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.

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.