LA Mission

¶ … La Mission act together as a historical document of interracial and other lifestyle issues in today's urban environment. Although the film takes place within San Francisco and the documentary evidence cannot necessarily be applied to any other city or geographic region, La Mission does tell a story that is familiar to many Americans. Homophobia is one of the central themes of La Mission. Americans throughout the nation are challenging homophobia, which is part of what the filmmakers are trying to say. Moreover, San Francisco is a highly heterogeneous city.

Yet issues related to interracial relationships are raised. These same issues play themselves out in the lives of millions of Americans who feel the residual effects of prejudice in their lives. Che, the protagonist, embodies the complexities of life in a modern and progressive city like San Francisco. He is Latino, and therefore identifies as being a minority. This is an important issue in La Mission. Establishing the central character as a minority enables the filmmakers to address the other sociological issues in the film from within a unique perspective.

Rather than coming from the perspective of the dominant culture, there is already the assumption that Che understands a little bit what it means to feel discriminated against or at opposition to the dominant white hegemony. However, Che is a male and already a natural party to the patriarchy. As a Latin man, Che enjoys strong social ties in the Mission community. He is firmly entrenched and has strong networks of friends and colleagues. His hobby as a lowrider builder anchors Che within the community but especially as a man.

The hobby of car building is a stereotypically male endeavor. Using lowriders serves as a symbol for the filmmakers. The filmmakers use the lowriders to symbolize masculinity, stereotypes of masculinity in American society, and also Latin culture. Jes introduces the element of homosexuality, which directly challenges his father Che's social norms and norms of masculinity. Jes brings out the homophobia in his father, and it manifests as violence. What makes La Mission unique is the way the filmmakers show how social norms have changed.

There might indeed have been a time in which Che's violence toward his son might have been condoned by society. That time still exists in many parts of the United States. In the case of La Mission, the violence is censured because the social norms are changing. San Francisco is depicted as being a socially progressive society. 2. In the interview with Benjamin and Peter Bratt, the issues of Latino masculinity, power, community pride, and identity emerge. These elements merge in the film La Mission.

Masculinity is represented by Che and his passion for lowriders. When Che exhibits violence, it is only because he was socialized to believe that the expression of violence was a sign of his masculine power. However, Che has to learn the hard way that a real man does not beat up his son for being gay.

A real man is strong enough to recognize that being gay has no bearing on being a "real man." The Bratts want to show that in a progressive society, masculinity and sexual orientation are distinct features of a person's character. It is possible to be a man, to be masculine, and also to be gay. It is also possible to be a strong Latin man with a gay son. The community is a key element in La Mission.

It is the strength and solidarity of the community that helps Che to self-reflect. The community becomes a mirror for Che's own faults, his own prejudices, and his own soul. The film addresses the stereotype of Latin masculinity without pandering to it. Moreover, the filmmakers note in the interview that their primary objective is how individuals change.

In the interview, Peter Bratt states, "I was really inspired by the idea of exploring how, not just as a Latino culture, but I would put this to the dominant culture as well, how we view and define power, and how that specifically relates to masculinity." Bratt successfully explores the intersection between power and masculinity in La Mission. Change requires individual transformation. Society does not change en mass, as a whole, overnight.

The filmmakers show with La Mission that the heart and soul of one man can become the hundredth monkey in the community. "What intrigued me was how does a character like Che change an attitude or a behavior that he's cultivated over his entire life," (Peter Pratt cited by Wilson). When it comes to initiating social change, especially change related to social norms, it begins with individual self-recognition and the willingness.