The Karate Kid

The only movie that came to my mind when it comes to foreign U.S. films was the Karate Kid starring Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, and Taraji Haden. As you can see, I am not a big movie buff...The Karate Kid is all about a black family, a single mother and her son, moving and living in China. This film capture China's culture by showing shots like: the busy streets of China, The Great Wall of China, and it's schools. Dre, the character played by Jaden Smith, must now experience his new life living in a country that he is unfamiliar with.
In this scenario, Dre is the foreigner. He now haves to learn how to adapt to the Chinese culture. He immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying -and the feeling is mutual- but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. On top of Dre was being bullied by one of his classmates, Cheng. The narrator wanted to portray Dre as an outcast into this new culture. Aside from trying to find ways to defend himself, Dre is trying to find out how "to fit in" or adjust to the Chinese environment. With the help of Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan, Dre learns to defend himself against the bullies and gain his friendship back with classmate Mei Ying.
As stated earlier, Jaden makes a friend with Mei Ying, however her family does not allow them to play together because of their "differences." When Mei Ying's parents found out that Dre was a young black male who attends her school, they were strongly against their friendship and forbid them from hanging out with each other. They looked at Dre as a threat towards their daughter.
In most American films, foreigners are misunderstood at first. The Karate Kid is a perfect example of this. Society view them as one way when really they are just trying to make it in everyday life like everyone else. Now and days foreign actors play both "good" and "bad" roles. To me this is great for American film today because it shows diversity not only within the characters but in the American society.