Introducing Diversity on TV
PBS has always been an example of inclusion and life lessons for children, often featuring diverse characters in shows like Hero Elementary, Odd Squad, and Sesame Street. Their show Arthur, based on the Marc Brown book series, has broken new ground in recent years. In 2019, the teacher character Mr. Ratburn plans his wedding and his students find out he is in a same-sex relationship. The episode encounters heteronormativity with the students assuming multiple female suitors for their teacher, but once they discover that Patrick, the local chocolatier, is Mr. Ratburn’s groom, they have no questions or objections to this newly discovered sexual orientation. The same-sex marriage is treated no differently than an opposite-sex marriage, which allowed the writers to include sexual diversity without diminishing the story or characters. Mr. Ratburn has been a character since the beginning of the series (and is the first character I remember from the 1993 digital book: Arthur Teacher Trouble), and this new revelation doesn’t change the relationship between him and his students.
This year, Arthur introduced a Sikh character, Samir Chopra. Played by a South Asian, Canadian Actor, Samir also carries at least two Sikhi articles of faith, as explained by @sikhcampaign on Twitter:
We are so excited to see @PBSKIDS adding a Sikh character to Arthur! Not only will this help Sikh kids feel represented but it will also help normalize our articles of faith! pic.twitter.com/5utVhKdcD4
— Sikh Campaign (@sikhcampaign) August 23, 2021
While Samir’s introduction hasn’t caused the same waves (or backlash) as Mr. Ratburn’s wedding, advocates of South Asian representation have definitely taken notice. Quartz India has compared Arthur’s new character to actors like Riz Ahmed or Priyanka Chopra breaking into mainstream Hollywood, and count it as a win for representation. However, this isn’t without its pitfalls.
TikTok user @navthepoet comments that Arthur didn’t go “far enough” in explaining the Sikh faith, or the articles that Samir is wearing with the character’s introduction. Nav goes on to say: “this would’ve been a great opportunity to educate children and even many parents, especially when Sikh kids are harassed by their classmates for our identity.” He’s referring to the harassment and violence the Sikh community in America faced after the events of 9/11, when many Sikh men were confused in appearance with Muslims.
However, Arthur handled this topic similarly to how they handled Mr. Ratburn’s sexuality, by keeping the focus on the character instead of defining them by what makes them different. Samir isn’t treated differently by other students because of his religion, and Arthur sets a good example for children to follow when meeting people who don’t look or sound the same as them. Since he’s only appeared in a movie, we’ll wait to see if they expand on Samir’s heritage in future seasons.
There have also been concerns about the naming of the character. Samir is listed alternatively as Samir Chopra and Samir Patel, seeming to overlook religiously diverse naming conventions. At the end of the 17th century, the 10th Guru (teacher) of Sikhism instructed his followers to adopt the names Singh (for men) and Kaur (for women) in order to combat India’s caste system. Sikhs around the world either hold Singh or Kaur as their surnames or incorporate them with their family/clan names. YouTuber Jus Reign (Jasmeet Singh Raina) maintains the Sikh moniker Singh with his family name Raina. YouTuber iiSuperwomanii (Lilly Singh) was born in Canada and retains her father’s surname, but includes Kaur as a “middle” name. The names Singh and Kaur have religious, historical, and political significance and many Sikhs believe that omitting Kaur or Singh completely goes against the teachings of the Gurus. While Chopra is a common family or clan name for those in the Sikh community, Patel is a remnant of India’s caste system in Gujarat, and naming a Sikh character Patel would be highly offensive to the community’s history.
While we think PBS has the right idea when introducing new characters and ideas to shows like Arthur, it’s always important to do preliminary research and ensure that you’re portraying diversity accurately and in a way that viewers, especially children, are able to learn more.