“Blood In… Blood Out ” Bound By Honor. In the movie “Blood In… Blood Out,” there are three young Chicano teens just trying to survive in a white man’s world. First, you have Paco, a rebellious teen that loves a fight, and is in a small East Los Angeles street gang called “Vatos Locos.” Then, there is his half brother Cruz, he is trying to stray away from the gang life by painting, however, he still is and hangs with the Vatos Locos. Lastly, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and white skin, there is Miklo the cousin of Cruz and Paco, who ran away from his white father to reconnect with his Mexican roots.
The only problem is Miklo does not look Chicano, and the Mexican community, including Paco, have a hard time accepting him into the world he so much wants to be a part of. His friends call him names like “white boy” or “gue ro” to make fun of his skin. Miklo though, is determined to gain the respect of his peers, he decides that he too wants to be a “Vatos Loco,” which doesn’t sit very well with Paco. He tells Miklo, “Do white boys get VL places (tattoos)? No, it doesn’t happen. Unless…
.” and that’s where it all starts. Paco decides that his cousin can be part of the Vatos Locos, but since he is half white, he will have to prove himself to the group, by doing something big for them. Miklo quickly obliges, and bashes out the window of a rival gang called “Tres Puntos.” With that Miklo gets to be in the “in crowd” as he always wanted to be. Tres Puntos not agreeing with this, takes it out on Cruz, and thus starts a gang war.
Things become even worse when at a war between the two gangs, Miklo shoots and kills the head member Spider. This brings on even bigger problems then Miklo can imagine: San Quentin Prison. Suddenly, everything Miklo learned in the street gang becomes obsolete, and he is back to being an outsider with no one to turn to. The AV ” ers, a clique of white males in prison, want Miklo to side with them, but Miklo does not want any part of them. Instead, he wants to hang with the Mexican clique, La Onda, which do not want anything to do with this “gue ro” (white boy in Spanish). They pick on him, call him names, and do not want him within their sight.
Still yet again though, he is determined to be a part of a world that does not want him in. La Onda’s world is where he wants to be, and he goes to talk to Montana the “jefe” (Spanish word for boss). Some of the best dialogue in the movie occurs here with the confrontation of Miklo and Montana, when Montana tells him, “White is the enemy. White is the system.
You ” re stuck in the middle.” Miklo comes back and says, “The color of my skin shouldn’t keep me out. Chicano is not a color, it’s the way you think… the way you live.” Montana is not buying it, and still tells him no. So, Miklo finally goes for the clincher and says, “All my f ck in life I have been kept out. You know what that feels like? Knowing you ” re a Chicano, and nobody accepts you ’cause your skin came out white? Use me, use this (pointing to his white face). You said it everything is based on color, right! ? I can get into places you can’t ’cause my skin is white on the outside…
But I am brown to the bone on the inside.” With that speech, Montana finally gives in. He tells Miklo that he can be in, If he kills one of their biggest enemies using his to their advantage. Miklo does it, and finally is accepted by La Onda. As the story goes on Miklo is constantly proving loyalty to this prison gang, and gets into more and more trouble as the movie progresses. The story continues with many more trials and tribulations including eventual betrayal, however, Miklo’s race problem is the one I chose to focus on. I can relate to him somehow, which makes me appreciate his character that much more.
I personally, have gone through times in my life where I have been ‘kept out.’ I have the skin color, just not the “attitude” that most Mexicans and Chicano are affiliated with. I do not speak fluent Spanish, I did not grow up in the “barrio,” I grew up in an all white suburb. Do not get me wrong I know a lot of Spanish history, but my cousins never wanted to accept me, because I did not share the same hard knock lifestyles that they did. The only thing I ever wanted from them, though, was to belong. It was as if they were ashamed of me, because I acted “too white” for them, just as Miklo’s skin was “too white” for Chicano gangs.
So, before this turns into a written counseling session, I will just say that, one of the biggest reasons I love this movie so much, is for its realistic sense. Everyone, regardless of color, can relate to one (or more) of the many characters in the movie. I agree one hundred percent with the writer of this movie and the realism he gave it. It gives me, at least, the sense that I am not alone, and that discrimination does not just happen to me. This movie is about trying to fit in this world, struggles and changes these three men face. These are things real people are going through everywhere, everyday (yes, even still today).
Acceptance seems to be so important in our society, that it consumes many of us trying to be in with the “in” crowd. Focusing on Miklo, it is sad to see a life wasted in jail and living a thug life, simply because his skin was always too light. I speak of him as if he is real, because somewhere in the world, he really is. There may be a boy or girl out there going though the same exact problems he went through. The only difference is the name. We live in a society where race means so much, when it really does not have to.
As children, we are taught that all men are created equal with equal opportunity. However, it is simply not true. In the movie, Miklo was able to get into places at the prison, because of his skin color. Racism and favoritism still exist, it is just not as blatant as it once was. The thing is both will still exist years from now, because we still have to check our race at the door. Meaning, just about every piece of paper you fill out asks for your ethical background.
Miklo says it best when he said the color of his skin should not keep him out, but looking at it from another angle, it should not be the factor to be let in, either. There is so much more to a person than just their skin color. People should not be excluded or included, because of their skin color. To look at his race issue from another point, he used his color to get ahead in life, which was not good.
Everyone was using him, and not even him. They were using his color, his blue eyes and blonde hair. It did not matter though, it was all for the sake of him fitting in, and that is all he ever really wanted. A person’s color should be the least of anyone’s concerns.
It is all about what is inside. Your color should not decide who you are and who you want to be. You yourself should decide that, and that is what I took away from this movie.