soc 362 final paper

8/9/2019 Soc 362 Final Paper

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Rahman 1

Aurnee Rahman

May 29th, 2012

Soc 362 Section ABFinal Project

Crash an !he "oy #uc$ Clu%

&n America, race has al'ays seeme to %e a touchy su%ject( !he 'ay the meia has

)ortraye this has %een e*ually unner+in( &t is a i--icult thin to tal$ a%out, es)ecially 'ithin

the conte.t o- our nation/s history 'ith i--erent races( +en thouh race is a social construct, the

im)lications o- its )erce)tions %ear real conse*uences, an this can %e seen in %oth the mo+ie

Crash 200 an the mo+ie !he "oy #uc$ Clu% 1993( Both %rin u) tensions that amount

%ecause o- race an the e--ects this may ha+e on one/s li-e( Both mo+ies can also %e seen in the

conte.ts o- assimilation theories, color4%lin racism, an social mo%ility an ho' all these thins

can %e a--ecte %y racial attitues in the 5nite States(

&n the mo+ie Crash 200, characters o-ten use race as a means o- e.)lainin situations

an )ro%lems( hile there 'ere many i--erent races an ethnicities )ortraye in this mo+ie an

many su%)lots that inter'o+e to create a %ier )icture, three o- the main characters 'ere

Farha, 7aniel, an 8--icer "ohn Ryan( Farha is a Persian sho) o'ner 'ho has mo+e to the

5nite States( hile his nlish isn/t )er-ect an he sometimes has i--iculty unerstanin, he

is an American citien( &t/s clear that he/s Persian %ecause he o-ten s)ea$s in Farsi throuhout the

mo+ie an at one )oint, his 'i-e e.)licitly states that they are Persian( 7aniel, on the other han,

is a #atino loc$smith( hile he ne+er comes out an says he is #atino, there are im)lications

'hen )eo)le tal$ to him an assume he/s in a an or untrust'orthy( :e also loo$s #atino, an

since race is o-ten %ase on )henoty)e, this -uels the )erce)tion o- his ientity( As :o'ar

inant 2000 'rites, ;Althouh the conce)t o- race a))eals to %ioloically %ase human

characteristics )henoty)es, selection o- these )articular human -eatures -or )ur)oses o- racial


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Rahman 2

sini-ication is al'ays an necessarily a social an historical )rocess< P( 1=2( 7aniel can %e

ienti-ie as #atino %ecause he -its the )erce)tion o- 'hat a #atino )erson is in the conte.t o- the

5nite States( Finally, "ohn is Caucasian( !his is clear %y ho' he loo$s an es)ecially 'hen he

tal$s to Shani*ua an says there are more com)etent 'hite )eo)le 'ho coul %e oin her jo%(

!he main )lot o- Crash 200 re+ol+es aroun intersectin li+es, %einnin 'ith a crash

at the %einnin o- the mo+ie that introuces racial tensions( !he crash occurs at a location 'here

a ea %oy has %een -oun( As the mo+ie -lashes %ac$ to the ay %e-ore the crash, 'e see the

stories o- Farha, 7aniel, an "ohn )lay out, as 'ell as many other characters( 7aniel/s story

most clearly sho's ho' stereoty)es are use 'ith rears to race an ethnicity( At one )oint

urin the mo+ie, 7aniel is chanin the loc$s at the Ca%ot resience a-ter the Ca%ot/s car ha

%een hijac$e earlier in the e+enin( As he/s chanin the loc$s, 'e can o+erhear "ean tellin her

hus%an that she 'ants the loc$s chane aain in the mornin( She assumes that 7aniel is in a

an an that he/s just 'aitin to i+e his an %aner -riens an e.tra $ey to their home( She

%ases this o-- o- 7aniel/s race an his tattoos( A-ter listenin to this con+ersation, 7aniel sets t'o

sets o- $eys in -ront o- "ean as he lea+es the resience( 7aniel is once aain su%jecte to racism

'hen he is -i.in the loc$s at Farha/s store( hen 7aniel tells Farha that he chane the loc$s,

%ut that it/s the oor that nees to %e -i.e, Farha accuses him o- %ein a cheater an a liar( :e

thin$s 7aniel is just loo$in -or a 'ay to et one o- his other -riens em)loye, someone 'ho

