The Intersection of History and Race in American Media

As media consumers, individuals are directly influenced by the messages the media portrays. As a result, negative representations of minority groups have directly affected the social status of these communities in American culture. This research paper analyzes the portrayals of African-American, Asian-American, and Hispanic-American groups in American media to argue that American films use the intersection of racist history and media between white and non-white groups in order to marginalize minorities. Specific U.S. commercials and films from the early twentieth century to the present will be used as case studies to support this argument. Comparisons are drawn from the media’s usage of the history of slavery, stereotypical traits of these groups, and the U.S.-Mexican border to illustrate the different ways film misrepresents minorities.