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Critical Race Lens On Mcfarland USA

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Critical Race Lens on “McFarland USA” The critical race theory examines how racism affects the society, law, social structure and economy of a state. It is based on five basic tenets: everyday racism, interest convergence, social construction of race, differential racialization, intersectionality, and voice of color. The movie “McFarland USA”, directed by Niki Caro, is a true-story that is primarily based on a poor Mexican community in California where Coach White, a white American coach, develops a cross-country team. The movie portrays the everyday racism McFarland runners face because they are a minority in the sport; however, they fight against it with a voice of color as their Coach White adapts to the Latino culture around him. Everyday …show more content…

McFarland runners use their voice of color strongly through running itself as they are standing up for themselves by competing and winning in cross country and showing how cross country is not a sport solely meant for white men. Further, runner Jose Cardenas voices out his emotions by writing a poem in class how the runners feel free in America when running and are “immigrants no more. Not stupid Mexicans” (McFarland USA). Voice of color helps minorities voice out their opinions about racism and demand justice for the prejudice they face in their …show more content…

The McFarland community is widely made up of poor farmers who pick fields day and night in extreme weather conditions for minimum wage. Further, the runners also help their parents pick crops from a young age while also attending school. Coach White is astonished when he comes to know that they do not pay the farmers “by the hour. [They] get paid by the field.” (McFarland USA). Tyson describes how proletariats “suffer the ills of economic privation, are hardest hit by economic recessions, and have limited means of improving their lot” (Tyson 55). McFarland farmers are cheated by the upper-class who pay minimal to the labor class and gain an enormous profit out of

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