Gran Torino

Though Detroit used to be a center for the American automobile industry, with Chrysler and General Motors also having factories there in the early 20^th century, the city slowly started to decline in the second half of the 20^th century, its population and employment opportunities dropping and many areas becoming abandoned or neglected. This is to some extent also shown in the film, as Walt constantly clings to the past and is bitter about the way things changed in the area.

As a city, Highland Park has a primarily African-American population (over 90%) and only a very small number of Asian immigrants. In the film, however, the neighborhood where Walt lives is primarily a Hmong community. Walt mentions that his neighborhood used to be mostly populated by Americans of Polish descent such as him, who slowly moved out and many Hmong families moved in their place. 

Walt is one of the last remaining white people in the neighborhood which causes tensions. On the one hand, Walt is extremely racist and despises his Hmong neighbors and the fact that their houses seem to be in a greater state of disrepair than when they were owned by white people. On the other, the Hmong community, as shown by Phong’s comments, does not understand why Walt does not move elsewhere, especially considering he hates his neighbors so much. 

Detroit is also known for the high level of crime in the area, which is above the national average. Detroit has one of the highest levels of violent crime in the United States and one of the highest murder rates in any major city in the United States. This is also explored in Gran Torino through the presence of the Hmong and Latino gangs in the neighborhood. In this light, the attempted theft of the Gran Torino, Sue’s rape, and Walt’s murder are meant to reflect the crime rate and violence of the area.