Why were African Americans represented so poorly in DBZ

[supersaiyan3]

Toriyama's depiction of Native Americans and Indians are also without such treatment

Really? The "Native Americans" we see (again, the term makes no real sense in this context, but we'll go with it) wear skins and war paint, carry tomahawks, and live in teepees. And the "Indians" wear turbans and chant Buddhist prayers. So who gets to decide which stereotypes are harmless and which aren't?

As a Native American, I don't see those stereotypes as harmful. It's a part of our history and heritage. I haven't re-watched those episodes in a while, but I don't really remember anything particularly racist.

Except the Funi dubs. The ethnic characters always sounded exaggerated and completely insensitive.

[dario03]

Well some native Americans and Indians might find it offensive because they are portrayed in the stereotypical way. Not all Native Americans lived in Teepees or ran around in war paint all the time, especially now but even back in the day. And not all Indians ran around in turbans. Yeah some did but that's how some stereotypes work, they will be based on something that was done by part of a group but then some people get upset because their entire race almost always gets portrayed like that.

Well there is no Africa and no America on Dragon World...

But but then where does the American flag come from??? And what is the PC way of referring to a darker skinned citizen of DB Earth? And if they move to a different part of DB Earth do you need a different way to refer to them? So many unanswered questions...

[Gaffer Tape]

As a Native American, I don't see those stereotypes as harmful. It's a part of our history and heritage. I haven't re-watched those episodes in a while, but I don't really remember anything particularly racist.

Except the Funi dubs. The ethnic characters always sounded exaggerated and completely insensitive.

I don't see them as harmful either, but that's my point. They're all just generalizations. Like dario03 says, not all Native Americans lived in teepees, etc. And yet we don't mind that Upa and Bora exhibit those stereotypes. Likewise, I don't see Adjutant Black having slightly larger lips than his white counterparts to be anything to get offended over because it is a generalization based in truth, but it's not being used to denigrate the character or black people in any way that I can see. When it comes right down to it, racism is an opinion. On all but the most extreme issues, you're never going to get a clear consensus over what's offensive and what's not because all people are individuals, not just representatives of their race/sex/etc., who all have individual experiences, and therefore are offended or not offended by different things.

[RandomGuy96]

Because it's Japanese.

[ABED]

As a Native American, I don't see those stereotypes as harmful. It's a part of our history and heritage. I haven't re-watched those episodes in a while, but I don't really remember anything particularly racist.

Except the Funi dubs. The ethnic characters always sounded exaggerated and completely insensitive.

I don't see them as harmful either, but that's my point. They're all just generalizations. Like dario03 says, not all Native Americans lived in teepees, etc. And yet we don't mind that Upa and Bora exhibit those stereotypes. Likewise, I don't see Adjutant Black having slightly larger lips than his white counterparts to be anything to get offended over because it is a generalization based in truth, but it's not being used to denigrate the character or black people in any way that I can see. When it comes right down to it, racism is an opinion. On all but the most extreme issues, you're never going to get a clear consensus over what's offensive and what's not because all people are individuals, not just representatives of their race/sex/etc., who all have individual experiences, and therefore are offended or not offended by different things.

Hear, hear!

[khalildh]

They don't live on our earth.

The characters in the manga live in the Dragonball Universe, trying to generalize the supposed "racial traits" of some of the characters in the manga based on the conceived notion of how some characters are supposed to be is pointless. Also, America doesn't exist in the Dragonball Universe... I don't even.

[Kamiccolo9]

They don't live on our earth.

The characters in the manga live in the Dragonball Universe, trying to generalize the supposed "racial traits" of some of the characters in the manga based on the conceived notion of how some characters are supposed to be is pointless. Also, America doesn't exist in the Dragonball Universe... I don't even.

Murasaki had an American flag.

[rereboy]

Murasaki had an American flag.

Not really. Its inspired by the american flag but the number of stars and lines are wrong.

[Kamiccolo9]

Murasaki had an American flag.

Not really. Its inspired by the american flag but the number of stars and lines are wrong.

Was it? My mistake then.

[RocktheDragon]

I forgot where I heard the original reply (but it was regarding another anime with even worse depictions of blacks) where the individual mentioned how little interaction the Japanese have with blacks of any variety (African-American or otherwise). This leads to a lot of the exaggerated haircuts (Afros) and those exaggerated lips. Makes sense enough to me and I don't fault any of the manga authors for not knowing any better. I'm sure it has improved with recent anime/manga (hopefully) and they will continue to do a better job at not generalizing facial (and other) characteristics.

