Harmful Effects Of Racial Assumptions And Stereotyping In The Film Crash

There is no coincidence that the decisions we make, and the numerous perceptions that we have are based on the way we grow up or the many things we have been taught. The judgments that we make could either be true or false and are all categorized as assumptions. Our assumptions can be minor, for example, if a certain type of food tastes good, or they can be detrimental and affect the way we interact with other individuals. In the 2024 film Crash, director Paul Haggis demonstrates how harmful the effects that racial assumptions and stereotyping lead to.

Stereotypes can be defined as the exaggerated image created about a group of individuals based on our inflexible beliefs and expectations about the group (Ting-Toomey, 2005). Stereotypes can either be mindful, a willingness on our part to change our loosely held images based on diversified, direct face-to-face encounters or mindless which makes us short- sighted. In the film there as mostly mindless stereotyping. Firstly, in the beginning scene of the movie when Anthony and Peter were walking from the café and Anthony was ranting to Peter on how there were being treated based on their color. He then went on to state that when Sandra Bullock’s character saw them walking towards her and her husband that she grabbed his arm because she as scared of black men. This is an example of mindless stereotyping because Anthony was not sure if she was cold or not, he assumed she was scared. Another mindless stereotype that occurred was when Officer Ryan assumed that Peter was going to pull out a gun when he asked him to leave his car. This stereotype was based on black men are always armed and that when they reach into their pockets it is for a weapon. In another introductory scene a Persian man and his daughter were about to purchase a gun for their family’s safety. The gun store owner called the man Osama because he spoke a language that sounded like Arabic. In this same scene the store owner after being told by the Persian man’s daughter that she would like any ammunition that fits the gun, responded by listing the types of ammo and ended with “just depends on how much bang you can handle”. He was implying that because her and her father spoke a language which sounded like Arabic, they were terrorist. After being carjacked by two black men Sandra Bullocks’ character becomes paranoid and views everyone who is not white as a threat. She commanded that her husband have someone come change the lock son the door after they were recently changed by a Hispanic locksmith who had tattoos and a shaved head. Her reasoning was that he was part of a gang and was going to sell the keys to his gang buddies. This is and example of mindless stereotyping because she was short sighted at the fact that the young man had tattoos, a fully shaved head and was Hispanic. She placed him in a group that he matched based on his appearance but no on who he really is as an individual.

Two negative out-group attributions that occur in the film are when the lock smith was changing the lock on the Persian man’s store door and when the Lantin woman was arguing with the Asian woman. These are examples of negative out-group attributions because, in both situation the parties involved are all part of the minority group yet still they point out the flaws in one another. After the first crash shown the Latin woman pointed out that the Asian woman cannot speak proper English when in fact, they both speak different languages other than just English. The Persian store owner assumed that the Hispanic lock smith was trying to cheat him out of his money because of how he looked, and he could not understand what he was saying. One the other hand there was two positive in-group attributions that occurred in the film. 

Racism is the feeling of being superior based on ones biological or racial differences, it is also the strong in-group preferences and solidarity that leads to the rejection of anyone who does not fit in. It is the doctrine that conveys a special advantage to those in power (Ting-Toomey, 2005). In the film racial profiling, which is the targeting of individuals based on the minority group that they belong to the occurred. This happened when Officer Ryan and Hanson pulled over a black couple in a vehicle identical to the one, they were in search of mainly because Officer Ryan saw that Cameron’s wife was performing oral sex on him whilst he drove. The scene went on to show Officer Ryan sexual harassing Christine whilst her husband watched and could not do anything about it since he feared that he and his wife would have been killed because of the color of their skin. Another act of racism that occurred was the hate crime towards the Persian family. The family’s store was broken into robbed and vandalized because individuals in the community assumed, they were Arabs and terrorists.

In my opinion this film is a must watch for anyone who is unable to see the various acts of racism and discrimination that goes on everyday in this country and many others around the world. There were times when I got upset because in my eyes racism and discrimination were not called for. I think that the film perpetuates racial stereotypes. Although it may have shed some light on the various stereotypes, we form of one another, it may not be able to change the thinking of the individuals who watch it. The film forces the audience to think about their own feelings of racism and discrimination by allowing the audience to put their selves in the shoes of every character. I say this because the story lines are easy to follow which allows the viewer to ponder on what should have been done differently in each situation.

All in all, the film Crash proves that everyone forms negative assumptions about the individuals who do not fit into their in-groups and out-groups. Some of these assumptions may be true and others false. It also shows how individuals use discrimination and racism throughout their lives without even knowing.

Works Cited

• Haggis, P. (Director). (2004). Crash [Motion Picture].
• Ting-Toomey, S. (2005). Understanding Intercultural Communication. New York: Oxford.