This 'there were no diversity in HP books' thing is so funny to me, bitch there were barely any WELSH students in the books and you're asking for PoC students? You know Wales, a country IN THE UK? Lower your expectations.
Dean Thomas, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Blaise Zabini, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson and Lavender Brown (that last one is a little awkward since the films made her white as soon as they wanted her to have a speaking role)
The gal who flirted with Harry at the beginning of The Half-Blood Prince should have been a witch, though she wasn't. Anyway, she was magma-hot, which is the important thing.
As not a black British person: I think it's complicated? There's dynamics of racism and implicit bias, but not the hundreds of years of chattel slavery as a backdrop. And simply, the cultural influence the US has on them (and the rest of the world).
I've submitted stray dog adoption posts that have been downvoted. I swear there are users that just go through user sub with the sole intention of downvoting everything.
If you piss off the right person by calling them out for being fucking terrible, they’ll do you a solid and downvote all of your comment history until they get bored.
Yes, but.....BLACK....must...have...outrage...and...massive...ANGER! Okay, no real reason but that's what stoopids do when confronted with something that can be remanufactured into racism.
Yeah the only students described as black in my recollection are Dean and Blaise, Michael Corner is referred to as tall and dark. Inferences can be drawn around the Patel twins given it's an Indian name.
Skin colour isn't explicitly described for most characters however.
Hey, they made Dean Thomas black in the movies as well! That brings us to a grand total of like... 3 or 4? And that's with inclusivity casting initiatives? Jesus christ Rawling, you're racist AND a terf
Dean was black in the books. Lavender was implicitly white, then played by a black extra until the 6th when she became white when she had a bigger part. There's about five in the books (Dean Thomas, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Blaise Zabini)
I'll take your word for it. I read them in high school and haven't touched them since, cause they're thoroughly mid books and JK Rawling is a fucking twat.
Maybe if the character wasn't black and dressed like a background extra in Wakanda Forever. Shacklebolt could have been a name for a magical jail warden or a magical blacksmith that creates chains to bind evil wizards. A shacklebolt is the threaded bolt that links chains and shackles together. It's a terrible and insulting name for a person of color.
But that's assuming the name itself carries meaning. Like, I get it with Cho and that Goldstein kid, but this doesn't feel racially charged to me. Maybe to Americans it's a little more sensitive though, I don't know.
They already had an Irish wizard. His name was Seamus Finnegan and his defining character trait was causing explosions, in reference to the IRA terrorist organisation, who were known for their use of car bombs. The Troubles were still ongoing at the time of the first two books releases...
Yes, her name had to be changed for Chinese localisation because people used to the language would point out it's wrong. She's Zhang Qiu, in those versions. (Remember that their naming conventions are Family, Given, so Cho became Qiu, Chang became Zhang.)
Then again... OK, I'm thinking of an actor, but... Michael Douglas? Two first names as first and surname. Of course, That's how it works here in Europe/The US, there are probably alot more stringent rules over in China, Korea, etc.
There are linguistic rules around names in some cultures. Her name as it was in the English version of the books and movies, even flipped to fit the family name first aspect, would be considered weird to the point of Wrong. And while it would be acceptable for a Western name to follow Western formats (They didn't need to change Ron Weasley for example), when it's supposed to be an Asian name (The fact JK didn't even establish Which Asian country is also part of the problem) it'd be noticed.
Cho Chang is the one of the least weird names. People speaking Chinese claim it's more of a name like Harry Potter, a commonish name. Or it could be Korean, like Cho Zang-hee who is an actual person.
Apparently it depends which Chinese language you're talking about - like it's much more plausible as a Cantonese name than a Mandarin one, I think. Or maybe the reverse. It's less inherently stupid than often claimed, anyway.
it's just so basic. Even Star Trek Voyager had a better name. Harry Kim. She could have just picked a semi popular asian surname and then a random first name. Cho Chang is lazy and mildly racist white person shit and it shows
TheBigMcC
Kingsley Shacklebolt….
TheGriffin
"I look like I work in HR and listen to Ed Sheeran during sex" đź’€
Yellowchopsticks
At least it's not Clortho Public School for Wizards.
RoutemasterFlash
Haha, this is amazing.
NorrinxRadd
Hahaahhaha
Copperbrat
Guess you're in Stiffyndor now.
