INTERRACIAL LOVE ON TV Madeleine Mantock and Daniel Wu in Into the Badlands, Season 1, Epsiode 2. Aired Monday, Nov. 16 on AMC (10:00-11:00 ET/PT). Photo Credit: Patti Perret/AMC
Despite the focus on diversity in television,
Certain episodes of shows, like The Player episode
representation of biracial or multiracial characters is
“Downtown Odds,” highlight a Romeo and Juliet-esque
spotty. However, it is there. There are several biracial
tragic romance between Imani and Listo (played by Paige
or multiracial/multiethnic actors on television though,
Hurd and David Castaneda Jr.). Personally speaking, I’d
including some I’ve already mentioned--Sossamon,
expect this to get dealt with in television soon, since
Jaffrey, McClarnon, Tunie, Momoa, and Da Costa,
America’s demographics are such that by 2050, most
for instance.
people will be biracial or multiracial, according to National Geographic.
There are also some shows that showcase interracial couples, such as Rosewood, with Gabrielle Dennis' Pippy and Anna Konkle's TMI, Into the Badlands, which features the relationship between Wu’s Sunny
The Player, "Downtown Odds"
and Veil, played by Madeleine Mantock, Crazy Ex-
David Castaneda Jr. and Paige
Episode 107 -- Pictured: (l-r)
Girlfriend, featuring Vincent Rodriguez’s Josh Chan
Hurd. Aired Thursday, Nov. 12 on NBC (10-11 p.m. ET) (Photo
and Gabrielle Ruiz’ Valencia Perez, and CW's Jane
by: Colleen Hayes/NBC)
the Virgin, which featured Gina Rodriguez’s Jane and Brett Dier’s Michael. Other shows featuring
However, there haven’t been shows this year that
interracial shows include, but aren’t limited to,
showcased a family unit that is multiracial. Embracing
Chicago Fire (Raymund’s Dawson and Jesse
family comedies that showcase interracial families will
Spencer’s Casey), ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of
become the next foray for TV writers, and that focus on
S.H.I.E.L.D. (Ming-Na Wen’s Agent May and Blair
interracial families is currently becoming reflected in
Underwood’s Dr. Garner), Sleepy Hollow
today’s commercials. If commercials have picked up on
(Greenwood’s Jenny Mills and Zach Appelman’s Joe
the fact that a large part of their consumer base is from a
Corbin), and AMC’s The Walking Dead (Steven
multiracial family, then soon writers and networks will
Yeun’s Glenn and Lauren Cohan's Maggie).
pick up on it, too.