This essay argues that racism, rooted in group stereotyping, can be meaningfully addressed by adopting an individualist perspective that recognizes people's unique qualities rather than collective identity. Drawing on the film Gran Torino and Ayn Rand's philosophy, the paper demonstrates how prejudice dissolves when individuals interact personally and see each other as distinct persons rather than representatives of racial or ethnic groups. While acknowledging cultural identity and tradition, the essay contends that true merit and pride stem from individual achievement, not racial category, and that moderate individualism offers a more constructive path forward than both collective discrimination and overcorrective policies like affirmative action.
Racism is a type of discrimination based on the race or ethnic background of a person or group. Prejudice and discrimination remain more prevalent than a nation with a long history of attempting to overcome such shameful patterns would like to believe. Many ignore the issue altogether. The film Gran Torino exemplifies how an individual with a strong track record of prejudice can reverse those views simply by getting to know members of the group he once despised. Ayn Rand, an American philosopher, and her followers hold that society should focus less on collective groups and more on individuals. This principle applies directly to racism, which is fundamentally a product of stereotypes about groups being projected onto individual members. Does individualism offer the long-sought solution to this persistent problem? This essay argues that it is a promising start, but one that must be pursued with moderation.
As human beings, we may share common traits, but each of us is also profoundly unique. One's race cannot tell you everything about who a person is. The main characters in Gran Torino learn this lesson firsthand. Clint Eastwood's character is a Korean War veteran who harbors deep animosity and prejudice that intensifies as Asian immigrants move into his neighborhood. Walt is a stubborn, older man of his generation who feels no need to change and is content to live alone. However, circumstances force a different path. After his wife's passing, his neighbors—a family with two Hmong teenagers, Tao and Sue—become impossible to ignore.
Walt initially refers to his neighbors using racial slurs referencing Asian ethnic groups. Yet, through a series of events, he becomes actively involved with the Hmong family next door. The more he gets to know them as individuals, the more he appreciates and respects them, eventually realizing that he had misjudged them entirely. He even comes to believe that he has more in common with these new friends than with his own son and grandchildren. Once Walt stops seeing them as members of a group and begins to see them as distinct individuals, his prejudice dissolves. He learns that all types of people—regardless of ethnicity—can be good or bad. What matters is the individual themselves, not their race.
People are individuals, not parts of a large machine. One college student is not identical to another, just as one minority is not the same as another. This principle is best expressed when philosopher Edwin Locke wrote that people are individuals and "they are not interchangeable ciphers in an amorphous collective." Not all people of one race bring the same qualities to any given situation. It is unsafe to assume that because the first five people of a particular background you meet share a trait, the sixth one will as well. When we apply a quality to an entire group, the probability that we will be wrong on an individual basis is substantial. Yet we continue to do so, perpetuating issues like racism.
"Group-based remedies perpetuate discrimination and breed resentment"
To overcome racism, we must stop viewing individuals primarily through the category or group to which they belong and instead recognize them for their unique qualities. Individual awareness is more important than color-blindness. Much like Walt in the film, we cannot ignore wrongdoing by some nor group good people together with those who cause harm. Walt learned that Tao and Sue, despite sharing the same ethnicity as their cousin who was a violent gang member, were nothing like him. Tao and Sue were kind and intelligent with much to offer—individuals worthy of respect, something Walt would never have discovered if he had not seen them as distinct persons.
As a result of discrimination, oppressed groups have demonstrated and held celebrations centered on "ethnic" or group "pride." While I believe one should be proud of who they are, I question whether one's race constitutes a true achievement. Pride, according to Rand, is the result of only one thing: achievement, and it can only be earned by one entity: an individual. Given this, how can there be authentic ethnic pride? I believe one should draw on cultural upbringing and traditions to remember where they came from and bond with others who share similar backgrounds. This matters because, as humans, we naturally gravitate toward the familiar. However, the categories to which we belong do not define our character or determine our actions. We may approach things differently because of cultural teachings and experiences, but we are all seeking a place to thrive in society and to achieve our own goals. It is only because of unique cultural traditions and experiences that I believe we should embrace individualism in moderation, not as an absolute.
Racism is fundamentally a product of focusing on collectives rather than on individuals. Assumptions and stereotypes based on race can influence outcomes only if group actions are prioritized over individual actions and individual merit. By shifting our focus to recognizing and valuing each person's unique qualities, we diminish the power of stereotypes and create space for genuine human connection and understanding.
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