My Beautiful Launderette

I enjoyed the movie for the most part.  I imagine that it was made just for the obvious battles that other people go through that us as Americans do not ever think about on a day to day basis.  Just how professor Hague discussed even before we watched the movie certain types of stereotypes exist for some races or nationalities.  The biggest one for Pakistani that I have had first hand with is that Middle-Eastern people are more apt to buy businesses that require twenty four hour operations.  It seems that the reason being is that the usual white American is too lazy or not dedicated enough to such a business because it takes so much time away from their personal lives that the money they earn from the business does not outweigh the time that is spent earning that money.  However, it seems as though this generation of Americans always has the idea that everything should either be given to them or they should be able to climb the seniority ladder much faster than reality allows them.  The reality of the Middle-Eastern or any other immigrant families is that they have immigrated into a different country in hopes of more freedoms or the chance to make more money to support the rest of their family that is still in their poor home country.  So the obvious answer to some of the people’s questions as to why certain types of people own certain types of businesses is that they are looking for something to earn more money in a shorter amount of time as a sacrifice for someone else’s needs rather than their own wants and desires. 

Within My Beautiful Launderette Omar is within a family that is looking for a business that will allow them to assimilate better into the British population.  The thought is that once the family makes a certain income then they will be respected and soon after be accepted into the British culture as equals.  However, Omar’s family heritage and history plays an integral part in his search for acceptance.  As he is trying to find his place in society he is pulled in multiple directions.  Within his Uncle’s family he is expected to still know and understand their first language.  Secondly, he is expected to play his part within the family business learning how everything works from the bottom up by having a position from the bottom and working up.  Thirdly, he is trying to display the correct types of behaviors that a young male is supposed to have at his age which is having a heterosexual relationship which quickly leads to marriage.  Finally, in order for him to continue on into the higher British society he should be associating with successful individuals from the class above him.  

It seems that Omar has just about everything going against him at the time.  He is forced to work from the ground up at his uncle’s parking garage and unable to go to college because he needs to take care of his father and assumingly has very little money since before that he was not working elsewhere.  His sexual endeavors seem to be pointing him in the wrong direction for marriage since he is stuck between a rock and a hard place with what everyone tells him to do (marry Tonya) and what he actually wants to do (be with Johnny).  Another thing that is counting against him is that most white people within the British community are prejudice against all Pakistanis or anyone with slightly darker skin.  Whether he does or does not achieve his goal of becoming rich he will always face ignorant individuals that persecute others based on something they are scared of which is usually just something different. 

As Omar works to build up the launderette he plays into the stereotypical setting of work for his nationality, but finally seems to accept the situation that makes him happy after his Uncle and friend Johnny are beat up then his shop is vandalized.  He seems to realize that his life will be set to encounter situations like that for the rest of his being, but he is content with his decision.  He learns that no matter what people think he must do what he feels is right.  He decides to be his own person as a homosexual business owner that continues to look at new inventive ways to grow his income because he will have a much more fulfilled life within that realm.