Gran Torino

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her cousin's gang RELEVANT VOCABULARY- (to) break a bond zeine Bindung (brechen) loneliness, solitude = Einsamkeit, abgeschiedenneit ambivalent /ambiguity lambiguous Zwiespalt, Mehrdlertigkeit tolerace tolerant alienation - to feel alienated Entfremdung; Distanzierung AMBIGUITY OF BELONGING >has difficulties finding cultural identity >Hmongs are scattered in Asla >torn between Imong and American culture › Contrast American teenagers: prefers reading over Smartphone (does not have one) -stries to integrate into American society (lacks simple things like a cou or a job) (she is unsure of his gender identity > Latino and Hmong gang members question his mosculinity, not seen as "man of the house" grandmother worries he can't fill the role of the man in the house > gets bassed around by his sisters > pressured by cousin Fong to join his gang > gradually becomes friends with Walt and learns a lot from him CHARACTER THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE >in the beginning: •known as quite a coward, whom is easy to bully, shy, insecure self-conscious •olowly matures with Walt's help into an ambitious young men →gains confidence AMBIGUITY OF BELONGING > deeply rooted in the Hmong culture, but also perfectly at ease with the American way of life → while boyfriend Trey CHARACTER THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE she mainly functions as a mediator between different parties, mainly between wall and the Hmong > confident, outspoken, intelligent, witty → speaks up against Smokie and Spider develops into a travmatized, struggling and broken girl →gets beaten and raped by the gang 4 presence decreases throughout the movie self-perception = Selbstbild peet pressur - Gruppenzwang WALT KOWALSKI SENSE OF BELONGING lonely and grumpy old man -no close relations to others: • Estranged from his sons and their family • no real friends Conly superficial friendships: barbershop, drinking buddys) →> skreotypical "hard men" behaviour • typical representative of a twe-collar worker ↳port of polish- catholic community ↳realises that he does not belong ("last of hid kid" in his street) →walt used to belong to his wife - but not really to his sons or church → takes care of Thoo as if he was his son (in his own way) => In the end : Is he successful achieving a sense of belonging 2 Yes: he is not grumpy, arrogant, distanced anymore •he opens up, finds a new family and purpose in lite • becomes a role model to Thoo No: he sacrifices this life How DO THEY MANAGE TO CHANGE THINGS? > watches Ove and Thao's ways of behavior and their situations > compoves the Lor family with his own family >realizes different ways of his and other people's or not for others behavior as helpful AMBIGUITY OF BELONGING Ambiguity of belonging feeling of not fitting in with the changed conditions especially that his neighborhood is now dominated by Hmong Americans ↳he does not fit into the modun American Society =(old time with special respect for: WALT AS A WAR VETERAN THE HMONG AND THE SECRET WAR > began around the time US became officially involved in the Vietnam Was 1960s US CIA began to recruit train lead the Hmong people in laas › about 60% of all Hmong men joined the "secret was" after the US withdraw, Hmong people became targets many Hmong refugees were resettled in the US after the Vietnam War THE KOREAN WAR began when the North Korean communist army entered the non communist South Korea sofficially, the US intervened as part of a "police action" run by UN when actually the UN was simply being manipulated by us and NATO anticommunist interests speace treaty was signed to end the Korean War • ideal white predominance • racial prejudice against minorities • respect for old •exclusive prejudice against minorities) he is torn between his own "spoilt rotten" family and the Lor family where he gets what he misses with his own relatives →in the end successful overcome ambiguity of belonging (family) ↳ he chose Hmong neighbors instead of his own family Grelation to church remains unclear →Suffers from ambiguity of belonging made him grumpy >reflects on his (former) duty as a soldier and his duties as a man today > questions his prejudices and moves beyond them sopens up and reaches out to other people (the lor family, father Janovich) > gives up his real family in favor to the lors accepts Sues quality as a role model wants to change life by mentoring Thao as a