Constructions of race in advertising archives: The “silent” Chinese minority

Abstract

What do historical representational imageries of the Chinese in television commercials tell us about Britain’s perceptions of this ‘silent’ community? The power of advertising to distort reality and misrepresent ‘the Other’ is well documented. This report addresses colonial constructions of race in advertising using historical archival evidence of the Chinese as a hidden ethnic minority community in Britain. The arguments, drawn from my doctoral thesis, emphasises the importance of archival analysis in historical research on race. In particular, cultural commodification of Chinese culture is evidenced by their depiction during 1960s television commercials for Guinness Export. These interrogations provide clues to how Chinese people and culture have been constructed onscreen, and the political and hegemonic influence of racial politics in Britain. The report also considers the methodological implications of archival holdings in contributing to our understanding how and why race on screen advertising is produced, consumed, and reproduced.