RodolpheSicard
It's genial
Taranis1878
This 'there were no diversity in HP books' thing is so funny to me, bitch there were barely any WELSH students in the books and you're asking for PoC students? You know Wales, a country IN THE UK? Lower your expectations.
KommanderKayriel
You're right, I didn't see any half-sheep people at all.
Youhavinagiraffe
Dean Thomas, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Blaise Zabini, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson and Lavender Brown (that last one is a little awkward since the films made her white as soon as they wanted her to have a speaking role)
prfesser
The gal who flirted with Harry at the beginning of The Half-Blood Prince should have been a witch, though she wasn't. Anyway, she was magma-hot, which is the important thing.
letthecatout
You probably need to read the books or watch the films. Because you’re wrong.
90sLego
Blizards
Axelxdisepic
But uno reversed
Fendeezy
So real question; Do the black British relate more to the black Americans in terms of pop culture and style?
idownvoteplottwist
As not a black British person: I think it's complicated? There's dynamics of racism and implicit bias, but not the hundreds of years of chattel slavery as a backdrop. And simply, the cultural influence the US has on them (and the rest of the world).
Macwalrus
That is the most Irish sounding black guy I've ever heard
USSBigBooty
ToSisPoS
According the Cursed Chikd, Hermione was black all along.
a1b6c4d7
Time to cast a spell of representation on the wizarding world!
jasonjay
One of these lads is Irish for sure.
Dublin by the sounds of it
detectivepopcornmmmmm
Lee Jordan and he went on to become Magnitude. Pop, pop.
RealRaceRiotsAreAboutGettingBlueshelledInMarioKart
gordy77
Pop what?
detectivepopcornmmmmm
friendsofsandwiches
People downvote because they are offended.
OH, but they're sure able to laugh at the SNL joke swap.
JamJarre
freakdiablo
I've submitted stray dog adoption posts that have been downvoted. I swear there are users that just go through user sub with the sole intention of downvoting everything.
Hammertulski
If you piss off the right person by calling them out for being fucking terrible, they’ll do you a solid and downvote all of your comment history until they get bored.
NotGoodAtUserNames1
Or, maybe they aren’t into HP? Everything gets downvoted at first. It’s back up now.
friendsofsandwiches
well, I upvoted, but now I have pissed them off. TO THE DUNGEON!
JamJarre
To be clear you're being downvoted because of your terrible personality, not because of woke, or politics, or whatever you think it is
friendsofsandwiches
Yeah, I'm a horrible person. Just horrible.
BlindGardener
There were afro-British students at the school, and in the harry potter musical Hermione is black.
BlindGardener
That being said, there were far more indo-british students at the school.
Youhavinagiraffe
Which makes sense if you've ever been to a British school in most areas of the country
prfesser
Hemione was BLACK? Just a moment, I need to find the Manufactured-Outrage machine.
ToSisPoS
JK even okayed it on Twitter
prfesser
Yes, but.....BLACK....must...have...outrage...and...massive...ANGER! Okay, no real reason but that's what stoopids do when confronted with something that can be remanufactured into racism.
ToSisPoS
SacrificialClam
What about Dean Thomas?
neospor1n
I think you mean Magnitude (pop pop)
idownvoteplottwist
spent too much time in Clapham for them
wired314
How many lines did he have eh
naomiMoonBeast
I mean in the book he plays a bigger part but...
MadamPuddifoot
He fucked Ginny, wtf do you mean?
blwoodcock
More than enough credit for me if I were a teen boy in that series.
WorkingHard
Munya?
ReleaseTheBeeees
Most irritating man in the world
jalcantara88127001
Yes
splain
Munya business
Helloimriver
Chawawa.
TedBuckley
Dunno, man. It's been a whole 90 seconds and he hasn't mentioned growing up in Zimbabwe. Must be some other dude /s
MikaMox
Did you know his gardener made him a bow
Subtilico
But there were black kids in Hogwarts in the movies.
GeraldsNinjaStar
And they had fuck all to do with the plot.
TheBigMcC
Stop ruining their narrative … +1
NothingPrince
My ex student was one of them
Snooj
Also in the books. Although not everyone was described by skin color in the books to there may have been more students than we know about.
Ultin8
Yeah the only students described as black in my recollection are Dean and Blaise, Michael Corner is referred to as tall and dark. Inferences can be drawn around the Patel twins given it's an Indian name.
