Representation

A Moment in Media Representation: The effect of one experience on my identity.

In the present era, what shapes our perceived worth as single beings and as social entities, as members of society and culture, is reflected in the media. But for many citizens, it is not, and the images that they are receiving and observing on the cultural/satellite television mirrors are distorted or entirely missing. I experienced identity formation through one impactful event and being able to find, originally, a character that looked like me and dealt with real-life issues, trials, and tribulations, that also closely resembled my experience growing up in media that barely represented me.

The Absence of Representation: A Vacuum of Self-Awareness

The media I was prior exposed to before that particular period rarely, if at all, portrayed anyone who had gone through what I grew up with, struggled with, or, may I add: aimed for. Every cartoon and every program that I watched as a child was always normal and enjoyable to watch, but none of these cartoons appealed to any part of my life. It made me feel lonely, as it does for many others from underrepresented groups, thanks to their limited show-time. It was indirect and passive, but as violent as telling me that my life is not important enough to be worth sharing, to be worth narrating. I took this and started to understand that the people I looked at through the monitor had a more significant or exciting life than I did.

The lack of media portrayal of myself made it hard for me to grasp my whole notion of being in this world. Rather than associating myself with a subject position that inherently encompasses specific experiences that could be embraced and researched, I perceived myself as a subject who was required to enter the categories that postmodern culture offered. Where there used to be representation, there was now the void of self-consciousness, so now I thought the only way to be accepted and succeed was with conformity to a type.

The Moment of Recognition: Seeing Myself in Media

It must have been sometime around the 90s during prime television time when one of my favorite products featured a woman of color in the leading role That was when I thought that there was someone in this world who looked like me on screen. I was not reduced to some stereotype of my race, gender, or sexuality; I was not a slab of comic relief, love interest, or damsel in distress. Parents’ house and cultural backgrounds were antagonistic and at the same time nurturing; they had the same background, and—most importantly—they were the subject of the story and it could not be told without them.

This shock of recognition came to me the instant this character materialized on the screen. This was a man with a life story that was similar to mine in so many ways. It was quite embarrassing to watch how they managed both aspects of belonging to their roots and the community they grew up in.. I had spent my entire life fighting between the norms and values of my upbringing and that of the society in which I grew up. There must be a type of person I never would have met or been able to understand otherwise, I thought to myself — before I finally saw this difficulty depicted as a normal journey toward self-realization rather than isolation, ‘abnormal’ weirdness.

I just want to make it clear that while witnessing this representation was a huge aspect of the experience, it was so much more than seeing a person of color. Deeper down, it was about seeing a person who felt lost like me, who wondered where he belonged, and who struggled against societal norms of conformity while the exterior struggled to conform but still wanted to embrace its roots. The outcome was remarkable but immediate. This time I found myself being validated for the first time in my life. My problems were no longer just my problems; they became a part of the global problem that deserved to be discussed, looked into, and understood.

The Effect on Identity: Reclaiming My Narrative

This understanding that I had gone through the media and been recognized was like holding a key to the door to a further understanding of myself. It also enabled me to view it as an inherent integration of an individual, that is, a whole and coherent being, rather than as a collection of self-contradictory features. This character empowered me to appreciate myself and embrace those facets of it that I had previously deemed hated. I realized that while culture can sometimes be viewed by the larger society in the media and other institutions as a difficult or a dissuade to success it is a source of resilience, tenacity, and wisdom.

I had felt alienation before—the unspoken feeling that you’re just an interloper in spaces that you are in. In social settings, at and during work, and school, I always felt like a misfit who had to assimilate. But my view of the world changed when I saw a character on TV that was the same "other,” and she seemed fine being that. In this case, I also began to recognize that what might be seen as a disadvantage—one’s past or specific experiences—was an asset. It is something that I built my pride upon, not something that I needed to disguise myself for.

I noted that I was getting in touch with my roots to a greater extent in the days, weeks, and months after this one. I began going through parts of my culture that I before dismissed as irrelevant or inconsequential to the modern world. I felt pride and curiosity replacing the feeling of shame and searching for myths, customs, and rituals that might be said to be linked to my ethnicity. Thanks to media representation, I now stood completely empowered to claim my identity without asking for pardon.

A Broader Impact: Understanding the Power of Representation

My awareness of the wider societal effects of media representation was also heightened by this event. I came to understand that the influence of seeing oneself in the media transcends identity. It influences how society views and handles entire communities. Stereotypes, biases, and prejudices are strengthened when particular groups are underrepresented or inaccurately portrayed in the media, which feeds the cycle of marginalization and misunderstanding.

On the other hand, allowing marginalized groups to share their narratives humanizes their experiences and promotes compassion and understanding. It expands the definition of what it means to belong in a diverse and multicultural community and challenges prevailing narratives. I learned that media representation is about social justice and building a more inclusive society where everyone's narrative is valued enough to be told, not just about personal validation.

My enthusiasm for promoting more truthful and varied representation in the media was stoked by this revelation. I developed a sharp awareness of how the media affects how we as a society perceive identity, culture, and belonging. I started looking for and assisting content producers from marginalized areas because I knew that by giving them more visibility, we might start to change the narrative to one of greater inclusivity.

Moving Forward: Redefining My Role in the Narrative

After seeing that one character on film, the media representation journey of self-discovery continued. It marked the start of a never-ending journey to take back my story and redefine who I am in the world. I began to perceive myself as someone who could shape the narrative being presented, in addition to just being a media consumer. I came to understand that I might help create a media environment that is more inclusive and diverse by contributing my voice to the discourse and sharing my personal experiences.

I started writing about my personal experiences and examining the relationships between identity, culture, and belonging. I wanted to tell tales that would speak to those who, like me, had experienced growing up feeling alienated from the media. My mission was to provide people with the same feeling of acceptance and acknowledgment that I had that fateful evening.

I discovered a new sense of agency through writing. I started actively participating in creating the narratives that define us, and I no longer felt like a passive observer of the world around me. My ability to see myself more clearly and to imagine a world in which everyone's narrative is heard and no one is made to feel invisible or unimportant has been enhanced by media representation.

Conclusion:

The Transformative Power of Representation

That moment in front of the television may seem minor or inconsequential in the larger scheme of things. However, it was truly transforming for me. It altered my perspective of who I was, what I stood for, and where I fit in the world. It offered me the self-assurance to totally and unashamedly accept who I am. Additionally, it stoked a passionate desire to promote more diverse and inclusive media representation.

It concerns who is represented. It influences our perceptions of the world and ourselves. Seeing ourselves represented in the media gives us confidence that we exist, confirms our experiences, and gives us the ability to write the story that we want to tell. My life was changed by that one on-screen moment of recognition, and it still motivates me to work toward a day when everyone can see themselves portrayed as the protagonists of their tales, rather than only as caricatures or supporting roles.