[ChiChiFan]

I feel the same way about Mr. Popo.

[khalildh]

I forgot where I heard the original reply (but it was regarding another anime with even worse depictions of blacks) where the individual mentioned how little interaction the Japanese have with blacks of any variety (African-American or otherwise). This leads to a lot of the exaggerated haircuts (Afros) and those exaggerated lips. Makes sense enough to me and I don't fault any of the manga authors for not knowing any better. I'm sure it has improved with recent anime/manga (hopefully) and they will continue to do a better job at not generalizing facial (and other) characteristics.

So basically you just generalized a group of people about generalizing? Seems legit.

[SingleFringe&Sparks]

Well some native Americans and Indians might find it offensive because they are portrayed in the stereotypical way. Not all Native Americans lived in Teepees or ran around in war paint all the time.

The only people who get angry over the sight of actual imagry from their historical culture are the west-washed new generation of them that are insecure or ashamed of the fact they dont fit into dominant white culture; and they assume that because they dont just slip right it anything reflecting it must be "racist". Theres a difference between a caricature and an actual historical image. Its only offensive when they want to "fit in."

Asian-Americans do this all the time. Any sign of a geisha will throw them into fits despite it actually a historical character some were in a culture they reject. These people associate these images with "Black face" and ignorantly don't realize that Black face was not created by black people which is why the image is offensive. It was created by the racist white-supremist south to make Black people look scary, ugly or humourous. It isnt taken from Black culture.

[Rocketman]

The fact that you just lumped all of Asia together into one culture shows why they get upset about it.

[SingleFringe&Sparks]

The fact that you just lumped all of Asia together into one culture shows why they get upset about it.

I used the Geisha as a specific example, I know where it actually comes from but thats not my point. How many of Asian-Americans that complainged about it as a fashion line were actually japanese? Very few if any I can confidently bet. My point is that its still considered enough of a universal asian symbol that would bring most non japanese Asian American (White-washed) youth into an uproar if its used to represent asia at all even though it isnt a caraicature but an actual eastern image and historical lifestyle. Asian Americans regardless of branch will treat it as if it was which it itself is ignorant and silly.

[Fionordequester]

He was only dubbed as an idiot in the Funi dub, I guess the director or one of the actors thought it was funny?

Actually, that's EXACTLY why they chose the voice according to Sabat ! Basically, they were "trying to come up with some weird voice for him", Dameon Clarke was all "HEEEY...SON! Killa in dibdear en (incomprehensible gibberish)", and then Sabat was all "THAT'S IT! We'll just make it so you don't understand a thing he says! Because you know, it's not like he was a very important character ANYWAYS...". Apparently, it never even occurred to them that it might seem racist until it was too late, according to Sabat.

[penguintruth]

Mr. Popo isn't black, he's just dark because he's the incarnation of a cosmic singularity.

[SingleFringe&Sparks]

Mr. Popo isn't black, he's just dark because he's the incarnation of a cosmic singularity.

Pretty creative excuse but not good enough for me. I see him as a slurr to Arabs above anything else. A cosmic entity does not need big red lips and creepy-looking eyes.

He was only dubbed as an idiot in the Funi dub, I guess the director or one of the actors thought it was funny?

Actually, that's EXACTLY why they chose the voice according to Sabat ! Basically, they were "trying to come up with some weird voice for him", Dameon Clarke was all "HEEEY...SON! Killa in dibdear en (incomprehensible gibberish)".

If thats true why does no other character in the series sound like that? Sounded more like a hit on black-scat music to me. Its honestly not hard for me not to assume that Funimation must have some racist inside jokes to them. Look at that other guy in the tournament fight; the tall skinny guy with the afro. Sounded like a terrible African accent impression. The fact that they intended for the guy to sound stupid is where I raise an eyebrow. They'd have a hard time convincing me other wise. They dont even have any Black VAs, let alone non-white (correct me).

[Fionordequester]

If thats true why does no other character in the series sound like that?

Actually, if you look at the FUNI dub, it's absolutely full of ridiculous voices for the side characters, and as much as I defend the dub itself...that particular aspect of could get really annoying at times. Believe me, Killa isn't any worse than, say, the Football players who got absorbed by Cell.

And you have to remember, they actually made the decision to NOT have Mr. Popo sound like an ignoramus like he does in the Japanese version, so there's that too.

[DBZAOTA482]

I feel the same way about Mr. Popo.

Doesn't help Bulma openly discriminated against Mr. Popo by coming to the conclusion that he was going to rape her. Fucking racist.