I mean in the Next Generation, they resemble South American people mainly Mexicans. I'm sure some latino Americans thought the new Klingons were being racist.
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Have the Klingons ever been accused on racism?
- Thread starter EmmanuelZorg
- Start date
Seriously?
Er, what?I corrected those mistakes since i needed the bathroom.
Insufficient. I can still see a dubious question in your first post.
I'm afraid you are misinformed. A vast majority of the Klingons in Star Trek were portrayed by Caucasians.
Withers
Captain
I'm going to try to save your thread... but even my powers may not be enough for this debacle.
When Worf married Jadzia, Martok's wife Sirella was initially opposed to the marriage. According to what Martok said she felt bringing "aliens" into the great houses polluted the bloodlines. Worf responded by saying that was a "prejudice and xenophobic view." Martok responded by defending Sirella (essentially) saying that Klingons conquered other species rather than embrace them.
This is as close as I can ever recall to a direct accusation of racism in regard to the Klingons. If there is a better example of it I can't think of it... though I always found this funny; It wasn't uncommon for the various species to refer to one another in derogatory ways (i.e. the Romulan Senator saying every Romulan Zoo should have a pair of Klingons and Martok saying Romulans were an arrogant and untrustworthy species) and it was usually alright. Even the super heavy race episodes (ala Kira vs Cardassians) made it okay for a somewhat "speciest" attitude from one race to another.
They never tried doing this with a human being though (unless you count Bones- and I don't think he had a problem with Spock he just got irritated with him). I wonder why? Race between fictional races wasn't off the table but very few serious human vs other race moments cropped up in Star Trek (of course notable exceptions being like with Miles O'Brien but even still not quite as memorable.)
(I gave it my best shot friend.)
When Worf married Jadzia, Martok's wife Sirella was initially opposed to the marriage. According to what Martok said she felt bringing "aliens" into the great houses polluted the bloodlines. Worf responded by saying that was a "prejudice and xenophobic view." Martok responded by defending Sirella (essentially) saying that Klingons conquered other species rather than embrace them.
This is as close as I can ever recall to a direct accusation of racism in regard to the Klingons. If there is a better example of it I can't think of it... though I always found this funny; It wasn't uncommon for the various species to refer to one another in derogatory ways (i.e. the Romulan Senator saying every Romulan Zoo should have a pair of Klingons and Martok saying Romulans were an arrogant and untrustworthy species) and it was usually alright. Even the super heavy race episodes (ala Kira vs Cardassians) made it okay for a somewhat "speciest" attitude from one race to another.
They never tried doing this with a human being though (unless you count Bones- and I don't think he had a problem with Spock he just got irritated with him). I wonder why? Race between fictional races wasn't off the table but very few serious human vs other race moments cropped up in Star Trek (of course notable exceptions being like with Miles O'Brien but even still not quite as memorable.)
(I gave it my best shot friend.)
-Withers-
Why would latinos particularly think they are racist. I mean, if they are racist, shouldn't everyone be able to see that?
They certainly seemed racist to me: they think all Humans are weak cowards, and all Romulans are sneaky backstabbers, for example. While everyone on Star Trek is prone to certain stereotypes based on race, Klingons seem a bit more prone to it than most.
I think if someone sees the Klingons as an insult to a particular modern culture, particularly if that is based solely on the color of their skin, that says a lot more about the person who sees the insult than about the Klingons themselves.
So if that is what you meant, then "no", I don't think it is the Klingons that are racist.
They certainly seemed racist to me: they think all Humans are weak cowards, and all Romulans are sneaky backstabbers, for example. While everyone on Star Trek is prone to certain stereotypes based on race, Klingons seem a bit more prone to it than most.
I think if someone sees the Klingons as an insult to a particular modern culture, particularly if that is based solely on the color of their skin, that says a lot more about the person who sees the insult than about the Klingons themselves.
So if that is what you meant, then "no", I don't think it is the Klingons that are racist.
