The creation of the Academy Awards started as a small ceremony with about 36 prominent invitees of the film industry to a dinner on January 11, 1927. The idea developed from the mind of MGM’s studio chief, Louis B. Mayer and several dinner guests in early 1927 to decide on how to create an organization that would promote the film industry. The organization's first name was the International Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences; the “International” was later dropped. With much success, around mid-March, the articles of incorporation were presented and the first officers were elected, with Douglas Fairbank as president. On May 11, 1927, the official banquet for the Academy was held and Thomas Edison was awarded as the first honorary membership. “Five branches were established: producers, actors, directors, writes and technicians.” Although the Academy Awards is widely televised today, the first awards celebration was not. The first award ceremony took place at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on May 16, 1929. In 1953, the first televised program reached millions of Americans and Canadians.
Due to the creation of the Academy, the film industry in Hollywood quickly gained notoriety and respect for being the birthplace of movies. However, as the Academy developed through the years how did it affect the representation of other races looking to break into the industry?
Bollywood, nicknamed for the Hindi- language film industry in Mumbai, is the worlds largest. The Indian Film Industry has always been diverse, with modest revenues and low profit; the industries impact is more cultural than economic. In the last 20 years the Indian entertainment industry has began to seek a broader audience, globalizing, in terms of their “market”. Though the presence of Indians in the Academy has yet to reach any major categories, Indian films are still continuing to grow and gain recognition in Hollywood.
incorporating minorities in the films to provide a better standing in the industry.
When dealing with minorities in film or in the media as a whole, stereotypes play a major role. Looking at Asians in film or in this case the Academy Awards it is evident that they are truly not a prominent factor or a dominant shareholder of taking the Oscar. In the 84 years that the Academy Awards has been around there have only been four winners with Asian decent in any of the major acting categories. “The term Asian American encompasses more than 30 different ethnicities. However, the mass media often portrays Asian groups as a collective identity, increasing the stereotype that all Asians look and act alike. Asian males often times are shown in one-dimensional roles: waiters, cooks, servants, laundry workers, gangsters, nerds, villains, and kung-fu masters. Frequently, they are acculturated with heavy foreign accents.”
When looking at film in general it is really simple minded that all minorities must be staged in one-dimensional roles. Looking closer at Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and African Americans, they all fall into the stereotypical and predictable roles. No matter how well they are portrayed it is evident that the roles minority actors and actresses get recognized for are these stereotypical ideas that seem to have been pre-set for years. Asians are one of many misconstrued cultures that are exaggerated in American film.
Miyoshi Umeki was the first Asian to win an Academy Award.
She won Best Supporting Actress in 1957, for her role in Sayonora.
FSU Film Student Sean Tien shares his thoughts on Asians in film and how he sees some change in the industry.
Many Latino legends such as Fernando Lamas and Raquel Welch have graced the sliver screen. Historically, they paved the way for many people of Hispanic descent, to make a name for themselves. Unfortunately, only a very few can call themselves Oscar winners. Is this reason because of race or the quality of the roles that are portrayed? The first Latino to win an Oscar was Jose Ferrer in the year of 1950, starring in the role of Cyrano in the film “Cyrano de Bergerac.” This was considered untraditional, because during this, Caucasian actors usually were commonly granted those roles.
The same can be said for another Latino Oscar winner, Rita Moreno. In 1961, she played the role of Anita in the very famous musical “West Side Story.” Traditionally, Latinos, like African-Americans, were challenged by the stereotypical roles they were granted. For instance, either playing the smuggler, housekeeper, drug-dealer, immigrant worker, gang member, or prison inmate. Compared to other more prominent roles that are critically acclaimed. The odds of getting an Oscar worthy role are low. Statistics show that during the span of 83 years that the Academy has been handing out awards. Only fourteen Latinos have been nominated for acting Oscars. The two most recent being: Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, in 2008 for supporting roles. Latinos are making strides, but there’s not much minority representation in the Academy Awards; so the chances of even a Latino getting nominated or any minority is tough.
Jose Ferrer was the first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award.
He won best Actor in 1950, for his role in Cyrano de Bergerac.
In comparison to other minorities being represented in the Academy Awards, African Americans have the highest numbers. Blacks were able to become a part of the Academy by pushing past barriers for decades to finally have a presence, though not a huge presence, not just in production categories but major acting categories as well.
