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Indian Accents: Brown Voice and Racial Performance in American Television and Film
Contributor(s): Dave, Shilpa S. (Author)
ISBN: 0252078934     ISBN-13: 9780252078934
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
OUR PRICE:   $26.73  
Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats
Published: March 2013
Qty:
Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Ethnic Studies - Asian American Studies
- Social Science | Popular Culture
- Social Science | Discrimination & Race Relations
Dewey: 791.436
LCCN: 2012049553
Series: Asian American Experience (University of Illinois)
Physical Information: 0.63" H x 6.03" W x 9.09" (0.70 lbs) 208 pages
Themes:
- Ethnic Orientation - Asian
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

Amid immigrant narratives of assimilation, Indian Accents focuses on the representations and stereotypes of South Asian characters in American film and television. Exploring key examples in popular culture ranging from Peter Sellers' portrayal of Hrundi Bakshi in the 1968 film The Party to contemporary representations such as Apu from The Simpsons and characters in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Shilpa S. Dave develops the ideas of "accent," "brownface," and "brown voice" as new ways to explore the racialization of South Asians beyond just visual appearance. Dave relates these examples to earlier scholarship on blackface, race, and performance to show how "accents" are a means of representing racial difference, national origin, and belonging, as well as distinctions of class and privilege. While focusing on racial impersonations in mainstream film and television, Indian Accents also amplifies the work of South Asian American actors who push back against brown voice performances, showing how strategic use of accent can expand and challenge such narrow stereotypes.