which come from people’s experiences, their lives, and culture.  

   Cailah Edward, an 11th grader, says “I think it’s important to have diversity in the media today so a  person can see other people’s point of view and it’s not subjected to only one group of people like race, or ethnicity. Another reason I think it’s important to have diversity in media is so kids grow up learning to keep an open mindset to different people of different backgrounds and to even admire someone that looks different than them”

  Movies like Moana, Coco, Black Panther, Pocahontas, Mulan, and etc have inspired kids from all over the world no matter what their race is. They look up to them. Movies like this have also allowed kids to grow up knowing or familiarizing themselves with religion and culture from different people all over the world.