HSM Star Vanessa Hudgens Has Native American Ancestry
According to Wikipedia, High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgen’s “father is an American of Irish and Native American descent.”
This little known fact may appease the protests of Native Americans regarding the possible casting of Vanessa Hudgens as Leah Clearwater for the Eclipse and Breaking Dawn films.
In January 2009, Native Americans voiced out a strong statement against the young star, who is half-Filipino, in Indigenous Portal, “It is a sad day to see that the big power agents are marketing Filipino and Asian celebrity actors to play Native Americans. How can we accept that Filipinos and other ethnic groups, talented or not, are being packaged and sold to us as the redefined and new and improved Native American image?
“When films like Twilight knowingly and willfully select non-Native American actors to play Native roles, it sends the message that we’re not good enough to represent ourselves.”
Taylor Lautner, who will reprise his role as Jacob Black, had to reveal his Native American lineage, “I am part Native American. I’m French, Dutch and German, and on my mother’s side, she has some Potawatomi and Ottawa Indian in her.”
Although one can understand their concerns, it is a disturbing turn of events that an actor has to show his genealogy to satisfy casting decisions; and, adding the fact that aspersions to the Philippine ancestry of Vanessa Hudgens, who is half-Filipino by virtue of her mother, have been included in the protest, leaves me wondering if people are aware that in doing so, they are violating the basic human right to equality without distinction as to race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.
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February 4th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
After reading the full article, I am outraged As there are many open casting calls for other various roles, it seems petty that the argument is over the leads.
I can understand their concerns to an extent… but the article seems to discriminate against those of partial descent. Would they chastise people based on the fact that they are not fully Native American, would they like to specify? these days people have very mixed ancestries and it is unfair that a role should be reserved for any one specific race, that violates our human rights!
It does make sense that a Native American role would be played by a Native American but shouldn’t mean that it must be. For instance, if a Japanese person were to play a Chinese part, would there be this much of an uproar?
The [Indigenous Portal] article seems very opinionated and biased. Has Lydia Ponce spoken to any officials? Majority of the information seems to come from anonymous insiders which is not very reliable nor adds for a strong argument. What is insulting is the [Indigenous Portal] article.
February 4th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
If I remember correctly, there was an uproar when non-Japanese female actors were chosen for Memoirs of a Geisha :
“Controversy also arose during casting of the film when some of the most prominent roles, including those of the geishas Sayuri, Hatsumomo and Mameha, did not go to Japanese actresses. Zhang Ziyi (Sayuri) and Gong Li (Hatsumomo) are both Chinese, whereas Michelle Yeoh (Mameha) is an ethnic Chinese from Malaysia. More notable is the fact that all three were already prominent fixtures in Chinese cinema.”
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memoirs_of_a_Geisha_(film)
I guess the world’s citizens still need to learn tolerance.
February 4th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I didn’t realize that this had happened, I apologize for my ignorance in that matter. And was the movie really that horrible? It was an amazing movie. Did the actresses ethnic background hinder their performances? No.
This article still seems really insulting that even partial descent is not enough.
I agree with you in that everyone could be a lot more tolerant.
February 5th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
This reminds me a lot of the Joan of Arc film when [Ukrainian-American actress] Milla Jovovich (sorry, I can’t really remember her name – short term memory problem) played the role of Joan of Arc instead of a French one. I think it did caused an uproar too, but you have to admit sometimes, it’s better when these types of unfortune happens. It’s for the good sometimes, I guess…
February 8th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
It really shouldn’t matter what your ancestry is as long as the actor or actress is respectful. Like the article said, Taylor talked and learned about his part. I think that should be enough.
February 16th, 2009 at 6:30 am
I am quarter native american and it is disapointing how many roles of Native Americans are filled by non-native americans. I am insulted by the comments that have been left becasue it sucks seeing that native americans arnt being able to represent themselves ….besides Vanessa Hudgens would be horrible for that part not because of her look or ansestory because shes not that good of an actress ecspessially the part for Leah and if you all were a true fans you would know that. I think that we should acually give a TRUE Native American a chance to play a Natvive American role and not subsitute it with a highschool musically girly-girly star.
April 4th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Well I kind of feel like if the role is for native-American that they should have a native-American play it, I think there’s enough actors that are native American to choose from. That’s just my 2 cents.
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:57 am
well i think that being partially native American should be enough. Plus discriminating against another’s ancestry is violating the law. No matter how racially diverse we are, we are all Americans. Plus the actress auditioned! she must have won the part then. There are professionals handling these things let us leave it to the judgement of the experts. It is the producers who will spend the money, let them do as the wish, we live in a democratic country. If i told you to buy me a rolls royce, using your own money would you buy me one?? I think our problem is selfishness we always think about ourselves. Instead weighing things.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
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September 24th, 2009 at 2:44 am
Vanessa Hudgens doesn’t claim to be Native only that some far distant ancestor may have been. That’s not good enough. If that were the case, anyone can claim to be Native and genuine Native peoples have had such wannabes seeking to profit monetarily or otherwise from some supposed Native connection. Natives are apparently the only people facing that problem, at least much more so than other groups. As for Joe’s comment on how “we’re all Americans” I guess that justifies everything, aye? LOL Go on a rez and tell that to the people and after you’re done licking your wounds try to learn a bit more from this country’s relations with its indigenous folks and the strained relations that still continue to this day. Yeah, the “Indian Wars” aren’t over. To be blissfully ignorant.