was vetean: faces and accepts his past CHARACTER THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE in the beginning: •grumpy, bitter old men known as quite a rackst but develope into a caving role model for especially Thao and somehow also for Sve RACISM at the beginning his racism is serious (angry, clisgusted, disrespectful, grumpy) →→ most of the insults at the beginning wall speaks to himself →development of the film : racist remarks tent to become more ironic HISTORICAL BACKGROUND HOUSE/ NEIGHBORHOOD/ COMMUNITY WALT'S JOB WALT'S FAMILY WALT'S DOCTOR WAR/VIOLENCE/ CRIME WALT'S PAST LIFE -Detroit in the 1950s peak population, well-paid jobs in the automobile industry -well-maintained house in a safe neighborhood where mostly white middle-class people/ automobile workers lived -he went to church, because it was important to his wife -worked all of his life for the Ford Motor company assembling cars -put the steering column in his own Gran Torino -married to the best wife he could imagine, two sons he never had a close relationship to his sons -Dr. Feldmon used to be his doctor (experienced, male, white) -fought as a soldier in the Korean War won a silver star Medal for his service -killed at least 13 people, even teenagers -lost many friends in the war -learned to rely on himself and defend himself WALT'S PRESENT LIFE (AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MOVIE) -Detroit in the 21st century: decline of the auto industry; unemployment, dramatic drop in population; entire neighborhoods are abandoned -only white person still living in the only well-maintained house in o Hmong dominated neighborhood all white people have left and are replaced by Asian immigrants -the church doesn't mean anything to him, no respect for the young inexperienced Father Jonovich retired; he still keeps his house/yord/ car in perfect conditions fixes things that don't need to be fixed -lost his beloved wife Dorothy -feels completely estranged from his two sons, their families and their ways of living, only companion is his dog Daisy his old doctor is replaced by a young Asian female doctor -burdened by war memories and feelings of guilt defends his property and possessions he doesn't rely on the police and takes the action in his own hands -answers violence with violence MINOR CHARACTERS GRANDMOTHER PHONG > representative of first-genuation-immigrants >racial prejudices against Americans (beginning: fight /hatred with walt) > does not speak English (speaks Hmong) > Lives strictly according to her traditions (e.g. Clothing) FATHER JANOVIC › young and inexperienced, really cares for the people in his parish > was the pastor of Walts wife (very religious) →promised her to take care of Walt in the beginning walt rejects him she is very persistent and gets him to have a conversation multiple times over time, their relationship develops and they begin to get along KOWALSKI FAMILY >disrespectful, ignorant >do not get along with Walt → they don't understand him (which makes Walt saa) >only talk to Walt when they need sth., want him to go to retirement home THE ASIAN GANG >Smokie → Thao's and Sue's cousin, Spider-leader of the gang > aggressive gang bangers, unemployed, criminal > always want to establish dominance, protect their territory >Shoot walt in the end xeads to their arrest because it's the first time one of their crimes has been witnessed SUMMARY MARTIN > Halian-American barber, Walt's friend > Walt, a grumpy old man, in the beginning a racist & has prejudices but after he met Thood ove, he begins to overcome his racism and finds new friends in them > Walt lives alone in his house, his wife just died, does not have a good relationship with his two sons and their family > next to him, Thao and his family live there. Walt is very rude & racist to them. Thao is shy, hard-working boy, who is easy to push around and does often "women's work" (e.g. the dishes) sone night Wall saves Thao from the Asian gang so that he is seen as a neighbourhood her > aftu sawing Sue, Thao's sister, from getting harassed by the African-American gang, they start talking and get along > Sue invites him to a family porty where he sees what life should be like, he also starts coughing up blood. So walt goes to the doctor where he finds out, that he has lung cancer >Thao begins to work for Walt, because he wanted to sleal Walt's Gran Torino, slowly they start to like each other >Watt begins helping Thas to find a job he gets him one