IndexIntroductionSocial IssuesImplications for CounselingConclusionIntroductionAs one of my all-time favorite musicals, West Side Story has always been a film that gets better every time it is watched, regardless of the occasion . From musical hits to plot, West Side Story gives us the true essence of urban love in a theatrical perspective. Although this particular film is set in the 1960s, it sheds light on some important issues regarding race and diversity that also impact today's society. The fact that it highlights both a white gang and a Puerto Rican gang in the concrete jungle that is New York City provides us with insight into the adaptation process of Puerto Rican immigrants who migrated to the United States during the 1960s. I can honestly consider West Side Story a modern Shakespeare-influenced romance with an urban New York flavor. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay To better understand the meaning of this film, it would be ideal to provide a brief synopsis of West Side Story. The film is set in New York in the 1960s, a time when racial oppression against people of color was still on the rise. The plot revolves around two street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, who fight for control of "turf". As these two gangs “remember” to see who will control the neighborhood, we see our main protagonists, Tony and Maria, fall madly in love with each other. The film mainly revolves around their love story along with the racial conflicts between the Jets (white) and the Sharks (Puerto Rican) that come in the way of their love. Despite the racial divide between the two gangs, this didn't stop our protagonists from loving each other, but the ending left Maria shocked when Tony was killed by a member of the Shark. If I had one character that I felt the most kinship with, it would definitely be Tony without a doubt. While he may be a Caucasian male, his idea of ​​beauty is not defined by ethnicity. It would have been nice for more white males during that time in the 1960s not to project hatred onto people of color. When Tony first saw Maria at the community dance, it seemed as if they were the only ones in the room with fireworks going off in the background. Tony really stood out to me among all the Jets because, although he is a member of the Jets, he doesn't seem to share the ideals of his fellow peers. In addition to not sharing the Jets' ideals, he is also modest and shows no signs of color blindness whenever she is with Maria. Since I highlighted a character that I related to the most, it would be appropriate to talk about a character that I felt the least related to throughout the film. This is why I choose to talk about Action, who is a long-time member of the Jets. Action is a truly unique character who, as his nickname suggests, is ready to face things head on and never looks back without thinking about the consequences. However, the problem with Action is that he is such a loose cannon that he would cause chaos on his own unless he was surrounded by his fellow Caucasian gang members. In addition to being a loose cannon, he is not afraid to express himself especially when it comes to Puerto Ricans, aka the Sharks. Social Problems Within the movie West Side Story, there were many social problems that arose from both the Jets and the Sharks, which is why it would feel more appropriate to further explore their problems within each gang separately. The Jets had a number of social issues that can be labeled problematic but were appropriately aligned with racial ideologiescorruption of the 1960s. Some of these social issues included the use of white privilege, the expression of microaggressions to Puerto Ricans living in neighborhoods, and their worldview on gender roles. The Jets symbolize the white males who lived in the urban neighborhoods of New York in the 1960s, a time when racial inequalities were still on the rise in the United States. The Jets also represented the so-called “juvenile delinquent” stigma that comes from broken homes. The Jets demonstrated many social issues in West Side Story that would be unethical to today's worldview, but this was the reality of what life was like in the concrete jungle of New York in the 1960s. The Jets were a group of urban white kids who “lived” on the streets due to corrupt families but were still protected by white privilege. In the "Geez, Agent Krupke" scene, we see the Jets waiting for the Sharks to meet them so they can iron out the details on the rumble. While they wait, the Jets begin singing a song that helps describe the process of the criminal justice system for juvenile delinquents in the 1960s. If you pay close attention to the lyrics, you'll notice how the Jets highlight the way urban white teenagers use the excuse of their abusive parents to overcome the system with the empathy of police officials. When they take this story to the judge, they will automatically go through a series of psychological tests and therapy sessions to come to the conclusion that these urban white kids are “sociologically sick.” Through this classic song from West Side history, we can clearly see the advantage that urban white kids had at the time over the justice system with the shield of white privilege that provided protection. Another example of white privilege demonstrated in West Side Story was the nighttime scene involving Officer Krupke, the Jets, and the Sharks. While the Jets and Sharks were discussing the details of the rumble inside Doc's store, Officer Krupke enters and interrupts the party with authority. After commenting on how both the Jets and Sharks were "getting along," Krupke took it upon himself to have some "fun" about the Puerto Ricans, who seemed as if he was intimidating them. He then decided to chase the sharks out of Doc's shop using his police authority. The fact that Officer Krupke only asked the Sharks to leave the store while the Jets were allowed to stay is another indication of white privilege. It would almost appear that Officer Krupke has his own hidden agenda to clean the streets of Puerto Ricans and uses his white privilege to do so. To further illustrate the point of white privilege and the treatment of Latinos by law enforcement, a study conducted by John D. McCluskey, Cynthia Perez McCluskey, and Roger Enriquez was conducted to explore the comparison between Latinos and white citizens and the their satisfaction with the police. The study included 592 citizens of the Bexar County metropolitan area of ​​San Antonio, Texas. The results of the study show that “the relationship between police and Latinos is an area where research findings are lacking” (McCluskey, Perez & Enriquez, 2008, p.476). This means that Latinos' level of satisfaction with the police varies from case to case and depends on the area being investigated. However, it is notable that Latinos who have less acculturation with American culture will most likely express lower levels of satisfaction with the police as they are unfamiliar with the customs. Another social issue that took place in West Side Story with the Jets was a series