The universe of Star Wars is a big galaxy with millions of sentient species. No doubt some races have traits, whether physical or cultural, that may mimic our own.
It is also true that in a galaxy that has been predominantly run by humans, aliens have profited in a variety of commerce. In a way, the galaxy of Star Wars in the prequel era is a perfect allegory for how diversity can both enrich and divide a civilization if there are no shared common values.
So what’s the controversy?
For those who don’t know, when the Star Wars prequels were released over 20 years ago, many have had their own feeling about the portrait of certain aliens. Many have accused George Lucas of perpetuating racial stereotypes based on the portrayals in this list.
Ever since the Disney purchased the Star Wars IP a decade ago, these races have not appeared in star wars media. My personal theory is that Disney wants to keep its distance from these species because of the baggage they caused in the past.
The Gungans – African Americans
Out of all the stereotypes, the most frequently called up was Jar Jar Binks as a stereotype for African Americans. Making it even worse, his accent has been accused of resembling that of Black characters from the blackface-rampant Jim Crow-era American South.
Personally, I don’t see the connection as clearly as a few of the others on this list.
As a kid who grew up watching the prequels, Jar Jar never bothered me. It wasn’t until much later that I noticed people’s problems Jar Jar conveyed to some audiences. Despite the issues, I had no problem with Jar Jar as a character. It’s clear George Lucas simply wanted comic relief for the kids that were over the top. However, that voice simply could have jived better with many viewers to the point people wanted to read into things that weren’t there.
The Neimoidians – Asian Businessmen
When fans think of the Trade Federation, they usually think of the Neimoidians. In this case, the backlash was this was a kind of Asian stereotype. On top of them being motivated by profits, they also speak with a thick Japanese-sounding accent. It is easy to assume this is an attack on Asian corporations. However, Lucas has denied multiple times that this was his intention.
The irony is that the Trade Federation was actually meant to be an allegory of corporatist republicans that were rising in the American government. Nute Gunray was Lucas’ not-so-subtle parody of Newt Gingrich.
The Toydarians – Jewish Shopkeepers
Of the many stereotypes that people accused George of perpetuating, Watto was the Jewish trope. Watto is only interested in money, runs a small business, and speaks with a thick Hasidic accent and a big nose.
This trope may be the most on-the-nose out of all the apparent stereotypes that the prequel trilogy was accused of perpetuating. Only the Ferengi of Star Trek come closer to becoming an accidental Nazi propaganda piece.
However, I need to stress that these are, first and foremost, aliens. Not everything in the galaxy is based on how we see racism – which is why I don’t usually like to talk about such subjects in Star Wars because such conversations just don’t fit in this universe. Some aliens simply have exaggerated features and thick accents – or are otherwise just more capable (and therefore specialized) at certain professions than others.
Conclusion
Understandably, Disney would want to distance itself from controversy in the past. However, I feel like excluding these species altogether is not the best way to deal with past mistakes Lucus may not have always been perfect with his execution, but he always approached each race and world with a profound amount of thought into it. Sometimes people just take it the wrong way. I personally do hope we get to see these species again at some point because it is a way of being respectful to a time period the older generation tried to bury.
If they bring these species back, make improvements to make them not sound too much like those harmful tropes. After all, whether we like to admit it or not, stereotypes do exist.
All timelines in star wars have the stuff of value that deserve to have their share onscreen. Otherwise, this new star wars universe just becomes stale. I believe these races can be spotlighted again as their species contributed greatly to the Star Wars story. If we hide these races like they never existed because they offended someone one could argue the “retaliatory genocide” on Disney’s part.
