American History X - Paper 2
Brittany Camacho
Cultural Anthropology
American History X “I hate anyone that is not white Protestant,” begins Danny Vinyard, the brother of a former neo Nazi skinhead. American History X offers opinions from two sides through one character, the ex-neo Nazi Derek, and the post-prison-reformed Derek. The post-prison-formed Derek serves as a vision of hope for present time. This powerful movie not only depicts the most disturbing aspects of racism, but also shows how close racism is to the middle-class, white Americans. American History X is a fictional story that is told through the eyes of Derek’s brother Daniel, who is being recruited in the white power movement. This white power movement, also called skinheads, demonstrates how racial hatred is still part of American culture. It also shows the means of which white people will go to maintain their privilege, particularly when they feel their institutional and cultural dominance being encroached upon. This culture that allows for racial hatred also requires violence to enforce all aspects of its hierarchy. This is the same world-view that allows for the devaluation based on skin color and requires a culture of dominance that permeates all aspects of life.
The opening scene of the movie shows three African American teenagers breaking the windows of a car. Derek, runs out of his house and shoots two out of the three males without an ounce of guilt. Derek’s younger brother Daniel is a witness to both the murders. Three years have passed and Daniel is now a seventeen-year old student at Venice Beach high. His brother is now being released after three years in prison, and Daniel has seemed to follow in his Derek’s racist ways. After writing a book report on a Hitler inspired novel, his principal demands Daniel takes a course along his side, a course titled American History X.
Before Derek was arrested and sent to prison, he helped a man named Cameron initiate a Venice Beach gang known as the skinheads. The gang
Cultural Anthropology
American History X “I hate anyone that is not white Protestant,” begins Danny Vinyard, the brother of a former neo Nazi skinhead. American History X offers opinions from two sides through one character, the ex-neo Nazi Derek, and the post-prison-reformed Derek. The post-prison-formed Derek serves as a vision of hope for present time. This powerful movie not only depicts the most disturbing aspects of racism, but also shows how close racism is to the middle-class, white Americans. American History X is a fictional story that is told through the eyes of Derek’s brother Daniel, who is being recruited in the white power movement. This white power movement, also called skinheads, demonstrates how racial hatred is still part of American culture. It also shows the means of which white people will go to maintain their privilege, particularly when they feel their institutional and cultural dominance being encroached upon. This culture that allows for racial hatred also requires violence to enforce all aspects of its hierarchy. This is the same world-view that allows for the devaluation based on skin color and requires a culture of dominance that permeates all aspects of life.
The opening scene of the movie shows three African American teenagers breaking the windows of a car. Derek, runs out of his house and shoots two out of the three males without an ounce of guilt. Derek’s younger brother Daniel is a witness to both the murders. Three years have passed and Daniel is now a seventeen-year old student at Venice Beach high. His brother is now being released after three years in prison, and Daniel has seemed to follow in his Derek’s racist ways. After writing a book report on a Hitler inspired novel, his principal demands Daniel takes a course along his side, a course titled American History X.
Before Derek was arrested and sent to prison, he helped a man named Cameron initiate a Venice Beach gang known as the skinheads. The gang