Backstage: Walt Kowalski

Korean War

• Started June 25th, 1950.
• When 75k soldiers spread across the 38th parallel.
• These soldiers were from the North Korean Peoples Army
• They were backed by the Soviets.
• U.S entered to fight alongside South Korea.

*GRAPHIC (next slide)

• The Korean was cost the lives of more than 44k us soldiers.
• And even more Koreans. (8k us soldiers MIA.)
• These severe losses are what leads to Walt's ultimate depression.

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WALT'S RACIST SLURS

• Zipperhead: an offensive term for an Asian.
• Dumb Polak: Reference to when the germans shelled Warsaw
• Gook: A derrogatory term to describe a Korean.
• Greaser 1: A derrogatory term for a Mexican.
• Greaser 2: A style/gang that developed in the US around the 1950s

Detroit

Cars...

• In the 1980s the US stopped production of cars. (couldnt compete w/ japan.)
• And cars are detroits main buisness so they went bankrupt.
• This may have something to do Walt and how he treasures his Gran Torino.
• When everyone moved out of detroit, other races moved in.
• This explains why all the other races are in the movie. (asian, blacks, etc.)

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