America has long been referred to as the “melting pot”, a country brewing with different races, religions, and languages. As more immigrants migrate to the states, there is a rise in the different communication styles between people. Unfortunately, such discrepancy in languages has implications that reach beyond how people communicate with one another but has led to a huge impact on the power dynamics between the majority white race and the foreign minorities. In fact, Wikipedia states, “In countries where there is more than one main language, there are often political implications in decisions that are seen to promote one group of speakers over another, and this is often referred to as language politics,” (Language Politics, Wikipedia). In other words, when immigrants migrate to America, a land considered to be of the free, they are often surprised to see that their differences in tongue are not accepted as easily as one would hope and furthermore go to undermine their sense of power and voice in America.
This concept can undoubtedly be seen in the movie, Snow Falling on Cedars. It is the story of Ishmael (American) who falls in love with Hatsue (Japanese) and the struggles that they endure as their love is ripped into shreds by the sharp blades of racial divide. In Snow Falling on Cedars, language plays a particularly important role. English presides as the dominant language in America and further emphasizes the racial hierarchy in which Americans are given the upper hand and non-Americans are constantly silenced.
Consider the dynamics of the courtroom in Snow Falling on Cedars. Kabuo, an American veteran of Japanese decent is accused of murdering an American fisherman. We can see the courtroom is filled with racial prejudice as the prosecuting attorney, Mr. Hooks, proclaims to the all white jury, “Look into [Kabuo’s] eyes. Consider his face. Ask yourself, each