When you get right down to the bare essence of it, Mad Hot Ballroom and Do the Right Thing reveal two different sets of persona in New York City. If I were an outsider watching the two movies, I would never have imagined that these different types of people lived merely miles from each other. The major difference between the the two movies that resonated for me was the maturity level of the characters. The 10 and 11 year old kids were much more mature than the ones in do the right thing; (perhaps even too mature). They were able to tackle issues pertinent in society that we normally don’t discuss until we’re in college. What astounded me was how the kids were able to discuss these topics with intelligence. For example, two girls, even though surrounded by drugs and the bad influences of their neighborhood, valued boys who wanted to become educated and who had respect for themselves and their women. Most young boys, when asked who is the best at something, would say, of course themselves. These boys though, said each other. This kind of selflessness exhibited is something that I sometimes don’t even do. One last example is the green team, who even though sad upon losing the competition, were alright with it. Instead of being overcome with jealousy, they instead engaged in thoughtful critique and self reflection about the competition. If these are the kinds of actions that these kids are capable of, I am truly excited to be part of a generation of kids with these values. This is living proof that children can be molded not only by their parents, but by constructive programs that schools provide.
On the other hand, the young men and women of Do the Right Thing were far from mature. Each character was more selfish than the next. I understand that no ones situation was perfect, but this community brought out the worst in everyone: black, white, hispanic and asian. Mookie, stuck in a paycheck to paycheck situation, used the fact that Sal had not payed him on time as a reason to start the all out mob brawl. Buggin Out was not noble either; the bottom line is that the owner of the store has a right to kick out customers (ex. Radio Raheem) and to place whatever pictures he wants to in his own store (granted that they do not promote violence etc). His reaction was too disproportionate to his demands. What if the roles has been reversed; what if a white man went into a black storefront demanding pictures of whites be put up in place of blacks? Tell me, what would the reaction be. Then we have something simple, like a man in a car driving on the street. He precedes to get drenched by the kids. What on the surface is playful behavior in the future becomes more serious misdemeanors and crimes. The film showed me people so angry about their situation that they are not willing to do anything about it, instead of stressing the importance of education and supporting each others businesses, they remain racially segregated.
Fortunately and unfortunately, I can see both New Yorks through my own personal lens. I have seen great things accomplished when people forget about the boundaries that separate them and instead focus on the task at hand. In the kids case, it was the union of dance, of culture, of communication, of grace and etiquette, and of competition. In my case, I have worked on many different art projects with fellow students. Our efforts transcend boundaries and we forget about everything petty. We leave our problems and outside bitterness at the door, and in being united through an activity revert back to the innocence and naivete of the kids in Mad Hot Ballroom.
In the neighborhood around my local high school by contrast, I have seen race inspired fights, bullying, etc. you name it, I’ve seen it. This is a result though, of the failed school system and budget cuts, pushing more people into one school. My zoned school, Cardozo, originally intended for a capacity of 4000, not houses over 6500. This crowding breeds animosity. The students gravitate toward people of their own heritage and ethnicity, and though these groups do intermingle, still prevalent are stereotyping, racial jokes, and even fighting. I still find it hard to believe that this is still going on. My mom immigrated form the Philippines and moved to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx in the 80s; it wasn’t the best place to live. She moved with a nursing group and they were often looked down upon, called names and such, the typical immigrant story with the new comers being looked down upon by the natives. Yet they did not strike back, they new it would behoove them to ignore the ignorance of others and press forward with their dreams. Some people value the dirt and grit and history these neighborhoods have, so hey, I’ll give them that, but for my mom; she wanted to get out of there with a better life for her and my family. And she did. Sometimes its not race or circumstance that drives people to being nasty, sometimes they’re just plain nasty.
So, I guess you can say I have the best and worst of both worlds in me.
NYTimes Arts