History Main / ScaryMinoritySuspect

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'' doesn't typically go for this, but it had a heck of a LampshadeHanging in one episode. A juror died in the middle of a trial, and another juror immediately skipped town, making himself look guilty. When they bring him in, he explains that he saw a "big, scary black guy" glaring at him as it happened and figured that meant he was next. Said big, scary black guy thus becomes a suspect but is quickly cleared.

Often overlaps with ScaryBlackMan, {{Middle Eastern|Terrorists}} and SouthAsianTerrorists, RuthlessForeignGangsters, YellowPeril, and RoguishRomani. For crime tropes, compare TheButlerDidIt and OnlyOnePlausibleSuspect. Compare and contrast FlawlessToken.

When a crime happens, ranging from a petty theft to murder, who's the first person everyone blames? The TokenMinority character, of course--they just seem to have an evil look about them! This can be because their demographic is stereotyped to be full of criminals, they're seen as foreign and therefore untrustworthy, they're suspected of harboring racial resentment toward others, or they simply [[FaceOfAThug look strange and intimidating]]. If they're the sole minority character in the main cast, it'll often turn out that they're WronglyAccused and they were innocent all along--a RedHerring that's also designed to teach a PrejudiceAesop.

When a crime happens, ranging from a petty theft to murder, who's the first person everyone blames? That tough-looking minority character, of course. This can be because their demographic is stereotyped to be full of criminals, they're seen as foreign and therefore untrustworthy, they're suspected of harboring racial resentment toward others, or they simply [[FaceOfAThug look strange and intimidating]]. If they're the sole minority character in the main cast, it'll often turn out that they're WronglyAccused and they were innocent all along--a RedHerring that's also designed to teach a PrejudiceAesop.

Often overlaps with ScaryBlackMan, {{Middle Eastern|Terrorists}} and SouthAsianTerrorists, RuthlessForeignGangsters, YellowPeril, and RoguishRomani. For crime tropes, compare TheButlerDidIt. Compare and contrast FlawlessToken.

Very much a DeadUnicornTrope, and it's been seen as such for a long time. In 1928, Fr. Roland Knox wrote the "Ten Commandments" of the FairPlayWhodunnit, and Number 5 was "No Chinaman must figure in this story." [[ValuesDissonance Outrated racial terminology]] aside, it's a condemnation of stereotypical YellowPeril villains like Literature/FuManchu, who were always responsible for the crime because they're {{Inscrutable Oriental}}s with devious minds. Nowadays, it's almost impossible to find this trope played straight--mainly because creators want to avoid the UnfortunateImplications of frequently depicting minority characters as villains.

When a crime happens, ranging from a petty theft to murder, who's the first person everyone blames? The minority character, of course. This can be because their demographic is stereotyped to be full of criminals, they're seen as foreign and therefore untrustworthy, they're suspected of harboring racial resentment toward others, or they simply [[FaceOfAThug look strange and intimidating]]. If they're the sole minority character in the main cast, it'll often turn out that they're WronglyAccused and they were innocent all along--a RedHerring that's also designed to teach a PrejudiceAesop.

Very much a DeadUnicornTrope, and it's been seen as such for a long time. In 1928, Fr. Roland Knox wrote the "Ten Commandments" of the FairPlayWhodunnit, and Number 5 was "No Chinaman must figure in this story." [[ValuesDissonance Outrated racial terminology]] aside, it's a condemnation of stereotypical YellowPeril villains like Literature/FuManchu, who were always responsible for the crime because they're InscrutableOrientals with devious minds. Nowadays, it's almost impossible to find this trope played straight--mainly because creators want to avoid the UnfortunateImplications of frequently depicting minority characters as villains.

Often overlaps with ScaryBlackMan, {{Middle Eastern|Terrorists}} and SouthAsianTerrorists, RuthlessForeignGangsters, YellowPeril, and RougishRomani. For crime tropes, compare TheButlerDidIt. Compare and contrast FlawlessToken.

The large, dark, swarthy fellow who insists loudly that he didn't do it. If he's the only character of color around, he [[FlawlessToken usually]] [[WronglyAccused didn't]].

Knox's 5th rule of {{Fair Play Whodunnit}}s--"No [[YellowPeril Chinaman]] must figure in the story"--forbids these. For a rough modern equivalent, replace "Chinaman" with "{{Middle Eastern|Terrorists}}er." And in both Knox's time (he published the rules in 1929) and ours, a ScaryBlackMan is another likely candidate for this trope.

The large, dark, swarthy fellow who insists loudly that he didn't do it. If he's the only character of color around, he [[WronglyAccused usually didn't]].