as a construction worker >After Thao's cousins harass him, Walt threatens them to stop → everything is escalating (the shoot up to Thao's house & caped Sue) >walt wants to get revenge →→he starts preparing himself when walt goes to get revenge on the Hmong Gang, he locks Thas up to stop him from coming with him (protect him) > while Walt goes to confront Thao's cousins, they shoot him (he has no guna) > because of his sacrifice the Hmong gang could be locked up >Thao & Sue are safe now and he gets the Gran Torino from Walt MOTIFS SYMBOLS W GRAN TORINO •importance in the movie: Walt's prized posession; Ashley is interested in inheriting it; Thao is supposed to steal it as an initiation ritual into Spide's gang; Walt offers it to Thao to take youa (his crush) on a date; given to Thao after Walt's death •symbolism: masculinity, traditionalism, an ordued world, friendship us. mere materialistic gain EXAMPLES Setting 2: (afto Dorothy's funeval, Ashley and wall in the garage) Ashley:So what are you like going to do with it like when.... you die? mere materialistic gain Setting 25 (during the barbecue in Walt's gouden, Thao and Youa planning their first date) Walt: The bus?! That's no good. A charming young lady like this deserves to go in style. [...] Thao: The Gran Torino? You'd let me drive it? Walt: Sure, why not. masculinity, friendship It just looks like hell. If you can refrain from doing any of that it's yours" LIFE DEATH & RELIGION importance in the movie: movie begins and ends with a funeral scene (Dorothy and Walt); theme of Father Janovich's sermons and his conversations with Walt; Hmong birth ceremony as opposed to Dorothy's funval reception; Walt has a critical illness and sacrifices his life for Thao and Sue (dies in Christlike manner) Setting 32: (reading of walls last will) Lawyer: "And to my friend, Thao Vang Lor, I leave my 1972 Gran Torino on the condition that you don't chaptop the root like a damned spick, don't paint any idiotic flames on it like some whits-trash hillbilly and don't put a big gay spoiw on finally confesses, accepts Father Janovic as a pastor the rear-end like you see on all the other zipperheads' cars • symbolism: friendship with Hmong and atonement for his sins give Walt new life (although he dies) EXAMPLES →Selting 1 • Dorothy's funeral Setting 2 Dorothy's wish for wall to go to confession 4 Walt's rejection of the church → christian wife, family pays respect in the church →speech Father Janovich: [..] what is death? Is it the end? or is it the • In/Outside Walt's house beginning? And what is life?[]" → Tries to look after Walt & warks him to go to a confession → Walt does not want to and makes clear that he rejects the church Setting 7 • conversation between Walt and Father Janovich in bour talking about Life and Death: Walt reveals that he is howunted by his past ↳ lived with death for three years in Korea →killed seventeen-year-old kids ↳honest, opens up to Father Janovic LJ: Sounds like you know more about death than you do living. W: Maybe so →→selting 29 • Walt's Confession at church DILAPIDATION US. RETURBISHMENT importance in the movie: street in dispair one reason for Walt to scorn his Hmong neighbors i Thao's job when working for Walt: refurbishing houses in the street : Thao's job at construction site; Thao and walt mutually helping each other with repairs •symbolism: loss of old values and traditions growing up igaining self-confidence; friendship Later: personal confession to Thao (Setting 30: How many mendid u kill in Korea? ->walt:,. goddamn awful" Setting 31 Setting 32 Walt's Sacrifice Fothy Janovich's development: learns about life and death through wall example → Salvation that walt needed knew he would die soon from cancer →→Setting 20 walt helping Thao and giving him tools Walt: This is for you. Roll of duct tape, can of WD-40 and a pair of vise-grips. Any man who's worth a shit can do half his household jobs with these three things. In the odd chance that doesn't work out, you can borrow something. Thao: Okay cool. growing up; friendship Thas helping Walt with the freezer and asserting himself walt: I just need a little push. All the weight is up top, so you stay down and give me a little shove at each slep. Thao: Let me take the top. Walt: Now, I got it. Thao: No really, ill take the top. It looks pretty heavy. → Walt: I'm not crippled. I got it. Thoo: If you don't let me take the top, I ain't helping. I'll go home. EXAMPLES →Setting 17: Thao wanting