In the world today, there are more people of color than there are caucasians. In the world today, there are more interracial marriages and children than any other time period. In America today, Asians, Hispanics, and African-Americans make up 36.3 percent of the population, according to US Census 2010. Despite this, the entertainment industry ignores colored people and does not respect the diversity that is essential in society.

Controversies that have taken the media by storm, such “Oscars So White”, in late 2015, highlight the lack of variety in the film industry. This absence of diversity becomes problematic to not only the progress of society, but its representation in the media. Children are growing up watching TV shows that feature white casts, and reward mainly white people.

As a biracial person myself, I have experienced the harm that this may induce. I remember watching Disney princess movies, when all princesses but two were white. As I got older, the diversity increased, adding a black princess. A little bit later, a Latina princess was added. In 16 Disney princesses, only 5 are colored. Are they not as valid as the white ones? Not as important?

There is poor representation for women of color in film. The beauty standard is the white woman. The “hero” is usually a white man. Why are we aren’t we realizing how crucial it is to motivate and inspire children of all ethnicities and backgrounds, especially when they are growing up alongside white children?

Let's take a trip down memory lane, to recount the lack of diversity; at least in the last few years. In the 88-year history of the Oscars, only 21 people of color have won acting awards. The year 2013 was known as “the year of black film” by ColorLines, when hits like “Twelve Years A Slave” came out and made their way into the Oscars. So what’s the problem? The Academy Award voters were 94% white, according to Lee & Low Books. For an industry that is constantly growing in diversity and benefiting from the work of colored people, there should be a much higher percentage represented, especially during the ultimate acting awards. The issue is our entertainment industry does not reflect our increasingly racially diverse world. The structure that has undermined colored people for years only continues unabated.

As for the music industry, diversity has been a huge issue and continues to be as white performers rack up more awards than colored performers. During the end of the twentieth century and during the twenty-first century so far, Rock N’ Roll and Hip Hop have been among the most popular genres. Here’s the thing: both genres are derived from black culture as a way for African Americans to use their voices when they had none.

In fact, Elvis Presley, iconic musician and credited with popularizing modern Rock N’ Roll benefitted from black culture, without ever giving credit where it was due. Sam Phillips, his producer stated, "I always said, that if I could find a white boy who could sing like a black man, I'd make a million dollars." The very origins of Rock trace back to African American influence. Popular music that had been created by black Americans, such as blues, ragtime, jazz, and gospel were the strongest influences for rock. But the Grammys mostly reward the white derivatives of this rich musical heritage.

“Cultural appropriation” is  a major issue in the music world. Firstly, what is cultural appropriation? It is defined as an adoption of the elements of one culture by members of another, often without respecting or understanding its meaning. A culture which has not fully assimilated into a dominant culture keeps its identity through cultural symbols as a matter of pride. When these symbols are adopted by the dominant culture with no attempt to assimilate and honor its sources, it then becomes cultural appropriation and therefore it is offensive to the subculture.  Cultural appropriation is not well recognized, but is starting to gain prominence in equality movements.

Celebrities use aspects of different cultures that are not their own as objects and for art. For example, Miley Cyrus wore dreadlocks at the VMAs and used black women as props in her ‘We Can’t Stop’ music video, all while she, amidst her white privilege, claimed that she was “about that life”. Zendaya, an African American model, wore dreadlocks at the Oscars and was accused of her natural hair smelling of marijuana. This juxtaposition shows disrespect, ignorance, and rejection that people of color face in Hollywood, when their white counterparts are benefiting from appropriating their culture. This is inappropriate and racist.

Now, you may want to bring up the fact that since the twenty-first century brings more equal rights to everyone, that we should all be able to ignore race. You may argue that caucasian people are holding places of power simply because they deserve to, and if colored people were really deserving of their status, they would have them. After all, there have been one or two minorities in power positions, right?

However, this is not the case. True, there are many talented caucasian people. The problem is not with the people, it's with the system. This is the social structure that dictates the place of people in entertainment and glorifies Euro-centric standards, which disables the progress to an equal industry. It is not to say that white people should not be rewarded for their impressive feats, but that there should be an emphasis on treating minorities equal to caucasians, so we can all thrive together.

As a child, I was never able to look at a magazine like the other girls, point at someone and be able to look up to her as a role model who was like me. I grew up watching white people in movies and music videos, and tried to relate to their experiences, even though I would look at myself and be forced to realize that I wasn’t quite the same. Now, when I hear people say that casting minorities is not “relatable”, it almost sounds like it is referring to people like me as an abnormality.  I would never want another child to be excluded the way I was.

In the future, Hollywood and the rest of the entertainment industry should aspire to be more inclusive and have a higher number of colored people on choice committees. Also, there should be more of an effort to emphasize civil rights, and education regarding cultural sensitivity.

Hopefully, there will be better representation for all types of people in the media. It is important for minorities to have the same treatment in the entertainment industry, and to be represented well in the media. It will inspire people, let all types of children grow up understanding their worth and how unique their cultures are. It will show them how important it is to embrace themselves. These are the people who will be shaping the new world. These children will grow up to be inventors, teachers, and leaders. Empower them. Motivate them. Inspire them.