Racism and the American Prison System...in media!

(Photo Courtesy of www.policemag.com)

I was watching one of my favorite shows, Police Women of Maricopa County, and they had a special episode following the jobs of their female Detention Officers in their jail houses. In this show, there was an issue going on within the inmate community between the hispanic and black races. Apparently, there were written by-laws within each group that all the inmates have to follow in order to have the protection of their own race. If you are white, you were called a "Wood", and hand written papers were passed off to you as you walked in the General Population Pod. Some of these rules included things from what time you need to work out, when to wash your hands, and which TV to go watch during recreation time. If you are hispanic, you were not allowed to bunk with black inmates because of this secret race war that was going on. If you were black and a hispanic was assigned to bunk with you, you would be considered a "Wood" if you didn't break a rule (which added jail time to your sentence) in order to be switched to a different cell. These types of rules between the races, self-segregation, is an extreme form of active racism. Not only are the races governing themselves within the jailhouse, but they are forcing their own members to commit crimes to get their way. That's like, using the system against itself.

It's a hard issue to investigate, as Officers are pitted against inmates to try and get as much information as they can. This proves to be near impossible as all the inmate featured in the episode refuse to cooperate with the Officers and even risk their own freedom to deny knowledge or participation in gang actions. Eventually, as with all groups, there is always that person who's will isn't as strong as the others, and cracks under pressure. However, and at least in this episode, that was not the case.

A Mexican male was housed with an African American male and, acting as a group, broke the toilet in their cell so that the Detention Officers had to remove them and rehouse them in different cells. To test the theory that there was a secret race war, Officer Molina, an Italian female, moved them both into cells that had members of the opposite race. Reluctantly, the African American inmate walked into the cell, showing through body language that he was visibly upset about housing with a "paisa". However, the Mexican male refused to enter the cell with another African American inmate, saying "I can't go in that cell, Molina." As refusing to house is against the statutes of the County Jail, the inmate was detained in the disciplinary level for questioning and 30 days of solitary confinement. During the interview, he said "I can't house with no black", and that was the most revealing information he would offer up to the Officers.

The other inmate that was moved got into a fight with his new cellmate, proving Officer Molina's theory, so he was sent to solitary and then was also placed in the disciplinary level.

Gang wars are a major issue in the American Prison system. This is apparent in Hollywood cinema through a large number of the movies where Prison life is the focus. To give an example, I will also take a look at Blood In, Blood Out: Bound By Honor. This movie starts in 1972 in East Los Angeles. If follows the lives of cousins Miklo, Cruz, and Paco, who all start out at the same place and neighborhood, and then follow 3 very different paths. The movie, in my honest opinion, is the Mexican version of Boyz N The Hood. It follows very distinct stereotypes which plague the Mexican American community and places then in very hostile environments.


(Photo Courtesy of Hollywood Pictures)

Miklo is a mixed race, light skinned teen who runs away to live with his mother after getting into a fight with his father. The mother, as typical in Chicano culture, is seen throughout the movie wearing pretty dresses, make up, and jewelry and seems very submissive in her demeanor. In this case, she says she is relying on her ex's check to survive, making it appear that she cannot support herself.

Paco is the typical "tough guy", cholo type who is hard nosed and self-loathing. He is "el gallo negro" or the black rooster in his boxing world, and is the half-brother of Miklo. He calls Miklo names such as "milk-weed" "white boy" "guero" and "milk chocolate". He is as tough as nails and as sharp as one too. He also shows little respect for his parents and only acknowledges them once they snap at him to get his attention.

Cruz is an artist, who has a love for cars. His passion is to paint, and he is very good at it. He loves his car, typical in Chicano culture, and spends a lot of time cleaning it. He is so talented, he wins a scholarship in high school for his art work. It is interesting to note that a White, blond male presents him his award and scholarship, though is probably of little meaning. During his celebration, you see the cholos smoking weed, drinking tequila, wearing bandannas, and the girls full of make up. During a would-be love scene, Cruz is beat, given a broken back, and stabbed by a rival gang, but saved from death by a resident of the barrio. He later returns to painting and then has a showing to sell his artwork. His white business manager bars his "carnals" from going into the party because "we don't want to lose sales because of 'those' people".