Skin colour isn't explicitly described for most characters however.
fourseasonsandamovie
Yeah. 2 named characters IIRC.
wabitgirl
Hey, they made Dean Thomas black in the movies as well! That brings us to a grand total of like... 3 or 4? And that's with inclusivity casting initiatives? Jesus christ Rawling, you're racist AND a terf
TheLesserOfTwoWeevils
Dean was black in the books. Lavender was implicitly white, then played by a black extra until the 6th when she became white when she had a bigger part. There's about five in the books (Dean Thomas, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Blaise Zabini)
wabitgirl
I'll take your word for it. I read them in high school and haven't touched them since, cause they're thoroughly mid books and JK Rawling is a fucking twat.
fourseasonsandamovie
I didn't recall correctly. 5. jeez
Crowlands
There was even an explicitly African one... Named... Shacklebolt...
Jesus Christ Joanne, was "Mr. Escapedslave" only just too on the fucking nose?
Still, not as bad as Cho Chang the Chinawoman...
spLagger
I think the issue really is just that it's a lazy name, but it shouldn't be offensive.
4vie
Before I realised the negative connotations of his name, I always parsed Kingsley's name as basically meaning "the best at catching wizard criminals".
idownvoteplottwist
Patel sisters
RoutemasterFlash
Patel is actually just a very common surname in the UK, though.
Asadsadsadclown
Very common everywhere. I know a handful of them, none are related.
Zixtank
I wanna counter though; Shacklebolt is a dope name.
jayman0123
Maybe if the character wasn't black and dressed like a background extra in Wakanda Forever. Shacklebolt could have been a name for a magical jail warden or a magical blacksmith that creates chains to bind evil wizards. A shacklebolt is the threaded bolt that links chains and shackles together. It's a terrible and insulting name for a person of color.
Zixtank
But that's assuming the name itself carries meaning. Like, I get it with Cho and that Goldstein kid, but this doesn't feel racially charged to me. Maybe to Americans it's a little more sensitive though, I don't know.
Beefkins
"In my new book I've introduced an Irish wizard girl. Her name is Anita Potato. I will not be taking questions, thank you."
Crowlands
They already had an Irish wizard. His name was Seamus Finnegan and his defining character trait was causing explosions, in reference to the IRA terrorist organisation, who were known for their use of car bombs.
The Troubles were still ongoing at the time of the first two books releases...
Beefkins
Hilarious that I couldn't actually do worse than she did, even with parody. She's deranged.
4vie
"The Chinawoman with two Korean first names", even! :P As I recall the stories.
Crowlands
Yes, her name had to be changed for Chinese localisation because people used to the language would point out it's wrong.
She's Zhang Qiu, in those versions. (Remember that their naming conventions are Family, Given, so Cho became Qiu, Chang became Zhang.)
4vie
Then again... OK, I'm thinking of an actor, but... Michael Douglas? Two first names as first and surname. Of course, That's how it works here in Europe/The US, there are probably alot more stringent rules over in China, Korea, etc.
Crowlands
There are linguistic rules around names in some cultures.
Her name as it was in the English version of the books and movies, even flipped to fit the family name first aspect, would be considered weird to the point of Wrong.
And while it would be acceptable for a Western name to follow Western formats (They didn't need to change Ron Weasley for example), when it's supposed to be an Asian name (The fact JK didn't even establish Which Asian country is also part of the problem) it'd be noticed.
PanNonOpticon
Cho Chang is the one of the least weird names. People speaking Chinese claim it's more of a name like Harry Potter, a commonish name. Or it could be Korean, like Cho Zang-hee who is an actual person.
TheBigMcC
I think I’m going to get upset that the main protagonist was called Harry! … too English … /s
Crowlands
The Chinese localizers for the books had to change it to Zhang Qiu.
Relayu
Zhang Qui very much for that information.
RoutemasterFlash
Apparently it depends which Chinese language you're talking about - like it's much more plausible as a Cantonese name than a Mandarin one, I think. Or maybe the reverse. It's less inherently stupid than often claimed, anyway.
jayman0123
it's just so basic. Even Star Trek Voyager had a better name. Harry Kim. She could have just picked a semi popular asian surname and then a random first name. Cho Chang is lazy and mildly racist white person shit and it shows
RoutemasterFlash
By the sounds of it, any half-way plausibility of it as a Chinese name is accidental on Rowling's part, so it's definitely lazy.