How should ethnicity be represented to avoid tokenism in TV drama?

• A. Tokenistic side characters.
• B. Complex, multi-dimensional characters, central roles, narrative arcs exploring cultural contexts.
• C. A background only with no depth.
• D. One-dimensional stereotypes.

Answer: (B)

Representing ethnicity in TV drama without tokenism means treating characters as fully developed people whose cultural background adds texture to their story, not just a checkbox or stereotype. The best approach is to build complex, multi-dimensional characters in central roles with narrative arcs that explore their cultural contexts. When a character is central and allowed to grow, we see how their ethnicity intersects with goals, relationships, and decisions in nuanced ways, giving them agency and authenticity rather than reducing them to a single trait. This approach invites audiences to understand diverse experiences and avoids flattening people into stereotypes. By contrast, using ethnicity as a tokenistic side character, placing it in the background with no depth, or presenting one-dimensional stereotypes diminishes real people and reinforces caricatures.