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National Latino, African American, Asian American and Native American Groups Condemn Offensive Deadline Article

FRESH OFF THE BOAT - "The Shunning" - When the cul-de-sac plans a block party to celebrate NASCAR, Louis urges the family to use the event to make new friends (and promote Cattleman's Ranch Steakhouse). But Jessica has problems fitting in, especially after she befriends a beautiful trophy wife the roller blade moms don't like. Meanwhile, Eddie schemes to win the respect of the neighborhood kids, in the time-period premiere of ABC's new comedy series "Fresh Off the Boat," TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Nicole Wilder)A national multi-ethnic coalition denounced Deadline for its March 24 article on Hollywood diversity by editor Nellie Andreeva.

The article paints a picture of so-called “reverse discrimination” in an industry in which people of color — who make up nearly 40% of the U.S. population — have been vastly underrepresented and caricatured since its inception to the present day.

The article calls for color-blind casting, claiming that there are not enough talented people of color to fill roles and that requests for diverse talent from studios and networks cause less qualified people of color to take roles away from better qualified white actors. The article also inaccurately suggests that networks and studios have diversity quotas.

A recent report from the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center found that although people of color made “small to modest gains in several Hollywood employment arenas since the last report, they remain [demographically] underrepresented on every front.” The same report finds, however, that “increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse film and television content.” The article overlooks the obvious fact that it is the stunning success of this season’s diverse television shows that is driving the producers and networks to ask for diverse actors-not some kind of misguided attempt to impose quotas.

The following statement can be attributed to American Indians in Film and Television, Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, NAACP Hollywood Bureau, and National Hispanic Media Coalition:

“Shame on Deadline for giving a platform to the prejudices of a few Hollywood agents who, under the cloak of anonymity, revealed themselves to be among the entertainment industry gatekeepers reluctant to change their unfair and exclusionary practices and make way for progress.

“The inaccuracies and misconceptions the article put forth are patently offensive and reflect a larger problem of persisting racial and ethnic bias in the entertainment industry.

“Genuine progress in diversity on television is an extremely recent phenomenon and we applaud recent steps to diversify television in front and behind the camera. For full inclusion to happen, however, the entire industry’s discriminatory business model that has historically pushed out people of color needs to change.”

The Multi-Ethnic Coalition, which in 2000 signed Memoranda of Understanding with ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX in which the networks committed to increase diversify in their ranks, offers the following recommendations to Deadline and Hollywood talent agencies who question the value of diversity:

1. Deadline should take immediate steps to hire more reporters and editors of color to broaden its coverage of people of color in the entertainment industry and increase understanding of diversity’s value in the industry.
2. People of color are poorly represented in Hollywood talent agencies. We request meetings with all of the agencies to bring our concerns and talent pools to the table, and help turn this around. Studios and networks have made it clear that diversity is good business, and clearly some agents are looking for talent in the wrong places. We can help.

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The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a media advocacy and civil rights organization for the advancement of Latinos, working towards a media that is fair and inclusive of Latinos, and towards universal, affordable, and open access to communications. Receive real-time updates on Facebook  and Twitter @NHMC

American Indians in Film and Television (AIIFT) is an advocacy group that endeavors to defend and enhance the interests of American Indians in the mediums of film, television and telecommunications.

The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC) has agreements with ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC committing them to work to increase diversity on-screen and behind the camera. APAMC members include such organizations as the Asian American Justice Center, East West Players, Japanese American Citizens League, Media Action Network for Asian Americans, National Federation of Filipino American Associations, OCA, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Visual Communications.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities.

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