Lack of Diversity in Films
Movies that weren’t made for me.
By Giselle Arechiga, November 7th 2024
The Coming-of-age films first made their debut in cinematography in the late 1980s through the 1990s with movies such as The Breakfast Club (1984), Dead Poets society (1989), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and much more.
Fast forward to the twenty-first century, filmmakers made a more modern version of the loved Coming-of-age genre with movies such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), The Edge of Seventeen (2016) and most evident and Academy Award-nominated, Lady Bird (2017).
For a movie genre that follows the journey of teenagers as they transition from childhood to young adulthood while tackling elements of sexuality, death, and emotional maturity, it is clear to be lacking the perspective of many teenagers watching them.
While these films do a great job at exploring themes of identity, friendship, love and self-worth, one flaw that is repeating through all of them is the disturbing lack of many people of color, both in the acting and as while as the process of making them.
With a genre that was set up in the 80s and 90s when every film that came out was primarily centered around white leads, you would think that Hollywood would have taken the necessary steps to include a more diverse casting, especially when it comes to a genre that is meant to connect the audience to their own lives and experiences. But as it seems that is not the case for many of the recent films, making these so-called “coming of age” marketed films unrelatable.
In fact, many of these films that focuses predominantly on white, middle-class protagonist, sideline the experiences of many people of different racial, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds by sprinkling POC characters into the film as an attempt to appease the criticism. A blunt Black best friend, the nerdy Asian girl, a “spicy” Latin friend, these are all stereotypes that only exist to season the life of the white protagonist.
The white adolescent experience is not universal, the suburban reality is not universal, these movies are not universal. Growing up as a person of color often means becoming aware at an early age that you are different from many of your peers. It's everywhere we look, it's everywhere we go, encountering stereotypes, facing discrimination, or simply not seeing oneself represented in the media.
As a result of coming-of-age films focusing on the narrow view of white, middle-class teenagers, the unique challenges and rich cultural backgrounds of POC children are frequently overlooked, leaving them without relatable role models or stories that reflect their realities. This absence not only marginalizes their experiences but also perpetuates a limited understanding of what it means to grow up in a diverse society.