to work for walk, Walt's prejudiced attitude Thao: What do you have for me today? You want me to watch paint dry or maybe count the clouds that passed by? [..] Look, I'm stuck here. Why don't you give me something useful to do? Walt: Because unlike you I'm not useless. I maintain my property, whereas Walt: Listen zipper head, now's not the time to go and... Thao: You listen, old man. Either it's top or I'm out of here. →growing upigaining self-confidence, friendship you swamp rats let your houses go to hell. loss of old values and traditions ; gaining self-confidence NAMES importance in the movie: Walt wants Father Janovich to call him "Mr. Kowalski",lake he let's him call him "Walt"; Walt calling Hmong wrong names ("Toad "for "Thao"); Sue calling walt "Walty". symbolism: distance us. closer relationship (respect, friendship) EXAMPLES →Setting 4 Father Janovich's attempt to talk to wait and get him to contess Father Janovich: Hi there walt. Walt: Listen, son, you're not my bouber, you're not my friend, 80 why in the hell do you think you can call me walt? Father Janovich: Sorry.. Mr. Kowalski ⇒distance →→Setting 27 after the allack on due, shortly before walt finally goes to confession Father Janovich: So, what are you going to do, Mr. Kowalski? Walt: Call me walt dover relationship (respect) →→Setting 14 Sue inviting wait to Imong pouty Sve: Happy birthday, Wally. Walt: Don't call me wally. gradually close relationship, friendship Setting 20 Sve thanks Walt for being a role model for Thao Sve: You're a good man, wally. I wish our dad would have been more like you →closer relationship →Selting 15 at the pouty in the lors' house Sue: Well, look who's Over there walt: what's-his-name who tried to steal my Gran Torino. Sue: My brother, Thao. Walt: Yeah Tood distance, lack of respect • Gun→ Americanism, Tradition, masculinity protection, violence •Beer, cigarettes → masculinity, loneliness, drinking away pain/guilt •Lawn, white picket fence → American Dream, "safe heaven", wealth. Wall's ability to work/do things on his own Setting 22 reading of Walt's last will Lawyer: "And to my friend, Thao Vang Lor, I leave my 1972 Gran Torino [...]" closer relationship (friendship, respect) WALT'S SILVER STAR MEDAL AND LIGHTER •importance in the movie: emblems of Walt's military service and success; Silver Star medal as gift to Thao (to make him go to the basement and stop him from joining walt and taking revenge on the gang); lighter provokes gang into shooting unaumed wait •symbolism: guilt and redemption, true bravery EXAMPLES Setting 30 Walt locking Thao in basement before going out to bring down the gang and giving him his silver stor medial Walt: I got something I wanna show you. Come on. Thao: Chat Walt: 1952, we were sent up to take out a chink machine -gun nest. Been shreading us up pretty good. I was the only one that came back that day. For that, they gave me a silver stor. Here it is. Here. I want you to have it. Thao: Chuyệ Walt: Why? Because we all knew the dangers that night, but we went anyway. That's the way it might be tonight. There's always a chance you don't came back. [..] You wanna know what it's like to kill a man? Well, it's gooddamn awful, that's what it is. The only thing worse is getting a medal for killing some poor kild that wanted to just give up, that's all. Setting 31 Walt before taking out his cigarette lighter and being shot dead Walt: Got a light? No? Me, I've got a light... Hail Mary, full of grace. SYMBOLS • mirror →→self-recognition of walt •cross → Wall lies with his arms spread out as he dies → symbol of his saluation GENDER • Walt's stereotypical masculinity: drinks beer, eats beef jerky, special language with friends language, former soldier, solves conflicts with violena, handyman, does not want to show any weaknesses, hides his illness, refuses gadgets for elduly people • Walt as a male role model for Thao family /peer group •Walt's aim : "manning Thao up": acquire basic handyman skills, get a job, learn how to curse, ask a girl out Setting 21 "manning Thao up", at the bouber shop walt: Be polite and then you bring up something you can both talk about. It ain't rocket science. Thao: Yeah, but I don't have a job or a car or a girlfriend [..] walt Just go back outside and hy it again. And don't mention you're a pussy with no car, girl, job, future or whatever. Come in and act like a man, Toad. traditional gendu roles in Hmong culture: patricuchy: men as leaders who should be