In the movie Crash, the types of discrimination tackled were Ideological Racism and Racial Group. It can be observed from the movie that in every encounter and in every word uttered by every character pertains to racism. Apart from that, most of the characters are racist in their own way. Some of the characters were also paradoxical. As the story developed, the movie has presented a place or a state where diversity has created anger, bitterness, hatred, and even led to killing.
Furthermore, it illustrated the power of racial differences in agitating these negative feelings. The encounters and actions of the characters in the movie has, indeed, illustrated well several types of racial discrimination. In the movie Crash, one type of discrimination that has been illustrated is the Ideological Racism. Ideological Racism has been defined as “ an ideology that considers a group’s unchangeable physical characteristics to be linked in a direct, causal way to psychological or intellectual characteristics and that, on this basis, distinguishes between superior and inferior racial group” (Feagin, 1999, p. 5).
This is also socially determined rather than biological (Feagin, 1999). In the movie, this type has been illustrated in the conversation of Flanagan and Graham Waters about the incident where white killed three blacks. In the said conversation, Flanagan stated, “…
what it is with black people… can’t get their hands out the cookie jar” (Reimer, 2004). In the said conversation, Flanagan reiterated that the inferiority of blacks cannot be changed.
Another is the scene where Persian customers were insulted by the white storeowner when the former were buying a gun. In that scence, Ria and her father, Farhad, had a discourse as to the gun that they will buy. Thereafter, the storeowner cut in by saying words describing the two as Arabs and involved in a jihad. In connection with this, the store of the Persian family was painted with “ Arabs’” to denote that the Persians were Arabs and associated with terrorism. In these scenarios, it can be gleamed that the physical characteristics of the Persian has contributed in the discrimination suffered by the family. In line with this, the Ideological racism is also prevalent in the scene where Rick, the district attorney, suggested that he has to pin a medal to a black awardee.
Unfortunately, the person to be awarded was an Arab. However, Rick said that since the Arab looks black the public would think that he is a black. In this statement, the physical characteristic of person has been used as a basis to describe a person despite big differences as to their descents or genes. The movie also well illustrated the racial group as another type of discrimination. Meanwhile, Racial Group has been defined as “ a social group that persons inside or outside the group have decided is important to single out as inferior or superior, typically on the basis of real or alleged physical characteristic subjectively selected” (Feagin, 1999, p.
6). This is likely the same with ideological racism where physical attributes are the basis for distingushing the race where an individual belong. Hence, it is also socially determined. This kind of discrimination has been illustrated in the movie in many instances. One is when Jean was so mad and demanding that their door be replaced againt the following day. She even insulted the door repairman, Daniel.
In her robust remark, she made an allegation that the repairman was a gang member that cannot be trusted. Jean’s allegation was influenced by her racist attitude against colored people. Furthermore, at the latter part of the story, she enumerated the people, like Maria, Daniel, and the carnappers, that irritated her. This has justified her as a racist because all the people she enumerated were people of different races. More importantly, she considered these people as inferior because of the job they do for her. It can be gleamed that Jean categorized all these people as inferior and discriminated them for their races and incapability.
However, through the story, her prejudice was only influenced by her racist attitude. Interestingly, despite the position held by the black people in the society, they were still considered as inferior for their color. This is true in the case of Cameron and Christine when they were stopped by the cops, Ryan and Hill. In that scene, Cameron tried to stop his wife from talking and stated that whatever his wife would say will not matter at all to the cops. Hence, in the scene Christine was suffering from being molested in front of her husband who cannot do anything but to watch.
In this scene, Cameron has admitted being inferior because he is black and such fact cannot change the societal perception. Hence, from the above stated, it is clear that the movie, Crash, has illustrated well the ideological racism and group racism.
