Colorblind Racism in American History X: Expert Review

 Colorblind Racism in American History X: Expert Review

The film American History X offers a poignant illustration of the destructive consequences of racism in the United States. The characters are shown to be distinctly race-conscious and extreme in their behavior. This does not fit Eduardo Bonilla-Silva's description of colorblind racism; instead, racism is a key part of their identity. However, Bonilla-Silva's four frames of colorblindness can still be applied to the film, as the audience struggles to understand racism.

Common words used to describe the racism in this film include "horrible," "unbelievable," "disgusting," and "brutal," but these responses may be more out of a fear of seeming racist than genuine emotion. The audience attempts to watch the film from a colorblind perspective, but this is misguided as some scenes are intentionally in black and white, creating a gray area to question the impact of colorblindness.

Bonilla-Silva's first frame, abstract liberalism, can be assessed by reactions from viewers of the film who do not want to be viewed as racist. This term originates from John Gray, who argued that liberalism is at the core of modernity. Despite viewers' beliefs that they are viewing the film as non-racist liberals, they are part of the racial paradox in which non-racist racists still exist. Viewers of the film American History X may be uncomfortable with the harsh portrayal of racism and unwilling to be viewed as racist. Bonilla-Silva defines liberalism as "liberal humanism" which is the philosophical, economic, cultural, and political challenge to the feudal order according to political philosopher John Gray. The term "abstract" implies that idealism is part of liberalism that does not connect to reality. It is a paradox in which non-racist racists do exist in modern-day America since race still plays a major role whether we like it or not. Abstracting the notion of race does not make it go away; it only seeks to evade it.

The second frame, naturalization, is comparable to the idea of designating "the other" as a natural process in identity formation. This "us versus them" mentality is seen in the film during the basketball game of blacks versus whites and Derek Vineyard's segregation in prison. The idea of naturalization is employed to further the myth of nonracialism, suggesting that people simply accept the idea that those of different racial backgrounds are inherently different and hence separate themselves accordingly. This frame of thought is adopted by both whites and non-whites and is seen as a way to avoid the stigma of racism. Sadly, this "us versus them" attitude has been the source of numerous acts of violence and stereotyping, as we can see in American History X. This includes the basketball game between blacks and whites to decide on territory, and Derek Vineyard's segregation while in prison. Despite being labeled as natural, this is far from the truth.

The third frame, culturally-based racism, is less obvious but still present in the film. The white supremacists idolize Adolf Hitler and scapegoat minorities, and poverty among minority groups is also highlighted. Culturally based racism, the third facet of Bonilla-Silva's colorblind racism approach, is still present in American History X even though it is not overtly noticeable. The film puts forth a white supremacist setting where minorities are seen as scapegoats and their dismissal is essential. This is evident when the Korean-owned grocery store and its Mexican workers are targeted. Furthermore, Danny, Derek's brother, mentions in the voice-over how Venice Beach has become multicultural due to economic decline, but he cannot put a label on it. By the end of the movie, the Vineyards, a Protestant family that was once advantaged by white privilege, are living in a low-income apartment, signifying Derek's old gang's wrong perception of minorities that they are unproductive and exploiting welfare systems and affirmative action to get inexpensive housing.

The fourth frame, minimization of racism, is seen in Derek's defense of the police who attacked Rodney King. This scene forces the audience to evaluate their own biases and accepted norms when it comes to race and equality. The use of black-and-white scenes to show Derek's innocence before he was brainwashed into extremist ideology shows that ignoring, avoiding, or minimizing racism will not make it go away. Bonita-Silva outlines how the second frame "enables whites to accept the racially-motivated murder of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper, Texas, and the police attack on Rodney King" (29). American History X illustrates this through Derek's comments at a family dinner. He defends the officers for their actions in the altercation and questions why they were put on trial while Rodney King was left unscathed. This scene provokes us to consider Derek's words in contrast to our own understanding of the event and media portrayal. However, when we focus on this single incident, we are implying that racial injustice is not as prevalent as it used to be. This is a form of minimization.

American History X is an enlightening film that confronts viewers with the idea of 'colorblind racism'. It encourages people to examine not only the characters on screen but to assess their own prejudices and standards when it comes to race and equity in America. Visual effects such as the use of black and white scenes to show Derek's ideology being formed before his father's death, due to his father's own racist views, are powerful. It is when the movie shifts from color to black and white that the severity of racism is most evident. This is a clear demonstration that disregarding racism won't make it disappear. The four stages of colorblindness set forward by Bonilla-Silva apply to this movie and show that colorblindness isn't a fix-all for the issue.