The Color of Fear

In the documentary The Color of Fear, the members of the cast discuss a lot of important and sensitive topics about racism. Racism, for most of us, is a sensitive topic to touch on because no one wishes to be called racist. Sometimes, the word "race" can bring up negative feelings and thoughts. In my opinion, this idea of race was constructed through many years of history. Every time there is a war and every time there is a riot, it changes the definition of race. The documentary also touched on this idea of white supremacy. I believe that white supremacy plays an important part in the racism found in the United States. After watching the documentary, I feel I, as a minority, can relate to the experiences shared and at the same, have gotten a better sense of just the complexity of racism.

David Lee says in the documentary that he wishes to be American, but he does not just want to be known as an American, but as both a Chinese and an American. However, in America, the definition of "American" is only one thing. You can not be both Chinese and American, or African and American, you can only be American. I can relate to this statement as a Taiwanese American. I do not want to let go of my Taiwanese background, but I know that because I was born in America, I am an American. This concept is conflicting to me because I feel like I can only be one or the other. People in America are often surprised when I tell them that I do not eat a lot of American foods. Some even ask me, "why do you not do this? Weren't you born in America?" Like David Lee, I do not want to be just known as an American, but I also want to be able to practice my Taiwanese culture and still be called American.

As Victor, in the documentary, is trying to express his frustrations to David, I was surprised at his outburst of anger. However, after awhile, I think that his anger is completely justified. He is not angry at David, but he is angry at the blindness and ignorance of white Americans. The question he poses: "what does it mean to be white?" was something I had never thought to ask. At first David was unable to answer the question, which he thought was perfectly fine. David continually denies that he treats other races as below him, refusing to believe that terrible things were happening to people of color everyday. It is only when David believes in the stories of the other members that he truly understands the pain of the others and even himself.

I have always thought that racism was an impossible problem to fix, but after watching the documentary, I think that there is a way to improve. It will most likely be a long and painful process, and sometimes it will not work, but it is possible. People like David, who are ignorant about the struggles people are going through around them, need to listen to the stories of minority groups. Listening means to take in every word and think over them. This way, people will be able to empathize with each other and slowly solve the problem of racism.