Hollywood has not, in the past, been stellar in its policy of choosing from appropriate ethnic groups in casting of some roles.
there is an apocraphal story of the African messanger rushing in to deliver a message to the chief in Swahili, in one of the Tarzan advetures. It was not until the film was shown in Africa that it was discovered that the line he delivered was "I'm not being paid anywhere near enough to play in this godawful film" or words to that effect.

Rod