#OscarsSoWhite: Hollywood Must Stop The #StrangeWhitewashing of People of Color

Last year, the Tibetan Feminist Collective (TFC) wrote about the racist casting of the upcoming Marvel film ‘Doctor Strange’ featuring Tilda Swinton in the role of a Tibetan character called ‘The Ancient One’.

As if it’s not bad enough that the film is based upon lazy, orientalist imaginings of Tibet, the primary role of a Tibetan character in the film has been given to a non-Tibetan actor. The movie is significantly lacking in diversity overall (as is the case with most Hollywood films), and this certainly won’t allay concerns that the film intentionally engaged in erasure of Tibetans to avoid angering China, where the film will likely be distributed.

There are, indeed, some incredible shows out there that are embracing more diverse casts and narratives. New sitcoms like Fresh Off the Boat and Master of None are finally breaking barriers for actors of color in Hollywood. But the whitewashing of characters based on people of color, like Emma Stone’s casting as an Asian American in ‘Aloha‘ amid a diverse backdrop where people of color act as mere props, reveals how much more still remains to be done to promote more diversity and representation in cinema.

The recent backlash from #OscarsSoWhite, a hashtag created in response to virtually no actors of color being nominated for this year’s Academy Awards, is the result of decades of deeply institutionalized racism in Hollywood culminating in a national political environment where racial tensions are at an all-time high.

Now is the time for Hollywood to decide whether to continue to uphold this long-held tradition of white supremacy, or finally take action and start making real, meaningful changes to include greater representation of people of color in film.

Sign the petition to stop the #StrangeWhitewashing in ‘Doctor Strange’ here.