I think the OP may be asking if anyone in Real Life has considered the Klingons to be a racist representation of Latinos. Much like the stereotypical 'Asian' Neomidians of the Star Wars prequels, or the stereotypical 'Jamaican' Jar Jar Binks of the Star Wars prequels, or the (insert alien here) of the Star Wars prequels.
I'm going to say in the context of Star Trek, the type of speciesism portrayed is definitely more appropriate than racism, due to the fact that we are talking about different races with different characteristics. I.e. it's not wrong to say that cats are solitary animals and dogs enjoy companionship, although it is a generalization based on species.
If we're going to talk about racist (or speciest) aliens in Trek, about the only species I can think of that doesn't show some kind of bigotry would be the Denobulans, although Phlox was definately the target of such prejudice.
Perhaps the Borg. They'll assimilate everyone fairly.
Perhaps the Borg. They'll assimilate everyone fairly.
Withers
Captain
Were there any other species the Borg specifically mentioned as being unworthy of assimilation? If not that makes the Kazon the absolute laughing stock of the galaxy as even species like the Ferengi were assimilated (I'm sure their mathematical aptitudes played no small part in that but still...)
-Withers-
It seems the OP is a bit unclear in his language. Apparently he meant to ask whether anyone has ever considered the Klingons, as written and played in TNG, to be a racist stereotype of some Earth nationality or ethnicity, not whether the Klingons THEMSELVES are racist.
Well, they certainly don't look or sound Mexican to me. In fact, going back to Trek TOS, the original model for the Klingons was the warlike Mongols of central Asia. Just like the original Romulans were based on the Spartan-Roman thing, even to the point of having Latin-sounding names in "Balance of Terror" (an idea that was later dropped).
For the record, some folks have accused the Ferengi of being Jewish caricatures. Speaking as a Jew, I can confidently say they don't look Jewish!
Well, they certainly don't look or sound Mexican to me. In fact, going back to Trek TOS, the original model for the Klingons was the warlike Mongols of central Asia. Just like the original Romulans were based on the Spartan-Roman thing, even to the point of having Latin-sounding names in "Balance of Terror" (an idea that was later dropped).
For the record, some folks have accused the Ferengi of being Jewish caricatures. Speaking as a Jew, I can confidently say they don't look Jewish!
In ST VI, Azetbur takes exception to the humans' phrase "inalienable rights" and says it's racist.
DS9 ("Trials and Tribble-ations") and ENT seem to suggest that bumpy-headed Klingons treat smooth-headed Klingons differently, and there was inequity in various Klingons getting their proper looks back again. This was also explored decades ago, in "The Final Reflection" novel, where it was postulated that flat-foreheaded Klingons were descended from human/Klingon hybrids, originally breed as canon fodder warriers and slaves.
most species in Trek were speciesist.
Klingons despised Romulans, and vice versa. Worf in TNG and DS9 was open in his hatred of Romulans, even if his hatred had extra spice than other Klingons because Romulans killed his parents.
The Sheliak thought humans were inferior, the Cardassians oppressed the Bajorans due to them feeling superior.
The only openly non-speciesist race in Trek are humans. The only closest thing would be a disdain of the Ferengi, but i don't think this is hatred as such. Just mockery.
Klingons despised Romulans, and vice versa. Worf in TNG and DS9 was open in his hatred of Romulans, even if his hatred had extra spice than other Klingons because Romulans killed his parents.
The Sheliak thought humans were inferior, the Cardassians oppressed the Bajorans due to them feeling superior.
The only openly non-speciesist race in Trek are humans. The only closest thing would be a disdain of the Ferengi, but i don't think this is hatred as such. Just mockery.
Yet many of the actors playing them are.
I think the Klingon view racism as a norm. In Klingon culture, one claiming another race is equal to the Klingon would probably be laughed at. Sure, some individual might feel differently about certain races but overall, they tend to view other races to be either weak, honor-less or both. On the other end, we've seen specific non-Klingon individual prove their worth to the Klingons, therefore gaining respect, even if their race was still viewed as weak.
Kurn/Rodek (Tony Todd) was black. But Gowron, Martok, Duras, K'empec, K'Ehlyer, B'Elanna, were all played by non-black actors/actresses.
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