(Photo Courtesy of Hollywood Pictures)

Miklo, being light-skinned, is out to prove himself to the other "Vato Locos" in his barrio. He is always teased and taunted for being light-skinned, so it's no surprise that he will go lengths to get acknowledged. He goes as far as to commit murder with his homies in revenge for the attack on Cruz. He is the only one caught and is shipped off to Prison. While in Prison, he joins the Mexican gang "La Onda", which means "The People". Gang politics inside the pen erupts, as race is pitted against race in the ensuing race wars. There are many murders and heinous acts committed by and against "The Aryan Vanguard" and the "Black Gorilla Army", with Miklo becoming one of La Onda's leaders. Homosexuality is seen throughout the Prison period, as men using sex to gain power and authority over the weaker inmates. Miklo, being an attractive, light-skinned Mexican boy with blue eyes, uses his sexuality to lure in one of the Aryan Brothers in an assassination move. This move was required of him to join "La Onda", as their moniker is blood in, blood out. I think it's played out as being very homoerotic for such a masculine film, but keeps some truth to the situation and issue of the Prison system. It also depicts many of the cross-dressing men that are in the Prison system, showing that a) they do exist and b) they are just as powerful as the other race gangs.


(Photo Courtesy of Hollywood Pictures)

Once out on parole, Miklo continues the criminal activity, and during an Armored Truck robbery, he faced with a member of his family. Paco, during all the years, joined the Marine Corps and became a Police Officer with the LAPD. He faced off with Miklo when his unit foiled the robbery plan, and shoots Miklo's leg off. It's an emotional moment for the characters and the viewers and you see brother versus brother, decision versus decision, in which the law wins. Miklo goes back to jail, secretly assassinates La Onda's leader, and becomes the new "Jefe".

Cruz becomes addicted to heroin and, due to his addition, foolishly leaves out his drugs where his younger brother dies from an accidental overdose. Cruzito blames himself for the death of his hermanito for the rest of his days, never making it out of the barrio.

In the end scene, Cruz and Paco remember the old days and where they have gone in life, both taking blame for the life Miklo ended up living, but happy they are still alive.

Since I dont tweet...

Today, I wanted to 'blah' about something factual. It does not exactly pertain to IDS 101, though that post is just below, I did want to take a moment to post my current Facebook note, as this message can also reach others in cyberspace and perhaps spread awareness where other sites cannot. I apologize if my view of equality is offensive:

During the last year, FY2009, 443 servicemembers were fired and their careers were stripped from them for one reason: The government does not support gays in the military. Not only is this going to happen again this year, but what about in non- military jobs? How many people get fired everyday? Call your Congressmen, tell them to support ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act) and repeal DADT!

This is a very important topic for me, and thousands of others who are affected by the policy 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and are not protected by federal law from being fired just on the basis of sexual orientation. While we hear promises of repeal, they are just words spoken from behind a podium. We will never truly be a democracy if all people do not use their voice and share their concerns with the people we put into power. They work for us, let's do our part in supervising the end product!

Ok, no more politics! Thanks for reading.

For you, Rachel and Ruth! (Class post)

In today's blog, I'm going to recap and draw in some interesting concepts I took from the movie, Boyz N The Hood. First, it was a great movie, a real depiction of what life in 1984's South Central LA was like for a group of under-privilege African Americans. It takes the social issues of under-class, poorly educated, driven to violence, and, as hard as it is to say, fatherless children and how they view life on the street and the life they live as teenagers. The main characters follow a few different paths, two of which who are seen as the protagonists, had more positive paths than the others.

This film was easy to watch as a kid, lacking certain critical thinking skills I would later develop in high school and throughout my life as an adult, but I found it much more difficult to swallow this week.

At the beginning of the film, the statistic, "One out of every 21 black males will be murdered before he is 25 -- most will die at the hands of other black men" reveals what you are about to watch as an "as honest" story and really draws out a dark picture for the viewers. Many of the critics of this film, as cited in America on Film (p. 94) view this film, and others like it, as "Neo-blaxploitation" for the 1990's. Blaxploitation is defined in cinema as an exploit of the urban and black communities, originating as early as the 1970's, and often with soul and funk music soundtracks which were appealing to the audience the films were made for. When I hear that definition, I remember the clothing brand, FUBU, which brought some attention on from media and other critics of Urban culture as standing for, "For Us, By Us". While I'm not sure if that was specifically what the acronym meant, I didn't wear the brand because I didn't fit the attitude, or however the media put it at the time. Anyways, my point is that to me, FUBU is a type of blaxploitation non-media, because it was designed for a culture and was given that same attention. What "NEO" means, is new, so the neo-blaxploitation in that statement is basically true. The music, as well, is in large majority Gangster Rap. Ice Cube made a sizable profit from his album, the soundtrack, and possibly still does. The same genre title sticks to films like: American Me, Mi Familia, Blood In Blood Out, Menace II Society, and many others.



Boyz N The Hood also has a quick image of the "White Messiah" in the school teacher. Who better to teach these young, black kids about the world than a White Woman? During the scene where they are showing the children in class, they are studying the origins of Thanksgiving and the arrival of the Pilgrims. While I could go into great lengths of rhetoric about education and how one-sided it is, it shows that even in this film, the White Messiah has to be the one to teach these children, as it is she who is educated.