Although black male roles seem to have more diverse roles than black women, some are still very stereotypical. Denzel Washington’s role in “Training Day” brought great controversy because he plays the “angry black man.” Are African Americans not getting the same roles as there white counter parts or are they to lazy? According to an article on pbs.org, “Actor Anthony Mackie, of “The Hurt Locker,” “Million Dollar Baby” and “Fame”, says that the lack of exposure for Blacks in Hollywood is a result of Blacks being “lazy” on their game and not telling their own stories.” (Smiley)
Sidney Poitier is the first African American to win an Oscar for Best Actor.
In 1963, at 37 years old, he is the youngest black actor to win in this category.
The Academy Awards is probably one of the most prestigious award shows to take place in the United States. Only the best of the best win an award for their highly praised acting skills according to the Academy Awards board. They are the ones who decide who will win an Oscar each year. Now the question arises why have there only been 11 African-American winners out of all 83 ceremonies since 1929. ("Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences").
Hattie McDaniel was the very first African-American to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1939 for her role as Mammy in the film “Gone with the Wind.” Halle Berry was the very first African-American to win an Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Leticia Mugrove in the film “Monster’s Ball,” in 2001. Also, Mo’Nique Hicks won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mary Lee Johston in the movie “Precious” in the year 2009.
There are many similarities as to why they won. There’s the fact that some of the roles were stereotypical and some were simply unappealing roles. Hattie McDaniel portrayed a “Mammy,” one of many stereotypical images that Blacks portrayed in film and television. Even though McDaniel was recognized and awarded on her great portrayal of a mammy, it still was a step back, because she didn’t play a character out of the ordinary. She frequently played “maid” roles in movies. ("Internet Movie Database")
Halle Berry’s Oscar triumph was very similar. She played a role that portrayed her as an abusive mother. She also played an alcoholic who had to have a very open sex scene with a white man. Some people believe that, the fact that she had sex with a white man was the main reason she won. Mo’Nique also played a negative role. She was a mother who not only verbally abused her pregnant daughter; she also sexually and physically abused her. Mo’Nique’s character was an extremely lazy woman who did not have a job and used the government as a means to make money and even encouraged her daughter to do the same.
In the media the image of the lazy or mad black woman is considered a standard. So winning an Oscar playing a part that society thinks fits African-American women isn’t a big achievement. It just makes them feel as though that is really how it is to be an African-American woman. All of these characters are very unattractive and it seems quite strange that African-American women play these parts and win. But then in movies such as “The Great Debaters” the actress Jurnee Smollett doesn’t even get nominated for her powerful role as a strong African-American female doing the right thing. It seems as though African-American women have to play unappealing or stereotypical roles in order to do well as an actress.
In the media the image of the lazy or mad black woman is considered a standard. So winning an Oscar playing a part that society thinks fits African-American women isn’t a big achievement. It just makes them feel as though that is really how it is to be an African-American woman. All of these characters are very unattractive and it seems quite strange that African-American women play these parts and win. But then in movies such as “The Great Debaters” the actress Jurnee Smollett doesn’t even get nominated for her powerful role as a strong African-American female doing the right thing. It seems as though African-American women have to play unappealing or stereotypical roles in order to do well as an actress.
Hattie McDaniel, the first African American woman to win an academy award. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for the role of Mammy in Gone With The Wind.
Even with wins in major acting categories there is still a stunning lack of Blacks at the Academy Awards. This year represented the whitest group of Oscar nominees for major acting categories since the 73rd Oscars, 10 years ago. According to the Academy Awards database, in 2011 there was not a single nomination for black actors, actresses, best pictures or best song. In comparison to the previous year, where there were about 7 blacks nominated for both on and off screen categories, it all seems like a huge step back.
In an issue of Essence magazine, Idris Elba was sharing his thoughts at Rutgers University’s Newark campus about “white-outs” at the Oscars saying, “Halle Berry and I were the only two Black actors nominated for this year’s Golden Globe. The Oscars aren’t designed for us… let’s focus on making more film.” Neither Berry nor Elba walked away with a globe that night but the message was clear, the participation of blacks and minorities in general, in the film industry needs to be increased to or else “white-outs” will continue to overrun the Academy Awards.
Though it can be said that minorities in the Academy Awards is not limited to the presence of African-American. The absence of other minorities like Indian- Americans, Latino- Americans, and Asian- Americans, has been going on for years and it seems to be a slow climb.
