Wednesday Community Spotlight: Desaree Ortiz
February 24th, 2010 | Published in Community, Supporter Spotlight
Welcome to this week’s supporter spotlight!
Every Wednesday, we’ll be spotlighting a different member of the community. We all believe in working to cure ignorance and celebrate the many faces of America – and the world. Now each week, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about other people in our network of supporters, who hail from all over the United States and across over fifty countries of the world.
Today we’re learning about Racebending.com’s very own Desaree Ortiz!
1. Who are you?
Desaree Ortiz. Mixed race: 1/2 Mexican Native, 1/2 White, mother of three.
2. What’s your story?
High School graduate of ‘99, former Boise State student and currently enrolled at the Institute of Children’s Literature.
My educational goals have been put on hold since I became a mother, but I still have hope for our future. As long as we are together and happy I feel that we can overcome any obstacle.
3. Why do you support Racebending.com and how did you learn about us?
I support Racebending.com because there are so many people out there who don’t recognize that what Paramount did is discrimination. I want to help spread the word about what happened to The Last Airbender and hopefully prevent it from happening again.
Like many of our supporters I’m a fanatic of Avatar: The Last Airbender. After the series finished I became a bit obsessed trying to find out whom would be cast for Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko. After Entertainment Weekly posted the original cast, I followed the comments and sent in letters demanding a recast. I started out through Live Journal and posted up letters I sent to Greenland during the filming. Now I’m a staff member and proud of it!
4. What makes you passionate about The Last Airbender film controversy and similar Hollywood choices?
While my original passion for the series led me to Racebending.com, as a mother I just can’t stand the fact that Caucasian actors where purposely chosen for characters clearly based off of Inuit and Asian cultures. I am neither but the effects swapping one race out and replacing it with another are damaging to children of all races.
I despise the fact that most leads in TV shows, books, and movies are purposely Caucasian. Everyone needs to understand that people of all races have different skin tones, and stereotyping based on skin color is wrong. For the sake of my children I choose to purchase products that include characters with darker skin tones. They need to see diversity.
5. What other issues interest you?
I worry about the earth and I recycle A LOT. I enjoy the landscape and love to sit outside and take it all in, especially at night. When I’m not working or protesting I like to draw and sometimes find myself writing poems.
6. What are your hopes for the future of American media?
I hope that together we can put a stop to discriminating casting practices. If we don’t continue fighting for it, the major media won’t stop construing how different ethnicities look by continually promoting Caucasian faces as acceptable replacements.
Interested in being next week’s spotlight? Let us know!
