The internet is in an uproar following the article by The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy in which she was recently referred to as a “woman of color,” hence causing widespread confusion and debate.
How Did This Start?
The spark hit the fan when a leading media outlet described Taylor-Joy, who is Argentine-Spanish-English, as a woman of color (WOC). It was pointed out that the actress was brought up in Argentina and the UK and was born in Florida, yet many contend that her predominant European roots do not match the standard criteria for the WOC notion.
Offended also were her fans, who used social media to show their shock, and her crits, who mostly identified themselves as her followers, acknowledged being bewildered at the news, some even saying that the point was made to her, and she did not confirm publicly anywhere as a colored woman.
Mixed Reactions Online
The internet was abuzz with many users frowning over the label’s logic.Is’t Anya Taylor-Joy a white person? When did they decide that she was a person of color?” was the tweet of one user.
- “Deeming Anya a WOC sounds to me as if they were erasing the actual women of color in Hollywood,” is what another wrote.
- A few of the entrusted the description and were saying that her Argentinian background and a multiracial education are valid, while conversely, the objectors pointed out that the Latin American country is not a POC country.
The Bigger Conversation
This debate shows that the talks about identity, representation, and how the media apply racial and ethnic labels are still ongoing. For instance, among the Latinx population, some identify as POC, while others whose ancestry is predominantly European do not, which makes for a complicated sorting.
Although Taylor-Joy has expressed no opinion, the fact that there is a debate in the first place has made quite a hit, and there are critical issues that such terms are in the hands of.
Final Thoughts
Whether this was an honest mistake or a mere attempt to signal diversity, the internet world keeps its own position. One thing is undoubted: Hollywood’s talk about race, ethnicity, and identity are still burning.
