Diversity in Literature & Media (WAS book differences)

[nplyon]

No: HPFGUIDX 40645

> Apparently, the existence of black people. That's what this boils 
> down to. 
> 
> Do you want to know if a black kid attends Hogwarts? 
> 
> If you "knew" already, great, more power to you.
> 
> But if you're so enlightened as to know already, then why would it 
> bother you to have it acknowledged?
> 
> 
> Darrin

I've been hesitant to jump in here because this is becoming a pretty 
heated thread.  However, I think it only fair to defend those who are 
being attacked.

In the United States, there exists an uneasy feeling that everything 
must be "PC."  This is probably hard for someone who does not live in 
the U.S. to understand.  As you all already know, the U.S. is very 
culturally diverse but, as some of you may not know, not as well 
integrated as it should be.  Many white people feel a bit 
apprehensive as to how exactly they should address people of 
different ethnic backgrounds.  The terms are forever changing and 
some people are offended by certain terms while others are not.  For 
instance, "black" is a term that some people dislike and that is why 
you usually hear the term "African American" applied.

The major problem with what happened in the novels is *not* that 
there are characters of different ethnic backgrounds and I *firmly* 
believe that everyone who has posted on this thread thus far does not 
have a problem with it.  I think the problem with the insertion of 
the word "black" into the U.S. edition of the novels is that to some 
Americans it seems to scream, "Look, this novel really is diverse!"  
The problem is not with the existence of black characters, it is with 
the perceived need on the part of the publisher to blantantly point 
out that Hogwarts is not just full of white kids.  As many people 
have pointed out, this is not done with characters like Cho and the 
Patil twins.  So why with Angelina and Dean?  There is some definite 
merit to the argument that their names are not in and of themselves 
indicative to a U.S. audience that they are not white.  As many other 
Americans have said, I too missed the clues given by the fact that 
Dean is a West Ham fan. 

All I am attempting to do is to point out that the issue of race is a 
very tense one in the U.S.  I think this thread has run its course 
and I don't want to see it erupt into a flame war because I am not 
sure that anyone who has never lived in the U.S. can understand it, 
just as I do not understand the significance of being a West Ham fan 
because I have never lived in England.  What it boils down to is that 
many of the others who have posted are bothered by the fact that the 
publisher saw fit to alter the author's work.  That is all.

~Nicole, who would also like to point out that two of the most 
popular television shows in the U.S., ER and Law & Order, both 
feature a very culturally diverse cast.