Stereotypes In Gran Torino

Gran Torino is a captivating film which shows a great deal racial prejudice and how one can overcome racism through communication. This film strings together racial and ethnic portraits in many scenes which highlight many important issues in today’s society. There are some movies today that use these racial stereotypes but they do them without reason. This film uses it to bring light to a minority of people living in the U.S. that do not get much attention. The movie is largely about Walt’s relationship with his Hmong neighbors in which he goes from being openly hostile to a more understanding position in the end. There are several issues touched on in the movie that draw attention to race, such as the racial slurs used by Walt, and the way that communication among different racial groups can encourage tolerance, empathy and compassion.

Primarily, this film focuses a lot on the Hmong people and their racial stereotypes. A Korean War veteran, Walt Kowalski, lives in a predominantly Asian neighborhood. Early in the film Walt points out that it was once surrounded by white neighbors, now the area is largely made up of low-income Asian American people. In one scene where Walt’s new Hmong neighbors

The neighborhood is full of numerous gangs and in one scene, for instance, when he was talking to Sue after he saved her from a group of gang members, Walt says, “I thought you Asian girls were supposed to be smart.” This remark supports the stereotype that all Asians are smart, frequently accompanied with the expectation of being good at math. When talking to Thao in another scene, Walt comments, “All you slopes are supposed to be good at math right?” Further reinforcing the stereotype. Walt uses many insults and racist remarks throughout the film that associate to these common stereotypes of the Asian