Inès Amoura

PERFORMING ETHNICITY IN WEST SIDE STORY

West Side Story -both in its stage and movie versions- is considered as the transposition of
Shakespeare’s Rome and Juliet in a modern New York. But, further than a mere change of
location, the “two households” that are sworn enemies and at the core of the tragedy are no
longer such: belligerent “street gangs” are in place of the arguing families.

Thus, the historical rearrangement seems fitting: since the 40’s (WWS was first staged in
1957), it was the time of the appearance of teenage gangs, and, especially in New York, the
newspapers largely tackled this topic of juvenile delinquency (as recalls Arthur Laurents in
some interviews). The fight over territorial gain and power in the city stays intact; the
romance remains of course.

But, are the modern “households” also “both alike in dignity”? The choice of bringing in the
issue of “ethnics”, and of racially differentiating the two gangs, raises some interesting
questions.

Indeed, the original idea was to tell of a love story between a Jewish girl and an Irish Catholic
boy on the Lower East Side. But, with the new migrations taking place, it was judged dated.
Searching for a new “ethnical” group, the production team thought of Chicano gangs –some
actual gang fights between Mexicans and Caucasian American that had burst in Los Angeles
inspired this idea. Black people were also mentioned as an alternative. Finally, Puerto Ricans,
given the moment, were selected.

Are the “ethnicities” represented in West Side Story just framing a racial Other, as in colored
or just not-WASP-American? I shall ponder on this question through the prism of
performance: indeed, beyond the story and choices made by the creators, what is acted out
will be examined: through the words, the music, the looks, the sets, and the choreography –
how the whole show carries out an ambiguous effect in this matter of ethnicity.

1- “Puerto Rico’s in America”

First of all, it is important to remember that WSS is different from earlier films featuring
Puerto Rican men, usually one marginal: in this movie, the whole Puerto Rican community is
represented and has a central place in the plot.

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Besides, the authors of the show and movie have stressed upon the fact their representation of
Puerto Rican men, culture, etc. was not imitative. Thus, the lyricist (Stephen Sondheim)
initially refused to be involved in the project because of his ignorance: "I can't do this show. .
. . I've never been that poor and I've never even met a Puerto Rican." Leonard Bernstein as
well tried to do some research but not further than visiting NY: "We went to a gym in
Brooklyn where there were different gangs that a social organization was trying to bring
together. I don't know if too much eventually got into West Side Story, but everything does
help."
In those respects, WSS appears as a positive experience, and not revolving around those
questions of ethnicity.
But, these motivations and positive aspects are separate from the other effects: the
performance still carries out ambivalent results, and the Puerto Rican group undergoes
disconcerting means of representation.

a- “Brown-faced” –another blackface

The actress playing Maria, Jossie De Guzman, in the 1980 production, had to dye her skin
dark. To quote the performer, “I am Puerto Rican –why do they have to darken my hair?”,
and later her pale skin as well was darkened. G. Chakiris was brown-faced as well, to
mark Bernardo’s difference.
Not all Puerto Ricans are black, many are indistinguishable from both whites and African
Americans as coded in the cinema; but the horizon of expectations of an audience
attending a show representing those two groups demands a clear “racial other”, even if
stereotypical; thus, Porto Rican would mean “person of color”, and a visual device was
mobilized. The race is performed, as in constituted, produced by a work of fiction on
stage.

b- “Better [not] get rid of your accent”

The film orchestral score contains a direction to sing the line (put as a title here) “with an
exaggerated Mexican accent”. Such a note implies that one judged the American audience
would not notice the differences between several Hispanic accents.
G. Chakiris (Bernardo in the movie), as well as Rita Moreno (Anita) worked on
inauthentic Porto Rican accents. This latter has declared, when analyzing her debuts: "I
became the house ethnic. And that meant I had to play anything that was not American.
So I became this Gypsy girl, or I was a Polynesian girl, or I was an Egyptian girl. And

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finally I decided that by playing all these roles, I should have some kind of accent, but of
course I had no idea what these people sounded like so I made up my own, and I now call
it the universal ethnic accent. The funny part of it is that all my ethnic characters that I
played all sounded exactly the same!”

c- Exotic women
It seems that WSS raised issues regarding the representation of Latina women. I rely upon
Nicholasa Mohr’s work: the stereotypes at stake would make these women inexistent
except for two models: on the one hand, as a passive virgin (a Maria) or as a loose
seductive woman (a Maria Magdalena like Anita).

2- Opposition
a- Costumes
They are a truly significant visual display of ethnicity in WSS.
Indeed, the darker warmer colors –red, purple, black- are worn by the Puerto Ricans (with
leather wrist bands on top of that); whereas the lighter colors –yellow, blue, tan- mark the
Jets. Besides, each leader symbolizes the style of his group: thus, Bernardo usually wears
dark sliming pants and deep red button-down shirt; Riff is dressed with white tennis
shoes, light brown pants and a yellow sports jacket.
In “The dance at the gym” scene, the divisive edge line between the two groups is well
defined by their clothes –especially when watching the women’s dress codes: the Puerto
Rican girls have full skirts with flounces.

b- Dancing and music

In this same scene, through dancing, the cultural –and ethnic- differentiation is obvious.
The “mambo” music mixes up a fast-paced Afro-cuban rhythm (highly rhythmic, with
syncopated ideas), a dense and polyphonic texture, some excited voices and hands
clapping in a joyful “Latin” atmosphere, typical instruments (bongo drums, cowbells)…
The rhythmic, energetic and vital choreography is said to be, as in “America”, typical
Spanish: one could argue the movements are based on a simplistic imagery, relying on a
certain representation of a “Latino” ethnicity…

