Whether it’s in Saturday morning cartoons, Hollywood Movies, video games, or comic books, Arabs in US media are usually pictured as mean, slimy, underhanded villains. Movies like Back to the Future and True Lies, Superman and Tarzan Comic Books, and America’s Army video game are examples where Arabs are portrayed as evil, violent, and in opposition to the good characters.
Artist Jackie Salloum created the following trailer-esque montage spectacle of Hollywood's relentless vilification and dehumanization of Arabs and Muslims. The film was an official selection of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Also, check out the Media Education Foundation release, Reel Bad Arabs, based on the book of the same name by Dr. Jack Shaheen.
How does the portrayal of Arabs affect the way we think about and treat Arabs?
It’s not often that Americans see the real side, where most Arabs lead ordinary lives. The media is often the strongest force in shaping one’s understanding of a people or culture. It helps create an image of a culture, so that when we see movies with an Arab villain, it leads us to think that all Arabs are like that. Teachers are also influenced by the way Arabs are shown in the media, which in turn influences how they teach American youth about Arab people, culture, and history.
Between September 11, 2001 and March 27, 2002, over 600 people were violently assaulted, 45 of them at school, because they were Arab or perceived as Arab. Hundreds of Arabs, and those perceived as Arab, have been discriminated against at their work. (The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee)
What are some counter-examples in the media where Arabs are depicted as heroes, lovable, complex, and ethical?
if you can think of one, email emily @ childrensmediaproject.org
Check out the youth produced videos from the Digital Resistance: Palestinian Youth Media DVD. The videos on the DVD were created by youth working with Lajee Center and Ibdaa Cultural Center in two refugee camps in Palestine. The young people created digital stories that offer new perspectives on Palestinian history, culture, life under occupation and visions for justice.
Do you know any famous Arabs?
Most Americans can only name Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and Arafat, all of whom have been demonized for their involvement in mass violence.
What if when we thought of Arabs, we thought of actress Salma Hayek or singer/dancer/American Idol host Paula Abdul, or author Kahlil Gibran, or Lucie Salhany - the first woman to head a TV Network (Fox)? Check out Casey Kasem's and the Arab American Institute Foundation's brochure "Arab Americans: Making a Difference."
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Learn more facts about Arabs and the Arab World at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's Education Department page.
For educators, also check out the Palestine Israel Education Project for their Planet of the Arabs curriculum which aims to get teens to think about how media representation of Arabs affects their understanding and feelings towards Arabs. The Digital Resistance DVD noted above is a great follow up to the curriculum.