You also get a sense that products of bad parenting, namely the father of the child, can lead to violence, drugs, and crime. You see young Trey, who has a mother pushing for a Master's Degree, live with his father who is actually an anti-racist and gives a message about how white society has pinned the African American community into a corner filled with guns and liquor stores on every corner, and generally educated him in a very philosophical manner. Ricky, the young football champ and College-bound kid, is also the brother of Doughboy, however, they have different fathers. It becomes apparent that Ricky is the favored child, and possibly because of his father. Maybe one father was better than the other and that lead to the differential treatment in the two by the mother? One can only speculate, but it does play into the stereotype of fatherless children growing up to be the bad kids.



In nearly every scene with Doughboy, he is seen holding a 40 oz. Now, I get it, that's funny. The whole "pour one for my homies" is shown at the end when he dumps out the rest of his beverage onto the lawn in honor of his fallen brother (sorry for ruining the ending, if you haven't already seen the movie), and some viewers may see that as a form of respect. The fact that he does have a 40 in his hands tells a story of a man who likes to drink. He also carries a gun. Back to what Furious Styles said about how on every corner of their neighborhoods, stores that carry those items are the norm. Was this a way of the film writers proving their own point? Gentrification, when property is bought at low value buy wealthier people in order to raise income levels and rent prices to consequently evict low-income families (speculation, perhaps?), appears to be a problem in the film, though briefly addressed, which is also a common occurrence in today's neighborhoods. For those that live in Seattle, Tukwila/Renton is a prime example in which retail locations are built up, residential neighborhoods are purchased and turned into "Wal-Mart"s, and low-income families that used to live there are forced to move. Perhaps to Tacoma? Not being a Washington native, I hear that Tacoma is the new Renton. I'm going to assume the same happens as depicted, as I've never been to South Central LA, and was born in the year 1984.



Let's not forget the language used in this film! If you have a young child who is still developing a vocabulary and image of the world, this is not a movie you should allow them to watch! Women, often, are referred to as "bitches and hoes". Comedy, right? That's funny, right? Really? Call your mother that then, if it's so funny. I mean, how much more demeaning can you be? I understand, this is an honest portrayal of life in that time and in that place, but shouldn't these types of things be used as a learning opportunity? I blame education, oppression, and myself for not doing enough to get our world to that point where we should be. I really do!

Finally, and in closing, the protagonist, the good kid, well one of them, is gunned down while trying to run away from confrontation. The gay guys also die in the end in most Hollywood films. So, if you're a good kid in the ghetto, living a hard life and surrounded by violence and drugs and violence, these are the consequences? If you're gay in a movie, you're going to suffer as well? Movies about struggle need more happy endings, in general. The day I see a gay Disney Movie, I will have my own happily ever after.

Today's Random Blah

So I was at the gym today (shocking), and while in the sauna, something bothered me.

There were these two jock-looking guys who were talking about another guy apparently upstairs at the weights who, as they put it, could only put up 50 lbs. They used the terms, "weak, puss, sissy" and the phrase, "my sister can lift that much". It was interesting to me because today, we talked about masculinity and how if you are not macho, strong, muscle-bulging, and such, you will be called names just as the ones listed above. Compared to a girl, even. It's insulting, right? This poor guy wasn't even in the same room as these other two "dudes", who were insulting his weight training abilities.

Maybe they were reacting in a way that was natural to them. Comparing muscles and other sizes with each other to prove who is more macho and tough than the other. I mean, it's one thing to comment on someone else's ability, or inability, to do something you can do, but to build off what your buddy said? That's seriously like stretching to be above your own friend whom you have engaged in this silly conversation with in the first place.

Could this be because our society has always seen men who workout as buff, muscular, hulk-like bodybuilders? We see athletes who have muscular builds, but we don't know how much they can lift. It just means they work out and play sports. I didn't know there was an unwritten rule as to how much weight you had to lift to be considered a manly man. Hell, maybe he just wanted to tone up and look good! Either way, I don't think anyone wants to be like anyone else. Everyone just wants their own life. Here, we have a classic case of men comparing things that really don't need to be of their concern.



I was alone with them in sauna and had my headphones on, so I'm assuming they only had that little conversation because they thought I wasn't listening to them. I came to this rationale because when I did pipe up and say, "I can only lift the 50 lbs bells too", they kind of smiled and said, "well, everyone starts off somewhere and has their own goals, we didn't mean to offend you."

I wasn't sure at this point whether or not they saw me as a threat to their masculinity or that they honestly felt sincere about insulting my intelligence with their babble. Either way, it just goes to show you that if people don't know what one person may consider a joke about manliness could be offensive to another, how will they ever learn? I mean, really? Really?

