http://aang-aint-white.livejournal.com/646.html
Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall
Kennedy/Marshall Company
619 Arizona Avenue, Fl. 2
Santa Monica, California 90401
Dear Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall;
I recently became an avid fan of AVATAR: the LAST AIRBENDER and have viewed the entire DVD series over the course of three months together with my two children, aged 7 and 8. I am excited to hear of a movie coming out based on the Nickelodian animated series!
NONE of the characters in Avatar are Caucasian, rather they span the majority world of yellow and brown people. Waterbenders are clearly Inuit. Aang, himself, is clearly East Asian. The Fire Nation is clearly Japanese. Many of the characters throughout the series represent nomadic and peasant civilizations across the large continent of Asia. Not only are the race of the people clearly not WHITE, cultural cues are also firmly planted in Asian culture and customs. The foundation of the entire series rests on Asian tenets.
My children are mixed race Asian/Caribbean. It is important to me they have a healthy cultural awareness. To caucasianize Avatar with white face will not only misrepresent the essence of AVATAR, it would contribute to a colonial mindset that distorts the power balance between cultures and negatively affects my childrens' sense of self-worth in their roots.
On the flip side, this represents a wonderful opportunity for brown and yellow actors to play positive characters that look like them, and for brown and yellow children to finally see honest portrayals of non-stereotyped characters who look like them!
It is your choice. Do you continue a long history of racist harm, or is it truly a new day in America? I believe if you take a moment to consider, the choice is clear.
YES YOU CAN!
Sincerely,
