Representation Matters ...

topic of the day 036

Diego Luna in Star Wars

What?

An intimate and private look into a man's life as he retold his experience watching a major studio film with his father with the main male protagonist's accent being the one element tying them all together.

Who? How?

A Mexican brought his father to watch a movie with the main lead having the same accents as his father, showing that there is a representation of their race and the decision of the actor in question not changing his accent proven to mean a lot for the father since he have similar thick accent.

Why?

All the main protagonists of Hollywood's most recent films have been populated with Caucasians with clear English pronunciation without any accent but the recent inclusivity allow for more diverse and colourful roles figuratively and literally, hence the casting of Diego Luna and letting him keep his accent since it is authentic to his race and will make his character that much more believable.

Then?

It meant a lot when someone that looks like you and sounds like you is leading one of the biggest movies of the year without sacrificing who he is and keeping true to himself, being the perfect role model for the Mexicans especially to embrace their own uniqueness and differences.

So?
This is why representation matters: It mean a lot for that particular race or religion or preference or sex to be represented in the silver screen, feeling accepted by the masses despite how different they are from what we've mainly seen on the mainstream media. Let it continue on forever more ...

Lesson Learned:

Being true to who you are and how different you are from others, a unique individual unlike others.