I just read an article in the NY Times that made me feel the following:

The United States of America is finally having an important debate where:

1- the strained debate on global warming, 2- the too often ignored debate on civilian protection, genocide, and poverty, AND 3- the often sensationalist debate around national security threats for the United States are suddenly interconnected:
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The Ministry of Magic had to enforce Muggle Protection Acts to prevent the killing and torturing of Muggles by wizards, but at the same time, they would pass laws that made it harder for Lupin, a werewolf, to find job.

Once again, the similarities between the Harry Potter world and ‘the real’ world become more apparent. Muggle governments enforce laws preventing discrimination, and yet we still need laws that better protect the LGBT community, different ethnicities and people with disabilities from hate crimes. It took 10 years, but we are now closer than ever to having an anti-hate crimes bill passed by congress and signed by our President.
The US House passed the Matthew Shepard Act – A bill that would not only protect gays and lesbians but also transgender people who are a part of the community that is left out more often than not. Now, the Matthew Shepard act is on its way to the Senate, and it will be their turn to vote on whether or not this should go to the President.

You may say, “Well, this act is a good thing! That should be no problem.” In reality, it has taken 10 long years for this Act to get this far. Many times, there would be deal offers, like it would have a better chance of passing if they took out the ‘transgender’ part of it. Thankfully, the people that have been fighting from the beginning refused to not have an all-inclusive bill. And they are right.

If you, like many others, believe that it is time for a federal law to protect those that haven’t been protected in the past, please visit the HRC Action Center to contact your senators and urge them to pass the Matthew Shepard Act. President Obama has already pledged to sign it; all we need is the Senate to see the light and realize that this Act is long due on the President’s desk.

Please take some time and watch this video, it will not take more than two minutes, but it has a very powerful message from Matthew Shepard’s mother.

“Prove that love conquers hate”
Judy Shepard

Up until this week, I have never even heard of “Avatar: the last Airbender.” I have since heard wonderful things about the show. According to some of it’s fans the show features “Asian and Inuit characters in a fantasy setting inspired and informed by a variety of Asian and Inuit cultures. The characters fight with East Asian martial arts, have Asian or Inuit features, dress in Asian or Inuit clothing, and write with Chinese characters. The cast and setting were a refreshing departure from predominantly white American media, and were a large part of the show’s appeal as well as an inspiration to many Asian American children.”

These same fans express their disappointment that the preliminary casting for the movie directed by M. Night Shyamalan gives the four main parts to white actors. “While the casting is not final, the statement has already been made: this film will take a culturally Asian and Inuit world and populate it with white actors. Orientalism this obvious and this dramatic is inexcusable, and I would urge Shyamalan and Paramount Pictures to reconsider their casting choices. Asian characters in a world built from Asian cultures should be played by Asian actors.”

JK Rowling made it very clear that she wanted British actors to star in Harry Potter. A show that is very much based on East Asian themes to the degree that Avatar sounds to be….it seems odd that all four actors are white. Does it not? What are your thoughts?

Some people have said, “Well it’s Hollywood, right? They want to make money and they’ll make more money with white actors than with Asian actors.” Perhaps this is true. If it is, I’d like to hear those behind these casting decisions to admit that. Because frankly, our culture has some very racist tendencies and I think that if we have any intention on changing that, on changing the notion that white skin is “normal” and other skin is not than we need to be conscious when we make decisions that are based on the idea that white is normal. We need to be conscious of these decisions.

So here’s my question to those of you who know Avatar and to those of you who don’t: what do you think of this? Are these fans and myself getting this wrong or are these fans on to something here? And if they are, should the HP Alliance be backing and promoting their efforts to ask that the preliminary casting be changed to include Asian actors or to engage with the movie studio in some other kind of dialogue? Please let me know what you think!!!