The Freedom Writers’ Diary by Erin Gruwell

1055 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Rodney king trial paper

Freedom Writers is a Hollywood film based on the book “The Freedom Writers’ Diary” by Erin Gruwell. The movie begins showing the 1992 race riots resulting from the beating of Rodney King. This sets the scene for the racial tension present in Long Beach, California. This racial tension has touched the lives of every student assigned to Mrs. Gruwell’s freshman English class. In order to give the students an opportunity to open up about their individual thoughts and experiences, Erin buys composition books and encourages her students to write each day. Erin Gruwell goes above and beyond for her students and helps to facilitate the growth of an open family environment lacking in the lives of everyone involved. The students grow to understand that they can accomplish their dreams with their diligence and effort, and that gang life does not truly benefit anyone.
Precious Knowledge is a PBS documentary following the Ethnic Studies Program found at Arizona High School. The making of the documentary was spurred by political attention given to the program with the aim of placing a ban on the program and all ethnic studies programs on the basis that such programs prove to be divisive as they place emphasis on the differences that exist between races. The documentary aims to show that the Mexican American Studies Program does not perpetuate hate or division, but rather generates love and unity. The Mexican American Studies Program was created with the intention of increasing graduation rates of Hispanic students and closing the achievement gap between white students and students of color. As a result of being instructed in topics in which they are interested, a marked increase in interest, attendance, and participation has been noted by stud...

... middle of paper ...

...eed. As a group, we admired both films and their powerful messages as they each gave different perspectives on education, perspectives that we may not have been aware of previously. The films showed that some students in our diverse country face numerous challenges that hinder their ability to achieve the same educational success that we can

Works Cited

Choi, J. (2009). Reading Educational Philosophies In Freedom Writers. The Clearing House, 82(5), 244-248.
García, J. (2013). Critical Media Review: Precious Knowledge: Arizona's Battle Over Ethnic Studies.. Urban Review,45(1), 94-97. Retrieved March 30, 2014, from the Academic Search Premier database.
LaGravensese, R. (Director). (2007). Freedom Writers (2007) [Motion Picture]. USA: Paramount Home Entertainment (UK).
Palos, A. L. (Director). (2011). Precious Knowledge [Documentary]. USA: Dos Vatos
Productions.

Show More
Related

  • Subtractive Schooling Angela Valenzuela Summary

    363 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Subtractive Schooling: US-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring, Angela Valenzuela investigates immigrant and Mexican American experiences in education. Valenzuela mentions differences in high schools between U.S born youth and immigrants such as how immigrants she interviewed seemed to achieve in school as they feel privileged to achieve secondary education. However, she found that her study provided evidence of student failure due to schools subtracting resources from these youths. Both are plagued by stereotypes of lacking intellectual and linguistic traits along with the fear of losing their culture. As a Mexican American with many family members who immigrated to the U.S to pursue a higher education, I have experience with Valenzuela’s

    Read More

  • The Hunger Of Memory Sparknotes

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    This book was published in 1981 with an immense elaboration of media hype. This is a story of a young Mexican American who felt disgusted of being pointed out as a minority and was unhappy with affirmative action programs although he had gained advantages from them. He acknowledged the gap that was created between him and his parents as the penalty immigrants ought to pay to develop and grow into American culture. And he confessed that he got bewildered to see other Hispanic teachers and students determined to preserve their ethnicity and traditions by asking for such issues to be dealt with as departments of Chicano studies and minority literature classes. A lot of critics criticized him as a defector of his heritage, but there are a few who believed him to be a sober vote in opposition to the political intemperance of the 1960s and 1970s.

    Read More

  • Chicano Studies and the Latino Student Community

    1645 Words  | 4 Pages

    Latino grassroots politics in the academic realm has been considered as predominantly Chicano in nature. However, the geometry of this academic sector is no longer one dimensional, due to the formation of a Chicana feminist consciousness; the rise of an identified gay community within the Chicana/o student populace; and the emergence of “Latinos” in era of Chicanismo, The abrupt growth of Latinos (e.g. Spanish speaking of Mexican, Central or Latin American decent) in the United State’s educational system led the general population to characterize them as subjects on the cusps of political power and influence. But this widespread depiction of Latinos as an untapped potential is intrinsically linked to an impression of civic cohesion within the Latino student population. Although there is a correspondence between these parties in terms of the alienation they have felt and the discrimination they have endured throughout their academic careers, there is a minimal collective effort in confronting against their oppressive status. This is mainly a result of conflicting ideologies and social agendas within the Latino student community, as well as the relegation of Hispanic subgroups into the lower echelons. Latino students, nevertheless, have demonstrated their capacity, when both Chicanos and the marginalized Hispanic subgroups join efforts to reach a communal objective. This debunks the historical notion that Chicano students are the only group of Hispanics in the academic sphere that have been actively challenging the processes of social exclusion, and also displays the capacity of a collaborative effort.

    Read More

  • Hispanic Contributions To American Culture Essay

    755 Words  | 2 Pages

    One can only contemplate why US historians have failed to acknowledge Hispanic contributions to the country. What is certain is that this neglect must be changed. Hispanic Americans, especially the youth, are deserve to learn about these significant contributions to the United states. This knowledge could increase their self-esteem and cultural pride.

    Read More

  • I Learn America Movie Analysis

    1141 Words  | 3 Pages

    When you look at someone, you see a person, but sometimes, you forget that that person has a story. I learned that when I watched the film, I Learn America. When I first watched the movie, I saw students that have come to America. They have come to an international school in New York to learn English. As the film goes on, you see that each of the students that they focus on have struggles that they have/had to overcome to come or stay in America. Before, I did not realize how much they had to go through in order to come to the United States. As educators, we have to get to know our students. We have to understand their lives and their backgrounds and create a good teacher-student relationship and help students build a “home away from home”.

