West Side Story: the Racist Representation West Side Story, written by Arthur Laurents and produced by Jerome Robbins, constructs racialized identities for its Puerto Rican characters. Their constructed, stereotypical identities are not accurate or realistic. However, the film has been very popular, among the mainstream audience – the white Americans – and among the Puerto Rican spectators. I believe that the so-critiqued racist elements against Puerto Ricans in the film is lightened up the mood by the virtuosity – the beautiful music and the iconic, beloved, tragic, superimposed love story Romeo and Juliet – as well as further highlights the problem. It can also be seen as representations and reflections of discrimination in modern day, which
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Virtuosity –such as music, songs, and the use of the America’s most popular love story Romeo and Juliet – is thus used to lighten the moods for the audience, and thus to hail them. Moreover, songs and dance forms are easy to leave impression with the audience. When Anita sings “America” in the movie, the lyrics are not pleasing, but rather disturbing. Because Anita embraces fully assimilation, she describes Puerto Rico as “ugly,” violent, and disastrous (qtd. in Sandoval-Sánchez 73). She discriminates her homeland Puerto Rico, as an American will do. Even if the audience do not consciously want to remember the song, the tune is beautiful, cheerful, so it haunts the audience and thus forces the lyrics unforgettable. Therefore, discrimination is again addressed to the …show more content…
Historically, Puerto Ricans were ignored mostly in the mainstream media. Although they were present in movies such as 12 Angry Men and The Young Savages, they were not irreplaceable as one of the most important parts of the film, and, I think, they were not situated as part of the social community (Negrón-Muntaner 85). They were seen in the courts. On the contrary, West Side Story, instead, describes the Puerto Ricans as part of the American society, even though the depiction is not accurate. More importantly, the film casted Rita Moreno, a Puerto Rican, as Anita, one of the major characters in the film. Being visible to the audience makes them no longer the indifferent being but rather the subject. In this way, the film hails the Puerto Ricans. For instance, Jennifer Lopéz, the highest paid Latina Hollywood actress today, grew up wanting to play Anita (Negrón-Muntaner 83). Rita Moreno also claimed that “many Latina girls and young men said to [her] that it was so thrilling and inspiring for them to see a Latina playing a strong Latina in a film” (Eichenbaum 134). Thus, the Puerto Rican spectators appreciate the fact that they are being represented in the mainstream media, rather than concerning about the problems with their constructed
Virtuosity –such as music, songs, and the use of the America’s most popular love story Romeo and Juliet – is thus used to lighten the moods for the audience, and thus to hail them. Moreover, songs and dance forms are easy to leave impression with the audience. When Anita sings “America” in the movie, the lyrics are not pleasing, but rather disturbing. Because Anita embraces fully assimilation, she describes Puerto Rico as “ugly,” violent, and disastrous (qtd. in Sandoval-Sánchez 73). She discriminates her homeland Puerto Rico, as an American will do. Even if the audience do not consciously want to remember the song, the tune is beautiful, cheerful, so it haunts the audience and thus forces the lyrics unforgettable. Therefore, discrimination is again addressed to the …show more content…
Historically, Puerto Ricans were ignored mostly in the mainstream media. Although they were present in movies such as 12 Angry Men and The Young Savages, they were not irreplaceable as one of the most important parts of the film, and, I think, they were not situated as part of the social community (Negrón-Muntaner 85). They were seen in the courts. On the contrary, West Side Story, instead, describes the Puerto Ricans as part of the American society, even though the depiction is not accurate. More importantly, the film casted Rita Moreno, a Puerto Rican, as Anita, one of the major characters in the film. Being visible to the audience makes them no longer the indifferent being but rather the subject. In this way, the film hails the Puerto Ricans. For instance, Jennifer Lopéz, the highest paid Latina Hollywood actress today, grew up wanting to play Anita (Negrón-Muntaner 83). Rita Moreno also claimed that “many Latina girls and young men said to [her] that it was so thrilling and inspiring for them to see a Latina playing a strong Latina in a film” (Eichenbaum 134). Thus, the Puerto Rican spectators appreciate the fact that they are being represented in the mainstream media, rather than concerning about the problems with their constructed