The Color of Fear

The Color of Fear in structured in an unconventional format—it is simply footage of a conversation and a few interviews mashed together. In the film a group of two white men, two Hispanic men, three Asian-American men, and two black men attempt to talk about race in America and how racism has affected their lives. As they speak, they address prejudices and reveal personal experiences that evoke emotional and often violent reactions. As I watched, I was astonished by their blunt willingness to purge all of their emotions and personal stories and I at the end of the film, I found that I agreed with Hugh: the only way to even come close to finding a solution to racism or to understand those who suffer from racism is to force yourself to have a conversation about it, however painful it might be. Without that emotional and violent conversation—like the one portrayed in the film—racism will continue unchallenged.

Something I found surprising was the conversation about “interethnic racism.” Loren suggests that racism occurs between minority groups according to cues from white behavior and norms which reminds me of the racial stratification on the Hawaiian plantations. With the whites at the top of the power pyramid, the descending levels were organized based on the races that could “pass” for being white in higher paid positions with the Filipinos—who were the darkest ethnicity—at the bottom (Takaki 140). While I had read this, I was still surprised to learn that within the black and Latino communities, those who had lighter skin—who could “pass” as a white person more than the others—were regarded as more desirable or more prone to success. This—according to Loren—is a result of the white establishment of social norms engineered to grant success only to those who appear white and it is this notion that David is unaware of. This was very eye-opening to me as well because I considered myself to be very conscious about the complex history of racial oppression in the U.S.. After watching this film, I witnessed the perspectives of minority groups in the context of today’s society and it made me reconsider my place in that society as a white person in the eyes of minority groups who are being  oppressed.

Toward the end of the film, Gordon—one of the white men—says he was afraid as he drove to Ukiah to engage in the conversation of racism because he “represents the oppressor.” I can relate to that fear—especially as I write this—because I don’t consider myself to be an oppressor. But it’s difficult for me to understand the plight of minority groups in America because there are so many layers of historical prejudice and violence that will remain for a very long time, affecting the relationships between and within racial groups.