strong and in control and women whose primary roles are childbearing and household chores and who should be submissive and dealent to their husbands/ fathes/brothes →Selting 3: Subtitled conversation between Imong relatives after traditional birth ceremony Hmong man: What about Thao? Phong: What about him? Hmong man: He's the man in the house. Phong: Thao's not a man. Look at him in the kitchen, washing dishes like a woman. Even his sister gives him ordus and obeys. •often especially difficult for Hmong boys to find their place in American society because of fathers who are either absent or not able to fulfil the expectations of strong Gradus: Thao's insecurity and gang's violence as consequences ethnicity Setting 13 conversation between walt and Sue in Watt's CON) Sue: Thao is actually really bright, he just doesn't know which direction to go in. The girls go to college, the boy go to jail. • Walt's racist and insulting language presented as sign of his masculinity ..manning Thao up"involves showing him "how men talk". Setting 21 walt trying to "man Thao up • wrong image of family loyalty as propagated by Hmong gang Setting 6 Spidu and Smokie trying to persuade Thao to join their gang Spidu: You Isomebody protecting you, big man. That's what big que for Smckie: Look, I've been there, Clone it, seen it, man. Back in the day everybody ins used to beat me up, dude, but now look, no one's fucking with me.... Spide: We're cousins right? We're cousins, we're family ETHNICITY •Walt's prejudice feels alienated in his old neighbourhood => home, likes ordu and cleanliness (exemplified by his Gran Torino), traditional values Setting 1 Mitch and Sleve talk about Walt's outdated worldview Steve: Dad's still living in the 50s •Walt's intolerance and racism are further ted by his past as a salatier in the Korean war: had to learn to have a low opinion of Asians in ordu to justify the atrocities, calls his Hmong neighbours "gooks", "Chinks", "zipperheads", "swamp rats", etc. →Jetting? walt abselves guests arriving for traditional Imong birth ceremony Walt: Jesus Christ, how many swamp rats can they cram into a living room? Setting 10 Walt threatening the gang on his lawn with his rifle Walt: you're nothing to me. In Korea, we stacked fucks like you five feet high and used you as sandbags. college) •Thao as typical example of a teenager torn between two cultures •Sue seems to be different: knows Himang customs well, seems to be proud of the heritage, but also at home in American society (while boyfriend, •gang seem to provide orientation for alienated male teenagers (Hispanics, Hmong, African American) => gender Setting & Spiow trying to get Thao join his gang. Spidu: You can't be such a little girl. You join up with us, we'll keep you out of trouble, cuz TAMILY/PEER GROUP PEER GROUP : a group of people of similar age, background, status, interests; a group from which one often picks one's friends ROLE MODEL: Sb providing orientation and an example to others • genvation conflict I: different degrees of integration /assimilation in Hmong family language, gender •gervation conflict II: in Walt's family conservatism against "spoilt youth" •relationship between Wall and his sons: feelings like greed, disappointment, lack of unawatanding and interest Setting 1: conversation between Mitch and Steve during Dorothy's funeral Sleve: My point is that there's nothing anyone can do that won't the old Man →Setting 2: Dorothy 's funeral reception Steve: A lot of people showed up after the service. walt: Yeah, well, I suppose they knew there'd be plenty of ham. family does not need to be defined by blood tes (walls clow relationship with Sue and Thao than with his own sons. → Setting AS wall's moment of realisation after the Hmong shaman hos "read "him Walt: I've got goddamn gooks than my spoiled-rotten family. e in commo with HOME •Walt still lives in his old neighbourhood, athough he feels alienated there because of many Asian immigrants and also his sons urge him to move out →→Setting 4 walt and Phong eyeing each other suspiciously from their porches) Walt: Damn chinks let their youds go to hell. Polovski would turn ove in his grate if he could see what they did to his lawn I don't know why these goddamned slopes had to move to my block. This used to be a nice neighborhood. Phong: why doesn't that stupid, hairy white man move? He must be too dumb to realize he's not welcome here. All the Mee - Khah left in the neighbourhood should just