Point: Silence is acceptance. Just because someone has a different point of view doesn't mean they know what is and is not offensive. Speak up! Don't hide!

Homo-Themes. They like themselves!

Gay Hollywood, or is it, Hollywood is gay?

Well, through my years of being a strong minded and opinionated person, I have always noticed that Hollywood doesn't seem to make movies about everyday gay life. I'm offended!! Where's the hot Brad Pitt/Tom Cruise make-out scenes from the sexually-charged Interview with the Vampire?? Every other Vampire movies have always had some sort of sex appeal to them, but it's always (in Hollywood's record) heterosexual sex. Where are all the gays?! My concern isn't for the rich conservative people who only want their children to watch heterosexual content; they already have their minds and lives made up for themselves. My concern is for the next generation of kids who are homosexual that do not have any role models or celebrity to look up to. Even the movies that do have homosexual characters in them have some sort of eerie theme or tragedy that occur, such as death. Why?

I decided to start a blog about gay themes in movies, which don't necessarily aim to make a character gay shine, or directly have a gay character, and demonstrate many of the stereotypes society has about the gay community. I have always seen popular Hollywood movies and seen many of their characters as feminine or masculine. This could be just because of how I'm wired internally, or just my own way of finding similarities with myself in the characters on screen, but isn't that what pop culture is about?

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As a child/teenager, there were very few role models which I felt had the characteristics I wanted to model myself after. While little Tommy next door grew up with G.I. Joe and Rambo, I was busy looking for a smart, sophisticated, clean-cut, All-American, gay man who was successful and a natural leader. That was me and that was what I wanted to see. Doesn't seem like a lot to a 10 year old at the time, but apparently I was mistaken. The choices I was limited to were Nathan Lane's ultra-flamboyant, cross-dressing character from The Birdcage, a gay man with AIDS who eventually dies such as in Philadelphia, a transgendered man who is raped and murdered like in Boys don't Cry, better yet, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and To Wong Foo, which star talented drag queens who go through many different adventures and conquest. Thank God for Ellen Degeneres and her star power in her TV Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, or I wouldn't have much to hope for.

After many years, I realized none of the characters portrayed as homosexual in Hollywood were anything like me, and it made me venture out into the world of independent and foreign films. Today, I find myself only enjoying Independent films featuring gay and lesbian content as opposed to the ones created by major studios. The realness of the depictions is far more on point to what a real gay person is like when compared to those in Hollywood films. I will take a look into what I mean specifically by looking at a little old movie called "The Birdcage". It is not really a "BIG HOLLYWOOD" movie, but it was the first one I saw in theaters that had a gay character.

The movie, staring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, was hilarious! It simply was the greatest movie at that time I had I ever seen!! I fell in love with the performance played by Nathan Lane as the obvious "wife" to Robin Williams! I did, because it was sheer comedy. However, I have never seen such a feminine gay man in my real life, and being a gay man, I have seen many! My partner, NJ, is the obvious yang to my yin, and has a flamboyant appeal, yet he doesn't act in such an extreme manner. I remember watching this movie in the theater with my mother at the age of 12, without exactly knowing what we were watching. My mother wasn't very comfortable with homosexuality at that time, so when she realized what the movie was about, she began to cringe at the sight of Nathan Lane; especially in the scenes he is dressed in drag. To me, this was no bother, in fact I laughed through the entire movie. Other people in the cinema, granted the year was 1996, did not seem to join me in my loud cackling. No matter, I didn't mind a "Reyes, party of one", moment.



There is a scene in the movie where Williams and Lane are sitting on a bench, in their normal posture, which will stick in my head forever. Williams, the masculine side of the relationship, is sitting as I would be comfortable. Lane, however, is sitting as my mother would sit. To me, this was a cute sentiment of a modern gay couple, but the jeers in the audience was enough to tell me this is not a way to be. Now, I didn't care, but I would have loved to have seen more of this in movies, and in media in general. Unfortunately, I did frown upon the scene where Williams is teetering on the straight/gay boundary line with his former lover played by Christine Baranski. Were the studio producers not satisfied with the lack of heterosexual content from the masculine character Armand? Really? I mean...Really?

In the next few blog posts, I will attempt to look into these things, which have plagued my good cinemas and kept the gay youth of America from finding role models in media just like the other kids on the playground. It's what's fair and right! Kids don't have the ability to find and watch Independent films unless they go through great lengths to find them. Why can't gay cinema play on the big screen? It would help more people become familiar and accepting of the subject.

As I wrap up this entry, think about the gay movies you have seen, that involve a non-stereotypical theme and the characters do not die or become depressed!! Any insight would be wonderfully fantastic!!


-Reyes