Jessica Alba on typecasting, pigeonholing, and racism
CVK
Great to see young mixed actors speaking up about their identities! Right on the heels of Wentworth Miller’s candid interview comes an article on Jessica Alba. Talking to ContactMusic.com, Alba sounds off on racism and pigeonholing:
The part Mexican, part Danish star has experienced racism first hand and is appalled at the treatment her parents received because they had a mixed race marriage. Alba is infuriated by the racial stereotyping that is rife in Hollywood and is determined to both make a racism-free future.
She says, “When I started acting, people tried to typecast me as an ethnic girl. It was my first experience of racism. But people will always put you down to a certain level, a certain class. I never wanted to be pigeon-holed.
“The people who are going to be running the world in the next generation aren’t racist or sexist. There’s a group of people in their twenties, with different coloured skins, who are going to be in charge of the studios of tomorrow, the agencies, the film business.
“I’m going to be with them and that is exciting.”
Scarlet Cervantes wrote:
I love what Jesica Alba had to say. I hope hear other say the same thing.
Posted 27 Jul 2005 at 9:35 am ¶
John wrote:
& then she dyes her hair blonde.
Posted 03 Aug 2005 at 6:20 pm ¶
Lyn lee wrote:
I don’t buy it. She’s a publicity junkie commenting on things to stay in the press constantly. She’s hardly ever cast as “ethnic” when she plays the love interest of White men. She starred alongside Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed and also played Devon Sawa’s love interest in Idle Hands. Race was never mentioned. She’s a beautiful girl but she’s not like Halle Berry who spent 10yrs trying to get neutral acting roles.
Posted 04 Aug 2005 at 5:05 pm ¶
ladyowltu wrote:
I TOTALLY agree Lyn lee and John…she hasn’t seen REAL struggle like Halle Berry, and making yourself look like something you’re not isn’t COOL…EMBRACE who you are!
Posted 29 Aug 2005 at 7:06 pm ¶
Amina wrote:
She’s going on like its tuff for her. She gets plenty of roles and like lyn lee said she’s hardly classed as ethnic. She’s half latina not half black there’s a bigggg diference!! Jessica alba gets good roles so i don’t know why she is complaining !!!!!
Posted 30 Dec 2005 at 7:46 am ¶
Damon wrote:
Who cares what her race is….she is hott
Posted 25 Feb 2006 at 1:14 am ¶
xdell wrote:
It is idiotic to classify some people on the basis of complexion, then compare them with others who are being classified on the basis of culture. Black is a pejorative code word used to subtly put some people down. Even if the speaker is referring to himself. White is a code word to identify some people as being “not-black”. Black MEANS unclean. Nobody with a perceived choice volunteers to be seen as BLACK. On the other hand, Latino, or Jewish are terms of culture. Mexican is a further refinement of Latino culture. Therefore to say, blacks, whites and Latino is as silly as saying tall, short and wealthy. Why do we lead the world in this clumsy use of language. Jessica Alba is neither White nor Black. That is because there is no such creature as a Whiteman nor a Blackman. Those artificial distinctions are not only unnecessary but are malicious and ALWAYS erroneous.
Posted 06 Mar 2006 at 6:23 pm ¶
Manticles wrote:
There is only ONE race…The Human race. Black, White, jew, are derogatory stereotypes, such as Aryan and Oriental. They are made up terms that introduce an unnecessary layer of confusion to an already confused world
Posted 06 Mar 2006 at 6:28 pm ¶
Anonymous wrote:
what is jessica alba’s race?
Posted 17 Aug 2006 at 7:38 pm ¶