Madrigal 1

Ivan Madrigal
Professor Ana Antunes
Film 1070-004
26 October 2016
Mid Term Questions
Question 1)
Whiteness (in the United States) is a social construct that consist of the historical,
cultural, and sociological aspects of people categorized as being white. White is purely a racial
classification, generally used to descried people of European or Caucasian descent. Although, it
main purpose throughout American history has been to differentiate from those who are
colored or non-white, and to exclude and diminish the African Americans, American Indian,
or other people who were not considered white. When the people in power who are making a
clear majority of the high-budget films are predominantly white, it has seemed almost impossible
to get a true representation of what real the America is. There has been of course progress, but
films that can be controversial and might tackle real issues rarely ever get adequate funding.
Since a white person can never really understand what it feels like to be a person of color in
America, they certainly should oversee making a film that deals with the struggles of dealing
with racism daily. It is just a fact, that it is harder to be successful in America if you are a
minority.
The narrative formula for most films trying to deal with racial issues are almost always
from a white point of view. Dear White People challenges that formula, and I think does a great
job giving us multiple points of view on current race based issues. What I found interesting was
how most that characters were just trying to fit into or be rebel against a certain stereotype. For

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instance, with the characters Coco and Lineal, they were struggling with trying not to be forced
into one particular group because it was what was expected of them. It appeared that Cocos only
goal was to achieve fame, and she would go to great length to obtain it. While Lineal was the
opposite, he tried to stay in the background and just be the fly on the wall that did not draw any
attention. In the end, they both showed their true character and realized what was really
important. These complex minority roles go a long way to breaking down long held stereotypes
and the maintenance of Whiteness.
I was really surprised after seeing the Caser Chaves movie that I had never heard about
his story and all the things he had done in his life. The fact that a film about his life was not made
till 2014 is a travesty, because he had such a profound impact on that community. A story and
message like his needs to be told more often. It says a lot about the lack of representation in the
American film industry. The Latino community continually struggles for the same access to the
privileges and rights in American society. In Hollywood, Latino filmmakers still struggle to be
heard by film makers and get the same opportunities to have their stories told. I think that change
or progress starts at the beginning. More minorities need to admitted to prestigious film schools,
and given the opportunities to rise the top and give other aspiring minorities their opportunity.
This will be a slow process, but hopefully one day we will see movie screens that are more
reflective of what is happening in our society.
Question 2)
Immigration has been a hot-button issue in the United States since its conception. The
idea of a country created by immigrants who were trying to escape persecution or create a better
life for their families, then rejecting new immigrants seeking the same things seems rather
hypocritical and selfish to me. The image of the immigrant with bad intentions, here to steal your

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jobs, or looking for a free ride has become a prevalent one. The Film Industry and more
specifically the American Media have been guilty of is reinforcing this unfair stereotype
generally with fear based propaganda. The United States has a long history of using the media to
manipulate the populace. Often, propaganda films make a profit, and thus continue to get made
long after the original purpose needed them to. Movies are mainly made for a white male
audiences as something they can relate to and see in their world. Taking simplified observation
of a culture and introducing them into a storyline as the villain or for comical effect. Then not
challenging these stereotypes for years because they make a profit, this is still very easy to find
in todays mass media. Continually reinforcing unfair stereotypes and making them part of a
societal view of a complex culture leads to discrimination and prejudice that was artificially
created by propaganda against immigration reform.
I related in a lot of ways to the movie Amreeka, and I liked how the director made it seem
almost like a true story by using a semi-documentary style. Also, by adding some small problems
that we almost all go thru (like the main character struggling to stick to her diet), while still
having to also deal with being discriminated against on a daily basis. It made it seem more like it
was a real story with real people that are actually going thru the struggle of trying to make a life
in the U.S.. Coupled with the fact that it did not have one of those Hollywood ending, where
everything just gets resolved, real life does not work that way. That is why I enjoyed this realistic
telling of the obstacles immigrants must endure in this country.
In Dirty Pretty Things, I was intrigued with the character Okwes and his struggle with
being an immigrant, working at jobs he was very overqualified for, and dealing with not having a
place of his own. He sleeps on the sofa of Senay (a Turkish Muslim seeking asylum), whos
immigration status lets her to live in the UK as long as she does not work. They both work in a

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hotel illegally because they apparently do not keep records of their employs. I do not understand
that immigration policy at all. How are the immigrants supposed survive, and why wouldnt you
let them work if your letting them stay? These types of immigration laws are counterintuitive
because if highly educated or critically thinking people want to work in work and live in your
country. Then you should let them so maybe they can better contribute to society, because when
they are not allowed, they likely fall into poverty and can become detrimental to society.