of microsattacks against sharks. One microaggression in particular involved the entire Jets gang and Rita, who is the girlfriend of the Shark leader. Anita went to Doc's shop on Maria's behalf looking for Tony to pass on a message and was ridiculed by the Jets by pushing her around and calling her by her name. This form of behavior exhibited by the Jets helps paint a picture of how whites felt about Puerto Ricans when they first moved to the neighborhood. The word "spick" is used in the film's dialogue by the Jets to describe their cross-dressing towards the Sharks, which is also used today to describe cross-dressing towards other Latinos. These microaggressions towards Puerto Ricans back then can also be seen towards Latinos in today's society. Just like the Jets, the Sharks also demonstrated some social issues that can be seen as problematic in the 1960s, even as they themselves were marginalized by “white America”. However, the difference is that the Sharks' social issues aligned more with traditional ideologies of gender roles and their worldview of white America. The gender roles depicted in West Side Story for Puerto Ricans can best be described as “gang members (men)…brash and virgins (women)” (Negrón-Muntaner, 2000, p.83). Being a Latina in the 1960s meant that women stayed at home and cooked and maintained the house while the man went to work and brought home the “bacon” for the family. This equates to gender roles for men/women in the US, which shows us that both white and Latina women are not that different as they experience the same level of treatment from their partners. Gender roles help define how men and women should act in society and during the 1960s it was masculinity that dominated feminism, which is absolutely not the case for today's generation of women. The other social problem with the Sharks was their white worldview. in America even though they came to the United States hoping to improve their family situation. In addition to New York, Chicago was also a major center for Puerto Rican immigrants and was a cause for celebration for the arrival of “new migrants as models of hard work in pursuit of the American dream” (Perez, 2001, p. .48). The "America" ​​scene in West Side Story with the Sharks gives the audience a better understanding of how Puerto Rican immigrants must have felt during the transition from their homeland to the United States. From language barriers to adapting to American culture, Puerto Ricans felt the challenges this country had to offer, but they knew that America was the land of opportunity where their families would be better off. Although they were grateful for the opportunity to live in America, they did not see themselves as being able to benefit from the country's wealth due to the "white people" who controlled the wealth and used their privilege to stay at the top in the United States. those who immigrated to the United States felt that this would help find better growth opportunities for the family since Puerto Rico had low employment rates, especially for men. A study conducted by Maria Enchautegui and Richard B. Freeman in 2005 explores the reason for the lack of jobs for young adult males in Puerto Rico. Enchanutegui and Freeman (2005) suggest that the connection between “Puerto Rico's relatively poor economy and the rich, advanced economy of the United States has created conditions that generate low employment” (p. 4). The research findings revealed that the close connection between Puerto Rico and the United States has always been adouble ratio. This meant that while the Puerto Rican was offered “many of the advantages of living in a highly advanced economy, but also contributing to the employment problem” (Enchautegui & Freeman, 2005, p.32). This research helps us better understand why many Puerto Ricans, like the sharks in West Side Story, migrate to the United States and their homeland loses jobs and resources. Implications for CounselingAfter viewing this film from one perspective, there would appear to be only two implications for counseling within West Side Story. The first would be for Maria to attend counseling to explore her attitudes about interracial dating and to find a way to deal with the loss of Tony. You need to explore these feelings with Maria regarding her stance on interracial dating because it might be possible that she is now against it because of what happened between the Jets and the Sharks. She may use this newfound hatred to create negative associations for white people unless she seeks professional help that can steer her back in the right direction. We talk about Tony's death and how the fighting between the Jets and Sharks could help her on her journey to recovery. In a study conducted by Shane Levin, Pamela Taylor, and Elena Caudle, they try to examine the world of interracial dating in college and its long-term results. The hypothesis formulated for this study is that “college students are more likely to date members of their own group than members of other groups” (Levin, Taylor & Caudle, 2007, p.326). College offers the opportunity to experience and interact with new people who are different from your own, and with this study we will be able to indicate whether interracial dating is a popular option among college students. Based on the research findings, it appears that students prefer dating in groups rather than intergroups, which shows that this same level of thinking, in terms of dating, dates back to the 1960s as it was not a trend back then. While Maria would continue her counseling sessions to find the problem, it would be evident to share with Maria that it is okay to date outside of your race, despite what the research suggests. Hopefully, in due time, Maria will be able to find love again, regardless of whether the person is Latino or not. Maria is not the only character who would need counseling as she would also advise Action from the Jets to pursue counseling. The action shows a dangerous personality that can become a detriment to himself and potentially to others around him. As mentioned earlier in this critique, Action is a loose cannon when it comes to his physical actions and reckless mouth, even if the language is offensive to other groups. As part of his counseling sessions, it would be evident to examine the origins of his behavior and his relationship with his parents to see if there is a link between the two. Once you have identified the problem with Action, it would be essential to set goals with him to create your own journey towards a clearer mind, body and soul. Action is a unique character in West Side Story although he might present himself as problematic but with the right counseling techniques, he can learn to be calmer and take control of his actions. Conclusion West Side Story is a brilliant musical film that illustrates the urban lifestyles of both whites and Puerto Ricans in the 1960s. From start to finish, it never ceases to amaze me how many different examples of racism I have exposed, as well as the interesting take on the 1960s urban version of Romeo and Juliet through both Tony.