Emma Stone Speaks out on 'Aloha' Controversy
LOS ANGELES - Emma Stone has spoken out about the controversy surrounding the film "Aloha" which some claimed had not represented Hawaiian ethnicities properly by not casting Hawaiian natives in lead roles - especially hers as a part Hawaiian military consultant.
"There’s a lot of conversation about how we want to see people represented on screen and what we need to change as a business to reflect culture in a clearer way," said the 26-year-old actress Stone said in an interview with the Australian outlet, News.com.au.
"I’ve learned on a macro level about the insane history of whitewashing in Hollywood and how prevalent the problem truly is. It’s ignited a conversation that’s very important," Stone said. "The character was not supposed to look like her background."
In the critically-panned Cameron Crowe release earlier this year, the actress played the role of Air Force pilot Allison Ng, who is described in the film as a quarter Asian and a quarter Hawaiian, opposite Bradley Cooper and Rachel McAdams. The romantic dramedy was widely criticized for the casting seclection of Stone, as well as for its so-called "whitewashed" onscreen depiction of native Hawaiians, played by white actors.
"Caucasians only make up 30 percent of the population [of Hawaii], but from watching this film, you’d think they made up 99 percent," said Guy Aoki, co-founder and head of Media Action Network for Asian-Americans. "It's an insult to the diverse culture and fabric of Hawaii."
Crowe had apologized for the casting selections in his online blog where he said: "From the many voices, loud and small, I have learned something very inspiring. So many of us are hungry for stories with more racial diversity, more truth in representation, and I am anxious to help tell those stories in the future."