Defending the Academy on Diversity

Recent controversy that the Academy Awards are not inclusive of diversity on the basis that they had no African-American nominees are baseless. Statistically, it had to happen sooner or later and I object to the notion that the Academy needs to reserve a spot for a black actor just so it can sidestep the racial debate.The Academy has even had three years where there have been as many as five nominees.

2009: 3-Freeman, Sidibe, Monique
2008: 2-Taraji P Henson, Davis
2007: 1-Ruby Dee
2006: 5-Hotsou, Whitaker, Smith, Hudson, E Murphy
2005: 1-T Howard
2004: 5-J Foxx, S Okendo, D Cheadle, J Foxx, M Freeman
2003: 1-D Hounsou
2002: 1-Queen Latifah
2001: 3-H Berry, D Washington, W Smith

23 nominations over 10 years= 2.3 a year. And that means an average of 2.3/20=11.5% of the nominations have gone to African-Americans. If African-Americans make up significantly more than 11.5% of the SAG, you have little basis for complaint.

Not to mention an additional percentage of non-whites:
2010: Javier Bardem (Hispanic) 2009: Penelope Cruz (Hispanic) 2008: P Cruz (Hispanic) 2007: Javier Bardem (Hispanic) 2006: Penelope Cruz (Hispanic), Rinko Kikuchi (Asian), Adriana Barazza (Hispanic) 2005: Charlize Theron (White African) 2004: Caitlin Sandia Moreno (Hispanic) 2003: Ken Watanabe (Japanese), Benicio del Toro (Hispanic), Keisha Castle-Hughes (New Zealand/Maori), Ben Kingsley (Half-Indian), Shoreh Aghdoshloo (Iranian) 2002: Selma Hayek (Hispanic) 2001: Ben Kingsley (Half-Indian).

This is an additional 15 nominations over 10 years. Theron, Castle-Hughes and Kingsley are only half non-white but still that's an additional 7.5%. So that's 19%.

Let's also establish of there's an American favoritism or a UK/USA favoritism:
2000: Julie Walters (UK), Judi Dench (UK) Albert Finney (UK), Russell Crowe (New Zealand), Javier Bardem (Spain), Benicio del Toro (Mexico), Geoffery Rush (Austalia), Juliette Binoche (France)
2001: Kate Winslet (UK), Tom Wilkinson (UK), Maggie Smith (UK), Helen Mirren (UK), Judi Dench (UK), Nicole Kidman (Australia)
2002: Daniel Day-Lewis (UK), Michael Caine (UK), Catherine Zeta-Jones (UK-Wales), Selma Hayek (Mexico), Nicole Kidman (Australia), Russell Crowe (New Zealand)
2003: Ben Kinglsey (UK), Jude Law (UK), Naiomi Watts (UK), Samantha Morton (UK), Djimon Hounsou (Benin/Nigeria), Benicio Del Toro (Mexico), Ken Wattanabe (Japan), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Australia),Charlize Theron (South Africa), Shoreh Aghdoshloo (Iran)
2004: Sophie Okendo (UK), Imelda Staunton (UK), Kate Winslet (UK), Natalie Portman (Israel), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Colombia)
2005: Judi Dench (UK), Kiera Knightly (UK), Rachel Weisz (UK), Charlize Theron (South Africa),
2006: Helen Mirren (UK), Judi Dench (UK), Kate Winslet (UK), Peter O'Toole (Ireland), Djimon Hounsou (Benin/Nigeria), Adriana Barraza (Mexico), Rinko Kikuchi (Japan), Cate Blanchett (Australia), Penelope Cruz (Spain)
2007: Daniel Day-Lewis (UK), Tom Wilkinson (UK), Javier Bardem (Spain), Marion Cortillard (France) Ellen Page (Canada), Julie Christie (India), Cate Blanchett (Australia) (X2)
2008: Kate Winslet (UK), Penelope Cruz (Spain), Heath Ledger (Australia)
2009: Helen Mirren (UK), Colin Firth (UK), Carey Mulligan (UK), Christophe Waltz (Austria), Penelope Cruz (Spain), Christopher Plummer (Canada)
2010: Colin Firth (UK), Helena Bohman Carter (UK), Christian Bale (UK-Wales), Geoffery Rush (Australia), Nicole Kidman (Australia), Natalie Portman (Israel), Jackie Weaver (Australia), Javier Bardem (Spain),

73/220 nominees are non-American: 33.1%
66.9% of nominees are American
65.9% of nominees are American or Canadian
30/220 or 13.6% of the nominees are from Great Britain
39/220 or 17.7% are European
11/220 or 5% are Australian


Considering almost a 1/3 of the nominees are not from the US and the Academy/Hollywood is centered in the US, charges of xenophobia are not really valid