$no's ho' to -i. oors( Frustrate %y %ein calle names an %ein misunerstoo, 7aniel

lea+es the store 'ithout ettin )ai( !hrouh the entirety o- the mo+ie, 'e -in that 7aniel is

the only )erson 'ho oes not use racism as a 'ea)on aainst others(

Part o- Farha/s story can %e +ie'e throuh the ieals o- assimilation( Assimilation

theories assume that someone o- a i--erent culture -rom the ominant culture 'ill %ein to


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Rahman 3

assimilate %y aa)tin to cultural norms, increasin contact 'ith the ominant rou), an

chanin %ioloically an )sycholoically to -it in to society/s stanars( Ru%en Ram%aut 199=

cites Par$ an Buress in sayin that assimilation is ;a )rocess o- inter)enetration an -usion in

'hich )ersons an rou)s ac*uire the memories, sentiments, an attitues o- other )ersons an

rou)s, an, %y sharin their e.)erience an history, are incor)orate 'ith them in a common

cultural li-e< P( >( Assimilation theory also assumes that the host culture or country is

'illin to ta$e in these ne' mem%ers( Farha/s story oes a oo jo% o- )ro+iin a

counterarument to this theory( !here is al'ays the )ossi%ility that the host is not 'illin to

acce)t a ne' culture( !hrouh the course o- the mo+ie, )eo)le act as i- Farha oes not %elon(

hen he oes to %uy a un, his ina%ility to s)ea$ com)letely in nlish ma$es the man *uestion

'hether he is American an i- he shoul ha+e the riht to )urchase a -irearm( !his raises the

*uestion o- 'hat ma$es someone American an 'hat cultural lanuae traits are e.)ecte o-

Americans( Peo)le o not seem to %e 'illin to unerstan that Farha is an American citien(

Stereoty)es also )lay a role 'hen Farha/s store is %ro$en into( !he ra--iti on the 'all im)lies

that they +anals thin$ that Farha an his -amily are Ara%ian, just %ecause they a))ear to %e( &n

actuality, Farha/s -amily is Persian, an this is com)letely i--erent( !he lac$ o- e.)osure to

+arious Mile astern cultures, as sho'n in this mo+ie, ma$e )eo)le ma$e 'ron assum)tions

a%out )eo)le an incorrectly stereoty)e them(

"ohn/s actions an attitue throuhout the mo+ie sometimes -it 'ell 'ith some o-

uaro Bonilla4Sil+a/s theories on color4%lin racism( "ohn Ryan is a )olice o--icer 'ho 'or$s

-or the #AP7( At one )oint in the -ilm, "ohn is tal$in to Shani*ua "ohnson a%out his -ather/s

meication( 7urin the meetin, "ohn claims that Shani*ua ot her jo% %ecause o- a--irmati+e

action an that someone 'ho 'as more *uali-ie than her 'as )asse u) %ecause o- her race(


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Rahman

:o'e+er, %e-ore he states this, he says somethin a%out ho' he/s not racist( &n cha)ter 3 o- his

%oo$Racism Without Racists, Bonilla4Sil+a 2010 states that )hrases li$e ;&/m not a racist< or

other rouna%out 'ays o- sayin just that ;act as iscursi+e %u--ers %e-ore or a-ter someone

states somethin that is or coul %e inter)rete as racist< P( ?=( "ohn oes just this, an then

launches into a story a%out ho' his -ather hire %lac$ )eo)le 'hen no one else 'oul( :is -ather

e+en )ai them e*ual 'aes( &n cha)ter o-Racism Without Racists, Bonilla4Sil+a 2010

escri%es ho' 'hite )eo)le 'ill use stories to sho' ho' they are not racist( Sometimes, these

stories 'ill tal$ a%out ho' someone in/t et a jo% %ecause o- a--irmati+e action( !hese stories

o-ten lac$ s)eci-icity an real -acts, just as "ohn/s story o- his -ather that he tells Shani*ua( !he

'hole mo+ie sho's that )erce)tions o- one/s race o-ten ictate outcomes in the -uture an can

lea to unesira%le an unintene conse*uences(

!he mo+ie !he "oy #uc$ Clu% 1993 also eals 'ith race, al%eit on a much looser an

less -ocuse scale than Crash 200( !he )ur)ose o- the mo+ie is to e.)lain cross4enerational

ties %et'een mothers an their auhters, ho'e+er, %ein Asian Americans, race )lays a small

role in their stories( !he culture o- each o- 'omen o-ten ictates the 'ay they +ie' the 'orl,

an in turn, the 'ay the e.ternal 'orl they li+e in +ie's them( !hree o- the main characters in

