Casting Yara Flor: What’s More Important?

[Samm]

So back when a Yara Flor show was rumored for the CW, I knew one of the main hurdles for this show would have been casting a proper actress for Yara. In the comics Yara Flor is a Native woman racially and a Brazilian ethnically, a concept that most fans don’t seem to understand. Most fans think of Latino as a race and so I saw a lot of either White or even Black Brazilians being fan cast as her... which brings me to my question: When casting Yara, what is more important, the actresses race or ethnicity?

[Mysterious]

So back when a Yara Flor show was rumored for the CW, I knew one of the main hurdles for this show would have been casting a proper actress for Yara. In the comics Yara Flor is a Native woman racially and a Brazilian ethnically, a concept that most fans don’t seem to understand. Most fans think of Latino as a race and so I saw a lot of either White or even Black Brazilians being fan cast as her... which brings me to my question: When casting Yara, what is more important, the actresses race or ethnicity?

If she's native in comics then the actress should be also. So simple.

[Alpha]

When casting Yara, what is more important, the actresses race or ethnicity?

Did you mean "nationality or ethnicity"? Do race and ethnicity mean different things?

[LordMikel]

Did you mean "nationality or ethnicity"? Do race and ethnicity mean different things?

Yes, I had to google the difference and found this.

"In basic terms, race describes physical traits, and ethnicity refers to cultural identification. Race may also be identified as something you inherit while ethnicity is something you learn"

[Alpha]

I supoose the reason for that is that Jewish people don't have distinct physical attributes connected to being jewish, and thus the need for the word ethnicity, but I don't think it makes much difference in this case.

Native brazillians are both a race and an ethnicity.

The casting of Yara Flor would in fact be difficult, he is absolutely right. I don't know how many native brazilians actresses are out there that resemble the character of Yara Flor and have the skills to play her. Native actors in brazil are a minority.

It should definitely be a priority to go for someone with the actual cultural background and ethnicity. But ultimately I think it would be acceptable to cast someone who is a native south american, even if that person isn't brazillian. Don't get me wrong, the actress in that case would need to actually learn to speak portuguese, since brazil is the only country in south america where portuguese is wildly spoken.

(I say this as a bi racial person from Portugal that probably knows more about Brazil than most people here, and has lots of white friends and family from Brazil but still hasn't actually been there).

[SJNeal]

Yes, I had to google the difference and found this.

"In basic terms, race describes physical traits, and ethnicity refers to cultural identification. Race may also be identified as something you inherit while ethnicity is something you learn"

Would nationality also fall under ethnicity, by this definition? Someone of any race can be born anywhere in the world, emigrate to the United States, and still be American if that's what they've learned to culturally identify as, yeah...?

And here I thought I had these terms all figured out!

[Alpha]

Ultimately, representation of a minority like south american natives is much more important than the language the actress speaks. The fact that Yara is of native ancestry is much more important than that she is brazillian.

Ohhh, and Yara didn't even grow up in Brazil apparently. So it makes a lot of sense that her portuguese wouldn't be great.

[The World]

Adhere to both in the casting. Put in the work to get close to the source material.

[Alpha]

Adhere to both in the casting. Put in the work to get close to the source material.

Sure, if possible. But tv shows don't have casting calls as extensive as movies. So if the characters themselves didn't even grow up in Brazil (and thus wouldn't have a good accent) and the actress can learn the language itself, it's good to at least have a native south american, even if from another country.

[John Venus]

Native all the way. Have a native showrunner as well.

[Koriand'r]

No I'm not doing all that, so I'm not voting. If ethnicity were so important Gal Gadot would never have been cast as Wonder Woman. For Yara Flor they should just get a younger actor that looks as much like Eva Mendes as possible and call it a day.

eva-mendes-in-black.jpg

eva-mendes-21056489-1-402.jpg

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I'd probably go for race over ethnicity since Yara was raised in the states.

[Robanker]

Gonna say native. I don't want to see a white Brazilian cast as Yara Flor.

Beatriz (Fire, a white Brazilian) and Yara do not look the same so let's cast appropriately.

[LordMikel]

Would nationality also fall under ethnicity, by this definition? Someone of any race can be born anywhere in the world, emigrate to the United States, and still be American if that's what they've learned to culturally identify as, yeah...?

And here I thought I had these terms all figured out!

Didn't copy well, but here is where I got this chart.
https://blog.prepscholar.com/race-vs...vs-nationality

TERM DEFINITION EXAMPLES
Race Physical characteristics that define a person as being a member of a specific group Skin color, hair color and texture, eye color, facial features, physical build
Ethnicity Cultural characteristics that define a person as being a member of a specific group Language, accent, religion, styles of dress, hairstyles, social customs, food and dietary preferences or restrictions
Nationality The legal sense of belonging to a specific political nation state Citizenship (birthright or naturalized)

[LordMikel]

Gonna say native. I don't want to see a white Brazilian cast as Yara Flor.

Beatriz (Fire, a white Brazilian) and Yara do not look the same so let's cast appropriately.

Actually I think you would mean race over nativity.
If a native couple adopt a white child and raise her, she would be considered native and could then be cast as Yara.