move away. home Selting 14 Mitch and Karen trying to talk walt into moving into an old people's Mitch: And the house, now that Mom's gone, it's got to be a lot to maintain, let alone clean... and you're all alone in here. • Wall's reason for staying: connection to Dorothy /to seemingly well-ordwed past, trying to remain in control. →Setting 14 watt sitting on his porch with Daisy on his birthday Walt: we miss Momma, don't we, Daisy? • neighbourhood : helping each other, refurbishing houses in the neighbourhood TaltThao) →→Setting 11 walt seen as a hero of the neighbourhood afte driving away the gang wall why do you people keep giving me this garbage? Sue: Because... because you saved Thao Walt. No, I didn't. All I did was get a bunch of jabbering gooks off my lawn. Sue: Well, you're a hew to the neighbourhood. Walt: No, I'm not Sve: Too bad, they think you are and that's why they're bringing you the gifts. Setting 17 Walt making Thao work in the neighbourhood Walt: when you're clone caulking the siding, nail that guttu back up, I can see it right out my kitchen window, it's been bugging me for three years UIOLENCE Detinition: PTSD(=past-traumatic stress disorder) is a mental health condition which results from either witnessing or experiencing a terrifying Cotten life-threatening) situation. Typical symptoms: night moves, flashbacks, uncontrollable thoughts Typical consequences: problems in social relationships and aily life due to • personality changes •health problems •depressive thoughts addiction • emotional numbness intellectual impairment "escalation of violence: insults, threats, physical violence, (smokie burning Thao with cigarette, walt beating up Smokie, gun attack, Sue's rape, walt provoking gang into shooting him dead) wall probably suffering from PTSD: distanced relalationship with fellow men, emotional numbness, bitterness, recurring feelings of guilt guilt /redemption Setting 15 shaman reading Walt at party in (or household Sue: Kor Khue says that you think you've been clisrespected. You do not live your life. Your food has no flawor. You are scaved of your post. You stopped living years and years ago. Kor Khue says you're not at peace. •Wall used to solving problems by we of violenc (wou vetuan) →gender → Setting 10 Wolt "rescues "Thao from the gang Walt: Don't think for a second I won't blow a big hou in your face and it won't bother me a bit, not any more than if I shot a der. Now get off my goddamned lawn. Believe me, kid, I'll blow your damn head off, go back to bed and sleep like a baby. I couldn't cave Cass. [...] You're nothing to me. In korea, we stacked fucks like you five feet high and used you os sandbags. •ending of the conflict and walls redemption and self-sacrifice: Walt is unoumed as guilt/redemption Setting 31 explaining Wall's death to Thao Hmong Police Officer: The old guy reaches for a lighter and they gunned him down. The gang said the old guy was here to kill them, but he didn't have a weapon Walt has at least two guns, he does not hesitate to use (American self-image, self-defense) Gangs: shooting, crimes...-enforce dominance Different levels of violena' 1. vebal tension, aggressive exchanges 2. appearance of guns →→spical of violence 3. escalation : drive-by shooting and Sue's rape by sacrificing himself, walt finds a way to break the cycle of violence → Thao and Sue can live freely (Gang-prison) the cycle is only broken by Walt not using violence the tricks the gang into shooting him with a lighter looks like a gun pulled from his jacket GUILT AND REDEMTION • Walt's biltuness: feels guilty for not having a close relationship with his sons, and especially for doing cruel things in the Korean was Setting Mwalt conversation with Father Janovich walt: The thing that haunts a guy is the stuff he wasn't ordwed to do. •Wall also blames himself for escalating violence of Hmong gang (Sue's rape) •Walt feels "soiled". does not want Thap's "pure" soul to suffer from the vicious circle of violence, too. Setting 80 locking Thao in the basement and hindwing him from taking reverge -for Sue's rapa.