LOS ANGELES: Actors and characters of Middle Eastern and North African descent are either ignored by TV or stereotyped, according to a new study by a California-based university.
The few such actors who get work are largely confined to playing tyrants and terrorists, said the study released Monday.
One percent of regularly seen TV series actors have roots in countries including Egypt and Turkey. But estimates show about 3 percent of the US population, 10 million people, are from the region, said the study’s lead author, Biola University associate professor Nancy Wang Yuen.
Researchers who examined 242 scripted prime-time series on broadcast, cable and streaming during the 2015-16 season found that between 90 percent and 97 percent had no characters of Middle Eastern or North African ethnicity.
When those characters do appear, 78 percent are tyrants or trained terrorists, agents or soldiers, the study said. Most speak with obvious foreign accents.
The study warned that such depictions can contribute to the rise of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant sentiment in American society.
Study: Middle Eastern actors ignored by TV
Study: Middle Eastern actors ignored by TV
- The study warned that such depictions can contribute to the rise of anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant sentiment in American society
