Growing up, I was always very fond of Asian media; “Naruto” and “Dragon Ball Z” were my “Bob the Builder” and “Dora the Explorer.” With that being said, I’m no stranger to the bullying that comes along with exploring media that isn’t from America. Music that isn’t in English is looked down upon and often avoided on radio stations, affecting their ability to reach top charts. Why are we stereotyping other countries’ arts and sabotaging their ability to get the recognition they deserve?
Asia is a commonly targeted area for media discrimination. Chinese and Indian media is seen as a joke, while media in Japan and Korea is considered abnormal. Most media in Japan is only seen as anime; their music? Anime openings. Their art? Anime characters. Their shows? Anime. While for Korea, k-pop constantly faces the insults of seeming “gay” or claims that“all the members look the same.” Of course this isn’t only an issue in Asia, but around the globe as well.
England has always been clowned on by America. A trend that once started as an admiration for their accent, turned into insensitive mockery. I’ve heard many people ask the question, “how do british people sing?” and shockingly the answer is… like everyone else. Many Americans seem to have forgotten that the world doesn’t revolve around them. Other countries don’t have to learn English and an American accent to express themselves through the arts.
Popular hits such as “Cupid (Twin Ver.)” by FIFTY FIFTY, and “Colors” by Stella Jung are great examples of songs that our society has claimed as American media. Many people don’t know these songs are in another language and are mainly popularized for their English lines, being reclaimed as American. TikTok has been a great outlet for foreign artists and creators to shine through and spread their cultures, but this hasn’t stopped the racism and bullying. So many people are uncultured in other global media. The “music around the world” videos aren’t accurate.. No, foreign countries don’t listen to their anthem and cultural music on repeat. Why would we as a society even begin to believe that foreigners listen to these things; we do not have the “Star Spangled Banner” on our playlist. Foreigners are not that different from us, these countries aren’t the same as they were in WWI. Every continent has expanded and grown into a bigger more thriving civilization, not just America.
This issue has impacted my life and my hobbies so much and I hope that someday we can turn our melting pot into a salad bowl and appreciate the cultures around us.