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c- Violence, conquering space

The opening sequence is very representative of this fight over public spaces: the
introductive aerial shot introduces the sea and the port of NY (through where the
immigrants come in); then of course shots of skyscrapers, the Yankee stadium are given to
see; and we viewers finally slide into the, very different, the west side neighborhood; a
zoom-in focuses on the basketball court. There, frontiers and limits are multiplied (fences,
heaps of gravel, dead ends…). In this particular space, the Jets –aka the supposed true
American boys- are enjoying their streets: the choreography by Robbins clearly states so
(they are moving forward as a group, extending arms and legs, with relishing joy…) . The
Puerto Rican group appears threatening; Bernardo first, opposed against the Jets, with the
hostile music, and he is the first to show fists. The Puerto Ricans are in a small back alley
or playing cards in a dark corner: they are maybe represented secluded, and as the most
aggressive group. Remember it is Bernardo who kills first also; and that the “sharks” of
their name highlights the danger, the barbaric potential within them. Some studies read
such elements as the use of a stereotype and common idea that this “racial other” (aka
those immigrants) have a criminal potentiality.
Moreover, the Jets are presented as more sympathetic –and a simple look at the songs can
help realize so. Indeed, the Prologue ends on the Jet song, in which they are able to
express their point of view; they benefit of a deeper level of characterization. Later on,
Tony does so too with “Could be, who knows?”
But the Sharks as a group get no song or scene such as those that would establish them as
likeable, as something other than the Jets’ nemesis (apart from America in the movie
version, in which they are presented as disillusioned and bitter and challenging the
American dream…)

3- The impossible reconciliation

a- Disillusionment and the gangs’ warfare
“Bernardo: Chino makes half of what the polka makes. The Polak is an American
Anita: Here comes the whole commercial…”
Bernardo’s cynicism is apparent (and in the movie version, he is joined by all the Puerto
Rican men in this dynamic in the America number). The anger and fear for their well-
being is outward.

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In “America”; besides the lyrics emphasizing this disillusion for the men, and the love of a
potential material comfort and hope for the women; Puerto Rico is undermined: Anita
mostly depicts an underdeveloped country destroyed by natural disasters, social and
demographic issues, crime…
Some people in the audience have complained to the authors, denouncing a pejorative
image of the island.

b. The love story: erasing ethnic differences

When Tony and Maria meet, at the dance, they dismiss the issue of ethnicity: the rupture,
the silence, and the intimacy allow them to create their utopian space. Besides, the cues
“we are the same”, “so beautiful”, and their exchange of looks show how their love
transcends their differences. The song “One hand, one heart” outlines the private idealized
world they are in: more than a forbidden love between two members of different gangs,
the “interracial” love is tackled.

c. Assimilation lost in the way

Anita is at first the most “assimilated” Puerto Rican, as demonstrated in “America”. But
Bernardo’s death changes her way of thinking. Thus, she sings to Maria “stick to your
own kind” –ethnicity, race, kind, all those words express the same idea of differentiation.
Out of pain and turned towards hate, she ends up affirming her cultural difference and
advocating ethnic segregation.

d- The denouement: no utopian space

In the final scene, Maria states that there is no “place” for her: her final words remain
unspoken, suspended “someday, somehow, some…”. She is unable to utter where she
would find happiness; she will linger on being marginalized.

Much more could be told about the means used to “perform” something as complicated and
sensitive as “ethnicity”. The words, the music style, the choreography, the diction, the looks
,the costumes…everything carries a certain message and relies on strategies of representation
–in this matter, WSS depends on many stereotypes about the Puerto Rican group, but also
uses them to take on stage this culture and ethnicity…

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ROSALIA
Puerto Rico,
You lovely island . . .
Island of tropical breezes.
Always the pineapples growing,
Always the coffee blossoms blowing . . .

ANITA
Puerto Rico . . .
You ugly island . . .
Island of tropic diseases.
Always the hurricanes blowing,
Always the population growing . . .
And the money owing,
And the babies crying,
And the bullets flying.
I like the island Manhattan.
Smoke on your pipe and put that in!

OTHERS
I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

ROSALIA
I like the city of San Juan.

ANITA
I know a boat you can get on.

ROSALIA
Hundreds of flowers in full bloom.

ANITA
Hundreds of people in each room!

ALL
Automobile in America,
Chromium steel in America,
Wire-spoke wheel in America,
Very big deal in America!

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ROSALIA
I'll drive a Buick through San Juan.

ANITA
If there's a road you can drive on.

ROSALIA
I'll give my cousins a free ride.

ANITA
How you get all of them inside?

ALL
Immigrant goes to America,
Many hellos in America;
Nobody knows in America
Puerto Rico's in America!

ROSALIA
I'll bring a T.V. to San Juan.

ANITA
If there a current to turn on!

ROSALIA
I'll give them new washing machine.

ANITA
What have they got there to keep clean?

ALL
I like the shores of America!
Comfort is yours in America!
Knobs on the doors in America,
Wall-to-wall floors in America!

ROSALIA
When I will go back to San Juan.

ANITA
When you will shut up and get gone?

ROSALIA
Everyone there will give big cheer!

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ANITA
Everyone there will have moved here!