American History X is about two boys, Derek and Danny, that are . Derek, the
older brother, brutally kills two black men at the beginning of the movie for trying to steal
his car right outside his home. Danny, the younger brother, witnessed the whole thing. As
a result of this Derek spends 3 years in prison where he learns that his previous lifestyle is
wrong. While in jail he is beaten and raped for going agian st the other whites and skin
heads.
He befriends a black man with whom he works with in prision. He then realizes that
maybe blacks aren’t as bad as he thought they were. Derek’s former principle, who is
black, comes to visit him in jail adn tells him how his little brother, Danny, is heading in
the same direction he went. Derek realizes he needs to make changes in his life adn he
begs the principle for help.
Meanwhile, Danny writes a paper in school on Mein Kempf.
The prince and teacher are extremely disturbed by the paper so the principle tells Danny
that they are going to have their own history class together called American History X.
Danny’s first assignment is to write a paper on his brother, everything that happened with
him, adn how it affected Danny adn his family. That same day Derek is released from
prision and goes to the head of the skin head group and tells him he doesn’t want to be
involved anymore and he doesn’t want Danny involved either.
The head of the skin heads
doesn’t take this news too well and Derek winds up running for his life. Derek then
explains to Danny everything that went on while he was in prision and how all his hate
seemed from their dead father. Danny then changes his mind and also wants out of the skin
head group but finds that it is too late. The next day in school Danny is in the boys
bathroom with his paper about his brother in hand when a black boy at school that he had
some trouble with walks in and shoots him point blank in the chest.
The main cultural issue of the movie is how the white skin heads cannot relate to
the blacks. They think that all the blacks are on welfare and are gang bangers.
The white
skin heads in the movie also think that all the immigrants are inferior to them. They believe
that they should stay in their own countries and not bother us in America.
The main stereotype in the movie is towards white skin heads. They all have
shaved heads, are extremly muscular, idolize Hitler, and have white power and swastika
tatoos.
The main character, Derek, is a prime example. He is very muscular, has a a
shaved head and various hate tatoos all over his body.
Another stereotype portrayed in the movie is against blacks. They say how all
blacks are on welfare and how they go against their own people.
They also say in the
movie that “weed is for niggers.” They call the black principle a “Uncle Tom” because he
is a strong man who believes in himself and his people. Derek’s father also criticises the
principle for having his students read a book called Native Son, which is about black
people. Derek’s father criticizes affirmative action and says that it is unfair and puts the
white man down. He feels as though it gives black people the jobs when there are white
people who can do the job better.
Another stereotype that was mentioned in the movie was towards Mexican
immigrants. They were called spics in the movie and were all portrayed as illegal aliens.
In
the movie they criticized Americans for hiring the immigrants because they are not real
Americans. One scene in the movie when Mexicans were put to shame was when the skin
heads vandalized the grocery store owned by Japanese where a lot of Mexicans work. The
one Mexican woman was tortured and had various food items dumped on her face such as
milk to make her look white.