!he "oy #uc$ Clu% are Rose, 'ho is An4Mei/s auhter, a+erly, 'ho is #ino/s auhter, an

"une, 'ho is Suyuan/s auhter( !he ethnicities o- all three these 'omen is Chinese4American(

!his is clear %ecause the story o-ten re-erences the mothers/ li+es in China, an then their

immiratin to the 5nite States, 'here they ha their auhters( &n terms o- a %roaer racial

cateory, the 'omen 'oul %e classi-ie as Asian(

!he main )lot o- the mo+ie, !he "oy #uc$ Clu% 1993, is an intersection o- the stories

%et'een mothers an their auhters( !he mothers/ li+es in China 'ere -ille 'ith reat strules


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Rahman ?

an injustices( !hey e.)erience reat loss an injustices( !hey 'ere a%le to come to the 5nite

States in ho)es o- a %etter li-e -or their soon4to4%e American chilren( !he auhters themsel+es

also o-ten -ace reat challenes that come -rom li+in in the shao' o- their mothers/

e.)ectations an ho)es( For the auhters, race sometimes %eins to )lay an issue 'hen ealin

'ith the reater conte.t o- 'here they li+e an ho' they %elie+e they shoul %e allo'e to act(

Althouh this is true, race %eins to )lay a -actor -or the auhters li+in in the 5nite States,

'here the ominant race is Caucasian an the ominant lanuae is nlish(

For e.am)le, in "une/s story, nlish %ecomes an im)ortant thin -or her( At the

%einnin o- the -ilm, "une is tellin a story a%out a s'an -eather an ho' it sym%olies all the

oo intentions her mother has -or her( 8ne o- these oo intentions is -or her auhter to ha+e

;)er-ect American nlish< so that no one 'ill loo$ o'n at her@ her stomach 'ill %e -ille 'ith

-oo so that she ne+er has to s'allo' sorro'( !his -its in 'ell 'ith onales/ 2011 notion o-

human ca)ital( &n his article ;#earnin to %e illeal unocumente youth an shi-tin leal

conte.ts in the transition to aulthoo,< onales notes that many chilren o- immirant )arents

ha+e hiher le+els o- nlish a%ility than their )arents in an attem)t to ain u)'ar social

mo%ility 2011( &n -act, ainin human ca)ital, li$e the a%ility to s)ea$ accent4less nlish, is

sometimes the only 'ay to %e socially mo%ile( "une/s story can also re)resent her )roress

throuh the assimilation )rocess( At one )oint, "une cannot rea the Chinese that is 'ritten on a

letter@ instea, she must as$ her Auntie #ino to o it -or her( !his )oints to cultural assimilation,

as "une has almost com)letely ao)te the ominant lanuae, nlish(

As)ects o- a+erly/s story are slihtly similar in that she %elie+es her ras) o- nlish is

%etter than her mother/s( At one )oint urin the mo+ie, #ino remar$s that her auhter s)ea$s

to her as i- she/s translatin nlish to her mother( As i- #ino is inca)a%le o- unerstanin,


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Rahman 6

e+en thouh #ino is an American citien( &n her )a)er ;Constructin citienshi) e.clusion,

su%orination, an resistance< 2011, +elyn lenn arues that citienshi) is not sim)ly a -i.e

leal status, %ut a -lui status that is )rouce throuh e+eryay )ractices an strules< P( 1(

&t is im)lie that a+erly %elie+es her mom cannot -ully assimilate %ecause o- her mother/s

lanuae %arrier( Further than lanuae as human ca)ital, a+erly/s story also eals 'ith culture

as a human ca)ital( As a+erly %eins atin a 'hite man name Rich, she %rins him alon to

her mother/s %irthay cele%ration( :ere, Rich lac$s human ca)ital in $no'in ho' to act in

certain situations, li$e ho' much to rin$ 'ith the -irst si), or ho' it is customary -or the hostess

to criticie her o'n coo$in, %ut only 'ith the ishes she is most )rou o-( +en 'hen he

accientally insults #ino, he is una'are %ecause it/s not somethin he unerstans *uite yet(

Rose/s story is similar to a+erly/s in that there is also a Caucasian man in+ol+e(

