Blog Post 5: “Racism In Gran Torino”

Gran Torino is a powerful film that incorporates many different themes. One of the main themes in this movie is racism. Walt Kowalski, played by Clint Eastwood, is a Korean War veteran living in a small, quiet town. The town is booming with new immigrants from different ethnic backgrounds. Walt is not used to the idea of the new people or change, and is racist towards his neighbors, who are Hmong. He disrespects them and other community members who are not white. He portrays people of an older generation that are not as accepting as younger, more modern generations. Walt fought against these people instead of learning to live peacefully near them. He doesn’t realize times have changed. In the article, “The one drop rule & the one hate rule,” it talks about the troubles immigrants have had in the past and today in the United States. They come to our country to have a better life but some people do not accept them. Most immigrants struggle to fit into our culture and society. Many Americans have made this transition even more difficult by treating immigrants and people of other cultures poorly. The author points out different struggles ethnic groups have and how there struggles have changed over the years. I agree with the author’s points, that people struggle in new environments and the people of the United States need to help them with this transition. This essay does not raise any new questions I have on this topic, I know there are major problems that need to be fixed. There are many different kinds of racism in the world today. From religious beliefs, to what people look like, how they talk, and even where they came from. It is extremely sad to think people are still judged and treated with disrespect. The movie, Gran Torino, ends with Walt becoming close to the Hmong neighbors and accepting them. He grows to like them and protects their family against a local gang. These events show that first impressions are often wrong and all people should be treated with respect. We need to warm up to the fact that people are different, and find the positive aspects of diversity. I think there is definitely racism today in the United States, but I do not think it is as bad or as widespread as it was decades ago. We now have an African American president and we are accepting differences more easily. There is still a lot to work for our country, including women’s rights and equality amongst all ethnic groups. Hopefully this will continue to progress over time. We need to learn to adapt to changes and respect people for their interesting backgrounds, even if it is different from what we are used to. This can bring out the good in everyone. I love the movie Gran Torino, it is a perfect example of the fact that opposites can learn to understand one another and live side by side, I recommend this movie to everyone.

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