Issues of Race on Star Trek.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I saw a post on another site complaining Star Trek and ENT in particular didn't represent the races well in their casting. One thought I had - more about TNG era than ENT is that maybe people will be more individually racially diverse.

 

I know many countries have at times banned contact and relationships with outsiders and such traditions may still exist in some parts of the world. But I know in the US a lot of barriers have been broken and I see a lot more interracial marriages - it makes sense that as such becomes more common we would eventually blur some of the racial divides.

 

Is it possible than the real starships of the future won't have x # of race A, y# of B etc but have a lot more people with a culturally rich family tree. Do you think Star Trek should have presented more of that type of diversity?

[LordOfTheBorg 1]

yes,i do. but when TNG was made, that wasnt top prioity in the producers mind.

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

I saw a post on another site complaining Star Trek and ENT in particular didn't represent the races well in their casting.  One thought I had - more about TNG era than ENT is that maybe people will be more individually racially diverse.

 

I know many countries have at times banned contact and relationships with outsiders and such traditions may still exist in some parts of the world.  But I know in the US a lot of barriers have been broken and I see a lot more interracial marriages - it makes sense that as such becomes more common we would eventually blur some of the racial divides. 

 

Is it possible than the real starships of the future won't have x # of race A, y# of B etc but have a lot more people with a culturally rich family tree.  Do you think Star Trek should have presented more of that type of diversity?

Ugh, I get so annoyed with the "ENT doesn't represent races well" debate. It's an American-produced TV show, so naturally, most of the cast will be American. The whole issue seems racist to me. Why should one person represent their race? That doesn't seem logical to me.

[SpocksBrain 0]

You are right, Captain, Isn't their a black guy, an oriental, a brit, and a vulcan all ready? It is pretty silly to go on because they didn't include every single race...

[Theunicornhunter 2]

CJLP & Spock, I wish you would read and respond to the subject of the thread.

[Takara_Soong 4]

I like to think that by the time we reach the 24th century that we do view Earth as having one race - the human race. On TNG people were never identified by race. There were humans, Vulcans, Klingons, etc. - race was irrelevant. I hope it doesn't take until the 24th century to happen though.

[Nemesis 0]

Oh I know what you mean, that there are white people, black people, asians, and so on but they are very diversifyed meaning they aren't White and Black and Orient and so on. Well Obrien married an Asian person .

[Admiral Kirk 1]

yes,i do. but when TNG was made, that wasnt top prioity in the producers mind.

I think in the TNG era there is a plurality concept of humanity. There are different cultures and beliefs but there is a strong belief that there is one human race. Kind of like the Vulcan IDIC motto. I think the process is starting on ENT but it has a ways to go. I somewhat doubt there are any female captains in SF in the 22nd century either (as I said aways to go). I puzzled about the statement that ST lacks a more integrated cast because the actors are American.

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

CJLP & Spock, I wish you would read and respond to the subject of the thread.

I did, and as I said, I don't think it's an issue.

[Takara_Soong 4]

CJLP & Spock, I wish you would read and respond to the subject of the thread.

I did, and as I said, I don't think it's an issue.

I believe that UH is not looking for comments about the racial make up of the casts of the series. I think she's asking whether in the "real" future society and cultures on Earth will be so intertwined that people won't be categorized by race other than as the human race.

 

Quote by Admiral Kirk

 

I puzzled about the statement that ST lacks a more integrated cast because the actors are American.

 

I'm curious about this too CJLP. What does nationality have to do with the racial mix of a series. Perhaps you can address that in a post along with any response you have for UH so that we stay on topic.

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

CJLP & Spock, I wish you would read and respond to the subject of the thread.

I did, and as I said, I don't think it's an issue.

I believe that UH is not looking for comments about the racial make up of the casts of the series. I think she's asking whether in the "real" future society and cultures on Earth will be so intertwined that people won't be categorized by race other than as the human race.

I think this will never happen, and to be honest, I think society on a global scale is heading for total chaos in time.

 

Quote by Admiral Kirk

 

I puzzled about the statement that ST lacks a more integrated cast because the actors are American.

 

I'm curious about this too CJLP. What does nationality have to do with the racial mix of a series. Perhaps you can address that in a post along with any response you have for UH so that we stay on topic.

Well, most American shows feature White Americans, Austraillian movies that I've seen feature Austraillians, British comedies I've seen feature the British, and so forth. They have an African American, an Asian, a British man, a Denobulan, a Vulcan, as well as two Americans one of which is a Southerner. Looks diverse to me.

 

I just don't see why this is an issue. A person, wether real or fictional, should be hired based on their abilities and not their race.

Edited March 5, 2004 by Captain Jean-Luc Picard

[stoned_vulcan 0]

Okay i have my two cents and people please read this and respond because i think this is very important, right now ask yourself if you are racist (im not accusing) but most of us consider that our society is free of it, not completly if it was then this question wouldnt be out there. sorry but that's the way i feel, secondly i do believe that there is alot of diversity in the origional cast and i do believe that they intentioned for that, well that gene intentioned for that, his name comes up so rarely on this site its amazing that i dont hear it more. The origional cast was the most diverse not only by the way they look but research it, they come from places around the world, kirk-Montreal, Doohan- British Columbia (West Coast of Canada) Nemoy's relatives were from the USSR, Koeing- Luithunaina,.. the list goes on though im sorry but i forget the exact places where the other actors are from if anyone could help out that would be great

[Theunicornhunter 2]

stoned vulcan I think you missed my original point too.

 

My question was whether in the future we would even have separate races thus making all the fuss about racial quotas irrelevant

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

My question was whether in the future we would even have separate races thus making all the fuss about racial quotas irrelevant

I do not believe that will ever happen. There's too many people in the world who want to keep their culture "pure".

[WEAREBORG4102 0]

ENT is not particularly diverse as well as TNG.....

VOY, TOS, and DS9 are pretty diverse.....

[BakulaBabe 2]

It's entirely possible to have race be less of an issue in future space exploration. The main casts of each Trek are quite diverse, but I'd like to see more diversity in the guest stars and recurring characters.

[mj 7]

stoned vulcan I think you missed my original point too. 

 

My question was whether in the future we would even have separate races thus making all the fuss about racial quotas irrelevant

I think it is very unlikely that there would not be distinct races, at least not by the time the Star Trek world would be set.

 

There is some racial mixing in America, but not in a lot of places. There are still many counties in many states that are all one race----or if that has changed, it is a very recent change. In my home state of Indiana, blacks were not distributed throughout the state, but localized in the major urban areas, and the majority of the counties were all white.

 

And most other nations are not as culturally or racially diverse as America.

 

I think even within the next two to three centuries, and with China's attempt at controlling their population, that the Chinese people will be the largest distinct group of people in world, with Indians (from India) also still distinctive. (And of course there are other Asian groups ethnically similar to the Chinese and Indians.)

 

I also believe the Asian nations will dominate space. With the excellent and superior India Institute of Technology and the continued growth of their technical sector, and China's current move into space, and the vast populations of these nations, and America's lack of resolve to continue in space, I believe the Asian nations will dominate. It is not even clear there will be cooperation among space-travelling nations, let alone a blended group of humans.

 

There will still be distinct racial and ethnic groups in the future.