Published by
Al-Araby
Al-Araby
As people of Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) descent, we’re used to depictions of our countries of origin and peoples in popular media as foreign, exotic, and dangerous. Mainstream Western media, especially action, superheroes, and fantasy films and television perpetuate this Orientalism. Representation matters on this massive entertainment stage for how easily and pervasively it influences how non-SWANA people view the region and its people. While we are so diverse in our region, and within our own individual countries, the perpetuation of this flattening gives audiences the mental …