Abstract: In the 21st century, representations of South Asians in American popular television have increased significantly. However, there has been very little critical analysis on the ways in which these characters are created and produced. In this review, I use literature from the sociology of race/ethnicity, immigration, and critical media studies to identify the concept of “(ethnic) characterization.” While it may be assumed that these representations are created unconsciously, I suggest that media producers intentionally use particular ethnic characteristics that are identified and discussed in contemporary sociological literature. As a result, I argue that these types of media characterizations are relevant to the discipline of sociology.

Key words: South Asians, race, media representations, America

摘要： 进入21 世纪以来，美国流行电视节目中的南亚裔人物形象骤然增多，然而美国电视批评界却鲜有对这些人物形象的创作和消费进行对应研究。采用社会学中的种族和移民理论，结合媒体批评的研究方法，探究美国流行媒体节目中这一现象的“（种族）类型化”概念的存在与变异。媒体制作人有目的地在节目中使用的特定种族化特征，并非无意识地随机出现在媒体中，它们在当代社会文本中具有特殊含义。

关键词: 南亚, 种族, 媒体形象, 美国