Film Review: "Ethnic Man"

Heroes: winsomely toned men with hearts of gold and brawn of steel. Superman. X-Men. Spiderman. Alabaster skin epitomizes their divine complexion. However, in the real world, we see another superhero, a role model for the average American. His name is Ethnic Man and he is truly one of us, truly an American. Of African-American, Native American, Filipino, Chinese, Danish and German descent, Teja Arboleda (Ethnic Man) uses his worldly compass to defy stereotypes in this visual saga. This film follows Ethnic Man's epic battles, confronting racism and discrimination using gallant gestures of exerting difference to embrace universality. He saves the average American from the chains of singularity by charmingly and poignantly addressing the enigma of cultural, racial, and ethnic identity. Topping his fine verse with humorous undertone, Teja challenges us to contemplate "What does it mean to be an American?"

In America, a melting pot of differences, we are nonetheless confronted with a linear notion of the ideal, a discrete sense of belonging within the periphery. We grow up with the construct that the classic American has blue eyes, blond hair, and fair skin. Ethnic Man acknowledges this common experience when he points to pictures of Jesus in a Bible who has "totally white, white skin, blue eyes and blond hair" and calls him "the perfect, all-American surfer dude." American shows like "90210" and "Baywatch" reinforce this singular notion of Americanism.

However, underneath his clean facade of banter and fine commentary, excellent performance with fluid movements and variety of speech, Teja reveals that he, too, falls victim to the chains of singularity. He depicts his inner scars, deepened through taunting and multiple episodes of identity crises. Teja’s childhood friends in New York City often bellowed “Hail Hitler” to initiate a pre-defeated game of playing army with him. He was spit on, shoved, and punched. He was told again and again to return to where he belongs but he, too, does not know his true place of belonging. Teja recalls holding his dark hand against his mother's white hand and wishing he could look the same as her.

The issues that Teja depicts are not only his personal struggles, but social ones. People like Teja, the minorities in America, all share similar experiences of exclusion and repulsion. Fortunately, our differences and our firm foot in the door of America beckons a future when all differences are one and the same and we will all be considered Americans.

Ethnic Man is a genuine hero. He makes us reflect, and stretch our boundaries of reflection to make us think and hope and dream beyond. He challenges his audience to come to a greater truth that crosses both racial and color lines. His visual presentation, while welcomingly humorous and entertaining, also offers a very stimulating and enriching dialogue with a serious message: we are all American. In contrived heroes, there is only one archetype. In reality, heroes are the essence of difference. May Ethnic (Wo)Men save our race, our human race.