Apu, Neela, and Amita. Stereotypes of Indian Americans in Mainstream TV Shows in the United States

Abstract

Indians and Indian Americans in the United States have often been stereotyped. Many of these clichés are reflected in the portrayal of Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) in American TV shows. This paper analyzes the stereotypes in the characters of three of the most well-known Indian Americans on TV. It is divided into two different sections: In the first part, the foundations for the case studies are laid, including a short discussion of the theoretical approaches used, a general assessment of stereotypes of Indians and Indian Americans with special emphasis on the “model minority” myth, and the presentation of the hypothesis and the case study selection. In the second main section, the case studies of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon (“The Simpsons”), Neela Rasgotra (“ER – Emergency Room”), and Amita Ramanujan (“Numb3rs”) are described and analyzed. A conclusion summarizes the argument.