Ethnic Groups in TV Dramas

Asian ethnic group in 'Teen Wolf'

In this clip from 'Teen Wolf', we can see the character Kira Yukimura (Arden Cho), representing the stereotypical traits of that from an Asian identity in TV Dramas. At 0:00 - 0:35 in the clip, Kira is showing she is shy. After her Dad (who is the Teacher in the classroom) mentions that Kira is actually a member of the class, the camera moves from him to Kira in a long shot (showing the classroom environment) and then we see a close up of Kira becoming the shy character she is. In the close up of Kira we can see her putting herself on a lower level, making her seem less important then the rest of the class. She has her head in her hands and she is showing she is embarrassed and that is representing the stereotypical characteristics of an Asian. Kira is Korean and she is acting shy, which demonstrates to us that she is an introvert.

Whilst Kira is acting shy and vulnerable, Kira's dad is representing the stereotype of the intelligent Asian that is said to be shown in Asian characters within most TV dramas. He is the teacher, meaning that he is the most trained out of everyone in the scene and his body language he uses connotes he is a confident teacher who knows a lot about his subject he is teaching. The costume he is earing indicates a profession of occupation and the mise en scene around him, obviously indicates also that he is actually a teacher.

Both of these relatives are going against the dominant ideology for Asian characters in TV dramas.