Anh T Hoang

Sabatino Mangini
English 112
6/4/2015

AMERICAN HISTORY X ANALYSIS

These are three social institutions that shaped Derek Vinyards worldviews.
1/Ethnic or Culture Groups ( Racial Institution)
Derek follows neo-Nazism blindly.
His hair is shaved, his mustache looks like a goatee, and his body is tattooed with swastika,
skulls, .Also, his room is decorated with photos as Hitler Adolf, flag and so on.
At the basketball court, Derek plays basketball with a black group. This is not a game to compete
with together in the sportsmanship. On the contrary, its a death-and-life game to divide the
region where the white people and the black people live. Derek said rudely that if you win, we
will walk away. If we win, you pack up your shit and get your black asses out of here.
To avenge Dereks bitter speeches, these three black men vandalized Dereks truck. As a result,
Derek killed them savagely. The scene which he put his gun down and raised his hand makes it
unforgettable. He seems proud of his manslaughter with a soft smile and satisfactory eyes.
He gives other skinheads a lecture of politics before they carry out attacking and damaging the
store in the neighborhood whose owners are immigrants. Derek added that his American friends
used to work there and were laid off because the owners recruited the immigrants as
employees .They expect that they are superior to immigrants, so they feel ashamed of having
worked for the owners.
He always thinks that millions of Europeans came here and brought civilization and progress to
America whereas immigrants make this country poorer and poorer. He justified that There are

two million illegal immigrants bedding down in this state tonight. This state spent three billion
dollars last year on services for those immigrants. The government policy is joking.
2/Family Institution:
Derek lives in his nuclear family. After his father died, he played an important role in the
family.
He was always worried about Danny, his younger brother, who was at an impressionable age.
His mind looked like a white paper. Therefore, Derek played an important role as both a father
and a friend. Danny trusted his brother completely.
Although Danny witnessed that Derek killed two black men savagely, he protected his brother
from life imprisonment or sentence of death. His mother told Derek that Danny boasted new
friends about his brother, whom he was always proud of.
After Derek was released from prison, he told Danny to stay away from the party and
Cameron Alexander, the white supremacist ideologue. At first, Danny was angry about Dereks
strange attitude. Then Derek explained to Danny about his wrongdoings of killing black men or
racial discrimination. Danny listened to Dereks advice carefully and it had a strong influence on
Danny.
When setting free from prison, Derek planned to move the family out there. He wanted to
protect his beloved family safely. He seemed worried about Dannys safety, so he managed to
take Danny to school although he was busy.
Embracing his little brothers bloody corpse tightly, he cried a lot with a profound regret
because he failed to protect him.
3/Educational Institution:
Education is a long way to build up students characteristics and success. Derek was an honor
student at Venice Beach High School. Bob Sweeney is both a principal and a history teacher who
is concerned about beloved students, especially Derek and Danny. He not only provides
knowledge for students but also follows their maturity. He wants to understand his students
thoughts so that he can interfere in their wrongdoings in time. He requested Danny to analyze

and interpret all the events surrounding Dereks incarceration. This is the best way to deepen
their wishes and thought. Although he is a black teacher, Derek respects him so much.
The first person Derek wanted to confide in was Sweeney. He cried as a child before his
teacher when he recognized his mistakes. He always reminded Danny that Sweeney was a good
teacher, so he should obey him.