Unexpected Intersectionality in Red Dead Redemption 2

In the long-awaited sequel to the most beloved Western-themed video game of all time, Red Dead Redemption, there were many moments of progressive dialogue and character developments that caught my eye. Most notably, the multidimensional inclusion of a half African-American, half Native American character in the main character's essential camp/gang of cowboys. This interview with the main cast touches well on the subject, asking the character's voice actor "Charles is the son of an African-American father and Native American mother. His character is one that is not represented often in Westerns, did that present a specific challenge to you?" The voice actor discussed how his character is "a man who’s half of one world and half of another and belongs in neither." And went on to describe his desire to portray the character holistically through his own lived experiences. While the voice actor is not Native America, he is half Japanese and half Parsi-Indian, so he used his experience of not fully fitting into one cultural identity to more fairly play his role. Additionally, the character's behavior is not forced to fit into any stereotypes of Native Americans that we covered in class, and instead is a valued member of a team with similar responsibilities and expectations as the rest of the camp.