:o'e+er, it is !e/s -amily that causes racial tensions to sur-ace( !e/s mother uses color4%lin

racism Bonilla4Sil+a, 2010 to criticie the relationshi) %et'een !e an Rose( !e/s mother

says that 'hile she is unerstanin o- their relationshi), others may not %e *uite so

unerstanin( !e 'ill %e jue to i--erent stanars an his relationshi) 'ith Rose 'ill cause

)eo)le to tal$( She e+en oes as -ar as to say that it/s %ecause the ietnam ar 'as so un)o)ular,

e+en thouh Rose is American( +en i- Rose/s ethnicity 'ere to %e ta$en into account, she 'oul

%e Chinese4American( !his ialoue that !e/s mother uses can %e tie to Bonilla4Sil+a/s 2010

e.)lanation in Cha)ter 2 o- ho' )eo)le 'ill say that they are ;not racist,< %ut continue to

mention thins that coul %e eeme racist(

hen com)arin Crash 200 to !he "oy #uc$ Clu% 1993, it is clear to see that the

-ormer eals 'ith race in a much more e.)licit manner( +en so, the as)ects o- the latter mo+ie

that o eal 'ith race tie in 'ell 'ith some o- the theories an -rames that can %e a))lie to


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Rahman =

Crash 200( For e.am)le, %oth mo+ies can %e +ie'e throuh the lens o- assimilation theories(

&n %oth mo+ies, there is at least one character 'ho is +ie'e as not ha+in )er-ect nlish( !his

-act ma$es them not -it in e.actly 'ith society( :o'e+er, the chilren o- these characters are

)ro-icient in nlish, the ominant lanuae, an as such, -it assimilation theories( Both mo+ies

also eal 'ith color4%lin racism in some o- the same 'ays( &n %oth, there is someone 'ho

)re-aces a racist comment %y either sayin they are not racist or )ro+iin inirect e+ience to

sho' they are not racist( 7i--erences a%oun in the sco)e o- racism in the mo+ies( &n Crash

200, there are many more instances o- racist comments an stereoty)es that are a))lie, an

racism occurs %et'een multi)le races an ethnicities( &n !he "oy #uc$ Clu% 1993, race

relations are limite to the interactions %et'een Chinese4Americans an Caucasians(

&- an alien -rom another )lanet 'ere to +ie' these mo+ies, they 'oul learn a num%er o-

thins a%out the 5(S( racial )araim( 8ne thin they 'oul )ro%a%ly )ic$ u) on is that there are

many racial tensions amon i--erent races( Race in the 5(S( is %ase on a))earance, an

eneralie a))earance at that( As such, there are o-ten mista$es mae as to the oriin o- a rou)

o- )eo)le( !his can %e seen 'hen Farha is mista$en as Ara% an Rose is mista$en as

ietnamese, or e+en the assum)tion that Ara% is synonymous 'ith PersianDMile astern, or

that ietnamese is synonymous 'ith ChineseDAsian( An Alien 'oul learn that race leas )eo)le

to ma$e assum)tions a%out the character o- certain )eo)le( !his leas to the mistreatment o-

)eo)le, or just i--erent treatment in eneral( Aliens may also learn that nlish is the ominant

lanuae in the 5nite States, an -ailin to con-orm to this can ha+e neati+e conse*uences(

Eot -ittin into the iea o- %ein ;American< can lea to misunerstanin an ine*uality(

!hese t'o mo+ies, Crash 200 an !he "oy #uc$ Clu% 1993, sho' that race relations

can %e tric$y an touchy( Althouh they a))roach race i--erently, %oth -ilms eal 'ith ho' race


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Rahman >

can )lay a -actor in one/s li-e an 'hat others may thin$ o- them %ecause o- their )hysical

a))earance( &t is a))arent throuh these mo+ies that race still )lays a -actor in the 5nite States,

an )erha)s it 'ill continue to o so -or some time(

Bi%liora)hy

Bonilla4Sil+a, uaro( 2010( 2 4 !he central -rames o- color4%lin racism(Racism without

racists: Color-blind racism and racial inequality in contemporary America P( 2?4?2(

Ee' or$ Ro'man an #ittle-iel(


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Rahman 9

Bonilla4Sil+a, uaro( 2010( G ;& in/t et that jo% %ecause o- a %lac$ man34?11(

Stone, 8li+er Proucer, an, "anet Proucer, I an, ayne 7irector( 1993( $he %oy

&uc' ClubJMotion )ictureK( 5SA :olly'oo Pictures(

inant, :o'ar( 2000( ;Race an race theory(?(

soc 362 final paper

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