West Side Story Thesis

The film West Side Story directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner argues that to be accepted in America, one must have “American” attributes such as having white skin, speaking English, and being rich/owning property. Those who do not fit these attributes are outcasts in society. West Side Story is a musical that explores the relationships between ethnic and cultural identities, violence, and discrimination in New York. The film is about two gangs, the Jets, a group of white Americans and the Sharks, a group of Puerto-Ricans who immigrated to America. The main plot portrays the struggles that the characters have while they navigate their identities in a society where they are discriminated against.

Of the two main gangs in the musical the Sharks are discriminated against the most. All the Sharks immigrated from Puerto-Rico,

However we are discussing how the film says what being American is, not your own opinion. In the film they show that to be a real American that means being white. In the song “America” the main theme of the song is that you can have all the great (things) that America guarantees but only if you fit the American stereotypes. The chorus sings, “Life is alright in America! If you're all white in America!”. This quote backes up the claim that the film says you need to fit the American attributes to be considered an American. I believe that being American is not about the attributes you contain but the ideas and values that you hold. In the film to be considered American you need to have white skin and speak english. The film is based in the 1950’s but now, in 2023, the country is much more diverse thanks to all the immigrant families. Even if these citizens are not white or don't speak english or are not rich they still are Americans. If they consider their home to be in America then I consider them to be