The movie West Side Story takes place in New York during the 1960s and from the first few scenes we are able to the construction of race and difference in the American empire. It involves two rival gangs such as the Jets who are the white American neighborhood gang and then the Sharks are a new rival Puerto Rican gang that seeks to take over the Jets territory. It first occurs in the beginning of the movie as they are involved in a fight and officers arrive at the scene and automatically assume it is all the Shark’s fault for the big fight. Although it is showed before they fight how the Jets wander around town and scare people for their own pride and laughter meanwhile after the fight they discuss how the Shark’s are different compared to all the other gangs that tried to take their territory.
In relation to H. Briggs reading it is said ” Puerto Ricans sexuality and reproduction have been reputed to produce disease, literally and metaphorically” which relates by to scene once Tony, a Jet member, falls in love with Maria, the Shark’s leader sister, at a dance where both gangs go to. As soon as they kiss, her brother, the leader realizes and goes to confront Tony but then the Jets leader stops him and they are restricted from being in trouble amongst each other. It may cause concern for many of the Jet members because they want no association with their rivals but more towards the Sharks because they only like to breed of their own kind. Plus they are discriminated harshly from the get go and see Tony as man of the Jets, a racist. Also Briggs mentions that the Puerto Ricans “chose to stay, and many ended up on welfare” to show the stereotypes that were created. This goes back to the play when the Puerto Ricans sing the “America” song and mention all the stereotypes they get and yet see America as an opportunity.
I agree with your comment on the sexuality of Puerto Rican women being a disease metaphorically and literally, though I do not agree with how the author portrayed it as a disease. The only reason it was a ‘disease’ was because one of the Jet members fell in love with her in the film “West Side Story.” This comment also portrays a sense of racism in the time period of the film.