In the Star Trek universe, there are 200+ nations teeming with thousands of various ethnicities, gender(s), religions, languages and artificial intelligences. So why is it dominated by so many darn white dudes?
Many a scholarly essay and book has examined race in film and TV, but as one of the longest-running and varied franchises, Star Trek is ripe for deconstruction*. After all, since its inception, the series never shied away from tackling blatant racial issues. Exhibit A: literally “bi-racial” characters like Lokai and Bele (pic above). Nevertheless, considering race both within and outside the story is where it starts to get really interesting, imho.
This site hasn’t been updated since 2002, but it provides some interesting figures from the series’ formative years all the way through “Voyager.”
40% of principal characters have been non-human, or partially non-human…
33% have been women… 28% have been played by non-white actors… Of the 42 principal cast members, eleven (26%) can be classified as racial minorities
And the ethnic identity of the characters adds a layer of cultural complexity:
In some cases, the actor’s race did not relate to the character’s race. For instance, Tuvok played a dark-skinned Vulcan. But it was not correct to call Tuvok an “African-American Vulcan,” because, although the actor was African-American, the character was not. There is no Africa or America on the planet Vulcan. Also, although Torres had a Hisanic last name, her Hispanic ethnicity was never addressed on “Star Trek: Voyager”, because the conflict between her human and Klingon backgrounds was much more important. Worf was also played by an African-American, but his character was simply a Klingon, and was not a “black Klingon.”
…Chakotay’s character is very much a Native American (from South or Latin America) who devoutly subscribes to many of his culture’s traditional religious beliefs and practices. The actor himself is of Mexican descent. So he does have Native American ancestry, although he is mestizo, and describes himself as Hispanic or Mexican.
I’m off to see a screening of the new Star Trek tomorrow (woot!), and can’t wait to see whether these figures/percentages hold true. In theory, they should, since it’s a prequel. BUT, already we’ve been promised Captain Robau, played by the first-ever Middle Eastern/South Asian actor to play a major role in Star Trek.
[image via HeroSpy]
*If you want to dive in deeper, check out Race in Space: The Representation of Ethnicity in “Star Trek” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation
Captain Robau, played by the first-ever Middle Eastern/South Asian actor to play a major role in Star Trek.
Don’t forget Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig Abderrahman Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Karim El Mahdi, aka , aka Doctor Julian Bashir on Deep Space Nine.
while I abhor racism , and have always applauded the Trek universe for its stance against it… one has to wonder if coming from planet where everyone has the EXACT same outfit, and the EXACT same Haircut is really the true answer? Let alone planets with only 1 form of music, and 1 type of cuisine etc.
for all its problems…I’m proud to be from Earth…the only planet in the known Universe (according to Star Trek at least) that allows for even an inkling of Individualism and self expression.
It seems to me that even though Star Trek engaged race in so many hamfisted and flawed ways, it did so, originally and continuously. It’d pick an episode of Firefly over any Star Trek any day of the week, but in a spacefaring society that has adopted so many Asian customs and language, their screen absence verges on the obscene. Indeed, Deadwood does a better job of it than Joss Whedon’s space cowboys. Some unintentional salt in the wounds was to hand both Tam characters to white-as-white-can-be actors, excellent though they are. Is Hollywood that short of minority or multi-racial actors? So credit to Trek, again.
already we’ve been promised Captain Robau, played by the first-ever Middle Eastern/South Asian actor to play a major role in Star Trek.
Hmmm… technically true, as Sudan is in Africa, but if you’re willing to include an Anglo-Sudanese actor, then Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig Abderrahman Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Karim El Mahdi, aka Alexander Siddig, played Dr. Julian Bashir for seven seasons of Deep Space Nine.
And not a single gay person….you know, because obviously gay people don’t exist in The Future.
And not a single gay character, because, you know, diversity only extends so far, and of course there’s no gay people in the future.
Terribly cynical.
For the record – This was a very gutsy storyline for 1992:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outcast_(Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation)
Andrew Robinson, who played Garak on DS9, sometimes claimed he played the character as though he were bisexually attracted to Bashir. And Odo’s character often “linked” with other changelings regardless of their apparent gender- the fact that the changelings were later struck with a degenerative, fatal illness makes them, as a group, at least a metaphor for homosexuality. Also, the helmsman in “First Contact” who doesn’t make it through the movie was clarified to be a homosexual in the Star Trek novels.
I have it on good authority that the ship’s captain in the next iteration of the franchise is going to be a furry.
The quote from an article in the Washington Post about the last episode of ST:TNG said something like “…where they meet a bunch of aliens, who look just like white people with bumps on their faces.”
expecting too much from a weak TV show?
Confused by reality?
Then here’s your explanation.
It’s not the REAL future, it’s a fictional one designed by jumpy neurotic TV executives.
I know that’s hard for you Klingon speakers to take.
We’re not confused, Angstrom. We’re commenting on the results of the jumpy neuroses of TV execs. If that’s all right with you?
#3 – well except for that one episode where Ricker picks up this alien chick who’s culture considers heterosexuality to be a mental disorder.
The message was clearly completely lost though…
Gorshin’s makeup turned me off black and white cookies furevers.
“Don’t forget Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig Abderrahman Mohammed Ahmed Abdel Karim El Mahdi, aka , aka Doctor Julian Bashir on Deep Space Nine.”
…Of course, he goes by Alexander Siddig, and has for about 15 years now. Had the pleasure of meeting him at the last Trek convention I’ve been to, and was privledged enough to literally floor him with a question that had him laughing himself silly:
“So, how does it feel working on a show where you’re boldly staying where no one has stayed before?”
Screw that. What about real NASA and other space programs. It seems like doughy white men are boldly building out new space station.
For the men here, if you saw ToS as a kid, who didn’t get that mysterious tingle over Uhura?