- Walt: you wanna know what it's like to kill a man? Well it's goddamn awful, that's what it is. The only thing worse is getting a medal for killing some poor kid that wanted to just give up, that's all. A cumb, scaved, little gook, just about your age. I shot him with the same rifle you just held upstairs. I've thought about that kid for fifty years. And I promise you, boy, you want no pout of it. Me, I've got blood on my hands. I'm soiled. Forgive me for tricking you like a dope. [..] You've come a long way. I'm proud to call you a friend. You have your whole life ahead of you, whereas this is what I do. I finish things. •Walt's act of self-sacrifice in Christlike manner, redeeming his former sins and sowing Sue and Thas from further violence =>religion Selting 30 offer Walt's confession: Walt has finally found his peace, in contrast to his state of mind when the shaman was reading " him Father Janovich: Go in peace. Walt: Oh.I am at peace THE AMERICAN DREAM WALT'S AMERICAN DREAM >takes pride in his cous (cheriches the Gran Torino) > House = perfect image of American suburbia > Conservative rawes: patriotism, family, buying American flags..... THAO'S AMERICAN DREAM > very vague, Thao does not believe in his future > begins to take over Walt's American Dream >in the end : Dream is fulfilled (car, job) SUE'S AMERICAN DREAM > female protector, speaks up, confident and bold >her own plans remain unknown > she is a mediator between cultures (neutral, understanding, patient) PAST MISTAKES THAT BURDEN WALT HOW WALT ATONES FOR HIS MISTAKES AND REDEEMS HIMSELF • Walt feels guilty about the wau, killed an innocent Korean teen the saves the life of Thao, a boy of the same age as the Korean teenager • he has never had a close relation with his sons ↳he is like a father for Thao who has no role model and lacks orientation the helps him finding a direction in life • he intensifies the gang conflict which results in the drive by shooting and Sue's brutal rape ↳by sacrificing himself, he stops the gang from destroying Thao's and Rue's life any further Walt has not been able to atone for his guilt Ghe decides to sacrifices himself so Sue and Thao can I have a normal life he plans his sacrifice and when his plan works out, he could die in peace MELTING EQUALITY MILLIONAIRE DREAM SPEECH POVERTY STATUE RELIANCE... INDEPENDENCEDREAM SELF CAPURSUITACHIEVERIGHTS AMERICAN FORTUNE "STARS POVERTY RACISM VALUES WORK UPWARD LIBERTY DECLARATION HARD OPTIMISMOPPORTUNITY NIBERTYPOT ARHAPPINESSMEETING MOBILITY ACHIEVE PURSUIT SOCIAL NATIVE IMMIGRATIONEXPANSION MANIFEST UPWARD CONTROL RIGHTS BACKGROUND INFORMATION KOREAN WAR • 1950-1953 after World War II., Korea was divided into the communist North and non-communist South •in 1950, the North Korean Army (backed by the Soviet Union) invaded South Korea • US interventio to stop communist expansion (Cold was exa) at the end of the Korean wou, the country was divided again The Hmong in the USA ISA AMAL TIE AMAS LAMAN EMAI weny Arrival: Where: . . Life: . Spa . 1205 TOWERS 400 AMAZ 147 SEASON Integration: JOGAS 104.29 AnyCon 45.32 LM Anna and Annika BUMA BEAT Since 1975: over 200,000 Hmong have fled as refugees about 90% of the refugees have been resettled to the US (because of role in war) the first arrivals were mostly illiterate soldiers and farmers. 2004: latest refugee wave DETROIT •Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903 • Detroit became "Motor City", the worlds automotive capital ·by the 1940s, Detroit was the fourth largest city in the US at the end of the 20th century, loss of jobs in the auto industry -loss in population (undu 700.000 in 2017; 1,8 million in 1850) •urban decay •Detroit declared bankruptcy in 2013 today, many investments and projects to make the city attractive again, but unemployment and poverty still pressing problems (as of 2000) largest number of Hmong in California, Minnesota and Wisconsin about 10% of the immigrants in Minnesota and Wisconsin (less than 0,5% of foreign-born population in US) Hmong encountered new conveniences in America like locked doors and light switches Weren't used to american standarts: In their American houses they planted gardens in their living rooms, used toilets for washing dishes,.. In the late 1980s the Hmong were the least educated and poorest migrant population in the US 60% of the Hmong males were unemployed 60% considered low-income poverty rate: 11.8% (as of 2018). After the arrival many Hmong collected earthworms, so they can sell them as bait to the fish- erman ongoing racism against Asian American families and businesses because of the COVID-19 pandemic The younger generation was able to adapt well in the American life Some of the old generation have been denied citizenship because the weren't able to read or write in English In order for the Hmong to fit into American society they made