    Read More

  • The Chicano Movement in the LA School System

    861 Words  | 2 Pages

    Students were grouped by IQ, those who had an above average or higher were helped to go to college and those who had a low IQ’s were not given the support or the push needed to get them into college. Educators allowed low education standards and refused to see students as equals. The advisors set students sights low for the future by encouraging how service jobs were a practical choice for us Mexicans. Cleaning houses were the normal thing to do for Mexican-American females. Students were tired of the inadequate staff and the staff's lack of concern for their students. The students sent out a survey among the other students to see if they were satisfied with what they were getting from their education. The result was that the schools and instructors were not meeting the needs of the students’ more so of the Chicano students.

    Read More

  • Educating Hispanic Students

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in America's public schools, Hispanic students have the unique potential to positively affect the economic and cultural future of the United States. Ensuring the promise of this diverse group of learners requires the attention and commitment of the entire country. We must work harder to close the educational achievement gaps between Hispanic students and the nation as a whole. This must begin with high expectations for achievement, clear goals for what must be accomplished, and specific benchmarks to measure our progress.

    Read More

  • Chicanismo in Burciaga´s Drink Cultura

    1172 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anti-defamation League. “Arizona: The Key Players in the Anti-immigrant Movement.” Adi.org. 2013. Web. 19 Oct 2013.

    Read More

  • Sociological Issues In Freedom Writers, By Erin Gruwell

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    Erin Gruwell began her teaching career at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California where the school is integrated but it’s not working. Mrs. Gruwell is teaching a class fill with at-risk teenagers that are not interested in learning. But she makes not give up, instead she inspires her students to take an interest in their education and planning for their future as she assigned materials that can relate to their lives. This film has observed many social issues and connected to one of the sociological perspective, conflict theory. Freedom Writers have been constructed in a way that it promotes an idea of how the community where the student lives, represented as a racially acceptable society. The film upholds strong stereotypes of

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Freedom Writers

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 2007 movie Freedom Writers gives a voice of hope and peace in a fragile environment where hate and sorrow battle in the life of urban teenagers. This drama film narrates the true story of a new English teacher, Erin Growell, who is designated to work in an inner-city school full of students surround by poverty, violence and youth crime bands. During the beginning of the movie, the teacher struggles to survive her first days at this racially segregated school in which students prejudice her for being white and ignore her authority in the classroom. The teacher encounters the life of students who are hopeless for a better future and attached to a delinquency lifestyle of survival. In addition, she confronts a reality of lack of educational

    Read More

  • Racial Conflicts

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    Racial conflicts are like a virus, spreads out in all modern day societies. In the Freedom Writers movie, one can see that this virus has taken over many people in America. Erin Gruwell was successful in curing her students from Racism. She opens up their minds and gave them a new perspective to look upon. She can be looked at as their new role model since their family is either in jail or dead.

    Read More

  • Analysis of Freedom Writers

    1461 Words  | 3 Pages

    The film Freedom Writers directed by Richard La Gravenese is an American film based on the story of a dedicated and idealistic teacher named Erin Gruwell, who inspires and teaches her class of belligerent students that there is hope for a life outside gang violence and death. Through unconventional teaching methods and devotion, Erin eventually teaches her pupils to appreciate and desire a proper education. The film itself inquiries into several concepts regarding significant and polemical matters, such as: acceptance, racial conflict, bravery, trust and respect. Perhaps one of the more concentrated concepts of the film, which is not listed above, is the importance and worth of education. This notion is distinctly displayed through the characters of Erin, Erin’s pupils, opposing teachers, Scott and numerous other characters in the film. It is also shown and developed through the usage of specific dialogue, environment, symbolism, and other film techniques.

    Read More

  • The Powerful Messages Delivered in The Freedom Writers

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...n people have nothing. If people had more compassion for others the United States would not have all the problems that it does today. Mrs. Erin Gruwell had compassion for the students; when they saw how much she cared they changed their perspectives on life. Against all odds toward against Mrs. Erin Gruwell, she had the power of human will to teach the student. The writer introduced several scenarios on how young innocent children were influenced by family and friends of the same racial background to create hatred and gang’s violence against other races. Five messages in Freedom Writer are: Non judgmental, Racism, having compassion, the power of the human will, and education. Being non judgmental, having compassion and having human will helped Mrs. Erin Gruwell educate the children at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School. Segregated by race, united with education.

    Read More

  • Freedom Writers - A Message of Hope

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    Freedom Writers is exalted by a true story and the diaries of real Long Beach juvenile after the LA riots also known as the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest. Hilary Swank a two-time Academy Award winner stars as Erin Gruwell whose interest in becoming a teacher is soon ruined by a bunch of Blacks, Asian, and Latino criminals who disrespect her more than each other. When Erin prepares to concentrate on them like no grown up as ever done she soon realizes that for these kids getting through the day alive is good enough, they are teenagers fighting a war long ago before they were born. Like no other teacher in that school, Erin gives the students respect and dignity. For the first time, these teens soon understand that their lives matter and they have something to say.

    Read More

  • Teacher-Student Sexual Relationships

    1258 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Erin Gruwell - Freedom Writers Movie - The Real Story." ChasingtheFrog.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

More about The Freedom Writers’ Diary by Erin Gruwell

Open Document