Araya 1

Alexander Araya Bermdez

Professor Monica Bradley

Barrios y Borders: Lenguaje e Identidad en los grupos minoritarios

3 Jun 2017

The Biased Conception of Others Identities

Oftentimes we forget that, as members of an oppressed population, we tend to

make the same exact mistakes we repudiate so deeply: we tend to stereotype others

the same way they do to us. We disown the prejudiced picture others have about us,

and respond back with mirrored emotions and attitudes we fight back hate with more

hate. Crash is a movie from 2004, directed by Paul Haggis, that encompasses what I

like to call the biased conception of others identities. On this paper, I will react to the

way the movie represents the stereotyped conceptions about others, the intersecting

identities of different ethnical groups, and the emotions and thoughts it evokes on me.

The very first impression I had about the film was that it would deal with some

sort of ethnical and social classes issue. And, I was right, somehow. This theme is not

unusual, but most directors reserve it to the development of the story. This was not the

case, as the movie starts with a scene with people from different ethnical groups facing

a situation where differences are used as weapons. After a few minutes, I found out that

was going to be the rule. One of the most significant stereotypes we can appreciate are

against black people. The thing here is that this misconception does not only come from

white people, but also from members of the black population that had overcame these

stereotypes. I would like to refer to two explicit examples from the movie. The first is a

scene where a white girl, Jean, looks protection from her husband right after seeing two
 Araya 2

black guys walking on the street towards them. The latter would be the way Detective

Waters assimilates the stereotyped ideas against black people. Nonetheless, the movie

does not only cover the way black people are conceived, but also includes some

hackneyed references to the Latino, Chinese, and middle-east immigrants in the US.

One scene I think is really meaningful is the treatment Daniel, the locksmith, receives

from Jean, the high-class, rich, and well-accommodated white woman. Others examples

are the generalized idea of Persian people as Arabs, or the entire Thai and Cambodian

population as Chinamen. But, let us stop for a minute. Let us move for one second to

the hidden truth of white people. Jean represents another stereotype: a well-positioned

woman that is married to a successful man, surrounded by richness, but that ends up

being alone in a moment of need realizing her real and best friend is her housemaid

Maria, the same she affirmed to hate a moment before. This could not be a clearer

reference of the conception most of us, Latinos, have about Americans: people that

create richness, instead of worthy relationships.

Another important topic I could relate the movie to is the intersecting identities of

some of the ethnical groups and characters. In opposition to the general conception

people might have about him, Daniel resulted to be a caring father. That is clue in terms

of his intersecting identity. Daniel is not only Latino, or a locksmith, or a gang-looking

guy, or simply a father: he is, ultimately, the result of the combination of all those traits.

That is what truly defines him. One interesting example of intersecting identities are the

Waters brothers. They both are black, with a humble origin, and raised by the same

mom; nevertheless, their characters and the decisions they have made in life set them

apart, and define each other as totally different individuals. I am not saying Detective
 Araya 3

Waters was a better human being, but just different from his brother. The same with

Anthony, Peter Waters partner in crime, that, in spite of his past, makes the right

decision and frees the oriental immigrants that were being trafficked. Besides the color

of our skin, gender, religion, and origin, our thoughts and decisions are important in the

definition of ourselves identity.

Finally, I would like to talk about the emotions and thought the movie evokes on

me. And, first, I need to admit that shame and impotence are the most powerful feeling I

experiences while watching the movie. Shame on me, I said out loud several times.

Why? Well, most of the imagery and the ideas around different ethnical groups are

ideas I used to share. If I had been given pictures of the different characters without

even watching the movie, I would have been capable of label them as Latino, Chinese,

Black, American, and so on. It does nothing to do with the movie, but a Coke

commercial represents it very well (including the link in case you want to see it:

https://www.facebook.com/695744473783461/videos/987214781303094/?autoplay_rea

son=gatekeeper&video_container_type=0&video_creator_product_type=0&app_id=239

2950137&live_video_guests=0). Impotence also came to me, as the story continued.

Seeing that level of biased ideas, and realizing the little I can to do change that from a

global perspective, is totally frustrating. The movie shows a black guy who dies as

consequence of these biased misconceptions: he was trying to get a saint out of his

pocket, not a gun But, who could have imagined? We all did because we knew the

background, but anyone else would just rely on their biased conception of others, and

react accordingly. Stereotypes are not victimless, and this might serve us to

reconsidering the damage our conception of others identities can cause. In general, I
 Araya 4

liked the idea of the characters learning from their mistakes: Jean, the Persian store

owner, ... It gives us hope.

I would like to conclude with a quote by James A. Forbes: When people rely on

surface appearances and false racial stereotypes, rather than in-depth knowledge of

others at the level of the heart, mind and spirit, their ability to assess and understand

people accurately is compromised. I could not agree more: differences should not set

us apart, but unify us.