a few changes: Instead of the traditional cloth spheres they use Tennis balls During their weddings in America the couples wear traditional clothes for the ceremony and western clothes at the reception Men with multiple wives were required have only one THE HMONG ethnic group in East and Southeast Asia (originally from China, spread in China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand) in the 1960s, the CIA recruited Hmong people to fight in the Vietnam Was •heavy losses among Hmong soldiers (1964-1975) •when the US withdrew from Vietnam in 1975, Hmong people were perseculed by the then communist regime • thousands of Hmong people fled to Thailand, many were also resettled in the US •today, more than 260.000 Hmong people live in the US Polish immigration in the U.S. When? Why? " There have been 3 different time periods also called 'waves': larg- est from 1870-1914, a second after WW2 and a third after Po- land's independence in 1989. Most Polish Americans are descended from the first wave (mil- lions of Poles fled Polish districts of Ger./Rus./Aut. -> group often called 'za chlebem' (for bread)) Poor living conditions in Poland : famine, shortage of land and jobs, hardships caused by war Work (making money to send home) New possibilities U.S land of economic opportunity Being Polish American Poles numbered among the earliest colonists in the New World and today, as their number exceed ten million, they represent the largest of the Slavic groups in America and the eight largest ethnic group in the U.S. Between 1900 and 1920, more than a third of all Polish-Americans lived in the Upper Great Lakes re- gion of the U.S, including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana; Michigan and Wisconsin. Now the states with the biggest Polish Population are: Polish American State New York Illinois Michigan Pennsylvania New Jersey Wisconsin Population Kimberly 986,141 932,996 854,844 824,146. 576,473 497,726 Polish Americans as a percentage of total population 75 8.6 9.3 Poles did not plan to remain permanently and become 'Americanized'. They rather came temporarily to earn money, invest and wait for the right opportunity to return. Their intention was to ensure a desirable social status in the old world for themselves, However, many of the temporary migrants decided to become permanent Americans. Many found manual labor jobs in the coal mines of Pennsylvania and the heavy industry as steel mills, iron foundries, slaughterhouses, oil and sugar refineries of the 'Great Lake cities'. Walt Kowalski as a Polish American Walt Kowalski has one of the most spreader Polish last names in the U.S and also lives in a state with a high Polish Population, yet he does not really connect with his ethnicity. There are only few scenes where you 'get' that he is Polish. Like mentioned, when it comes to his last name and also when he talks to the barber which calls him 'Polak'. So he doesn't really identify with somebody who is proud to be a Polish American but more as an typical patriotic American. (Maybe his ancestors came very early and his family stopped carrying on with traditions or it is just not for him.) aware of her heritage but feels at ease with American culture SUE strong, smart, mature, speaks he mind on eye-level, mutual respect Walt shows little respect for the church (work- confession) but acknowledges its relavence (walts last will gives his house to the churoh FATHER JANOVICH persistant, understanding. serious, young resistance: acts like a "man" ₂" violence (rape) sees behind his grumpy facade First doesn't come through Late respects him for being serious protective trusts her same family >protection against other gangs >criminality, violence FONG/ SPIDER Hmong gang Leade of Hmong gang, full of hate, violent is disgusted wants justice fear the "old"man WALT straightforward, withdrawn, honest, experienced.grumpy between his family, the gang and American society negative example resists to be forced into the gang American items are important for him, increasing attachment to the neighbours, his heritache /name THAO intelligent, quiet, timid diligent fathe-son- relationship impresses with his development distance from his own family, proximity to Thao's family Utle respect, in some cases even disgusted Lack of respect and understanding WALT'S FAMILY hypocrile, ignorant, selfish DETROIT NEIGHBOURHOOD: while flight, economic decline, racial conflicts, unemployment, corruption, criminality, poverty