Crash Essay

Julius M Dix
Professor Gail Lighthipe
Writing 106 Section 1
12 November 2013
Crash Essay
Crash is the perfect analogy of how we as a human race deal with life, people and our own experiences. Physical characteristics and racial differences may be interpreted as two distinguishing traits that separate us. I think it's what keeps us apart. That leaves several abstract questions that the film Crash illustrates. What are the origins of personal prejudice? Do individuals experience stereotypes? Can people battle internal struggles within their own ethnic group? What prohibits us from overcoming these prejudices? The writers of the Crash managed to extend my viewing experience beyond the 90 minute film, thus forcing me to analyze my own prejudices and racial stereotypes towards others.
I always thought that racism occurred as a result of a person's upbringing. If your parents were racist, there is a good chance that you will be a racist too. At first glance, Matt Dillon's character exhibits characteristics typical of this theory. Dillon exhibited a close bond with his father and later, we discover the roots of his racism. I naively assumed that Dillon was absorbing external cues from his father regarding his attitudes towards black people. It turns out that his father was not racist towards black people. It was Dillon who, in combination with his father's negative experiences and his own as a member of the LAPD, formed his own perceptions towards blacks.
Another example of this occurred at the beginning of the film when the Persian family was attempting to purchase a gun. The clerk at the gun shop made a few blatantly racist comments about the perceptions of the customers. There were several references to the twin towers and planes. It didn't matter that the two were Persian, not Arab. A recurring theme was that post 9/11, all Middle Eastern people became potential terrorists. It is amazing that people have the ability to interpret bad events and cast their own prejudices on different ethnic groups to mask their feeling of anger and frustration.
Perhaps stereotypes have maintained their prevalence because there are so many people that perpetuate them. It is often believed that all young black men are destined to be thugs, criminals and drug dealers. Additionally it is a common statistic that the majority of incarcerated males are African American. As a young black man, it is difficult to break free of that stereotype. "Things will never change." That attitude along with the perpetuation of existing stereotypes may be largely responsible for negative racial longevity. Ludacris' character was one of the most interesting to me. Here was this articulate young black man that spent his life stealing cars from white people. "Rap music is the music of the oppressor," he said. It is often easier to blame others for your shortcomings than it is to confront them head on.
On the reverse, trouble facing stereotypes can occur anywhere. They are not simply restricted to skin-tone and neighborhoods. Racial discrimination transpires through social class as well. This creates division within the same racial groups. In the film, Cameron was portrayed as a wealthy, black, television actor. He achieved success as a hard working black man, but at what cost? Films like Crash are forcing us to look outside our own lives and fears, to realize that we're more alike than we think. Aside from the 2% genetic differences between us, we all have problems and internal struggles. That's what makes us human.