Walkout

I was amazed that I never knew about this movement, I was in high school/ jr high in the late 80's - early 90's and this should have been a topic with in our US History text. We covered a small portion of the civil rights movement, a large amount with in the 1800's and nothing from the LA walkouts? My children and all children need to know about the strength people have had to make change, it's inspiring. Often people assume that only people hundreds of years ago made the sacrifices and changes, this was not that long ago and shows that people are able to accomplish anything together. I hope our children are as conscientious, caring and strong to stand up for what they believe is making a difference in the quality of the life in the world we share.

This was a moving film and which I familiarized,through Latinos in the Pacific Northwest, and purposely finish acquiring a copy. Quite hidden wisdom about Hispanic-Latinos & Chicanos that their new generations should know. Strongly recommended it for all the Hispanic-Latinos and Chicanos.I once had the opportunity to greet Edward James Olmos at Portland State University and gave me a very good impression. Since the mid-eighties that I follow Mr.Olmos and always amazes his great work as an actor and writer who has mostly been to educate new generations of Hispanic-Latinos. I also wish to thank Michael Peña for his great performance and who did not get a chance to meet but we were at a dinner in December,2015.

With DVDs and such, the valley of the LA is noticeable and stories relating to it can be rather relevant. Walkout is, to me, extremely relevant.

Modern days, DVDs and Blu-rays are a cultural norm. But recent disks can be very difficult to play on a computer unless one has purchased a full price, recent model, software player. Play on the player that is one's normal choice then the experience might be no go or very uncomfortable indeed. Cross cultural stuff as a problem too. A lot of that seems to come from how the USA and Japan understand good ways and they will not be impressed that I consider Walkout to be relevant in the here and now world. So, it does not point to a solution but it does hint about some qualities that a worthwhile solution might have.

The valley of the LA as a place of extremes. Extreme riches and extreme poverty. Extreme freedom and extreme lack of freedom. Chunks of peace and extreme violence. Lots of ways to get messed up by crime. Lots of ways to get messed up by the law.

East L.A. is somewhere that I had not heard about before getting a Blu-ray of From Prada To Nada. So, my tourist guide of the La suggested that East LA was one of the three areas to stay clear of. From Prada To Nada shows a fascinating district, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico masquerading as the USA, and Walkout shows very different aspects, some of its history. Both talk about a place in the valley of the LA that some can love.

This shows young people in a land that says that their people are free and with a certain equality, yet their day to day experience in their neighbourhood and even at school says other. They try to face that in a way that incidentally says something positive about their country.

Their solution is very 1968. But it is also in harmony with what their country then said that it is about, it is not in harmony with what their country actually was. I find that to be inspirational. I find this to be a story that is helpful for trying to face the modern world. So, these days, what does England say that it believes in? Things have changed since 1968.

On a deeper level, the Mexican Americans faced a particular set of trouble, some still do. This even explains why Miranda Sanchez of Lizzie McGuire does not speak Spanish. But there are other minorities facing different problems and I am assuming that they will share some common allergy reactions to the modern dominant culture. As far as the real value of this story is concerned, this is just looking at the tip of an iceberg. I think of these as cursed individuals and modern times shows some managing to break free from some of their chains. For me, the bad guy is the dominant belief system of today.

These kids not even old enough to VOTE: With Determination-Organization-UNITY were able to make some changes for themselves and future generations. We can learn from that, their parents learned from them. To many people feel what can I do..its best not to make waves...just shut up and do your job. Its really not when there is injustice, prejudice and racism involved.

Movies like this: Empower people to Unite, Organize and have a Voice!!! Under any circumstances or oppressed situation. The timing of its release was right on target-with the Marches, boycotts and Demonstrations going on in this Country at the time in protest Racism!

I recommend parents watch this Movie with their kids. Well made, good acting and a part of History.

Not growing up in the 60's (actually being born in 77), I don't have too much of an idea of what happened during these times with the exception of what my parents had told me while growing up. It was interesting to see a lot of it played out on screen.

Growing up in L.A. in the time that I did though and watching this movie showed me that not much has changed. I went to schools in three distinctive area. I attended in private schools, Inner city schools and in nice suburban areas and can tell you there is a significant difference in teaching styles. It is too bad that such a movement did not change that. May I add that I do not believe it is the teachers fault, it has to do with the funds that each area receives.

I feel that some of the people commenting on film have seen it or are commenting on it with a certain "bad vibe" mindset to begin with. I have seen people comment saying it was only Mexican-American or Chicano's leaving the schools, wanting to ditch or etc. That no one else was part of the Walkouts. Which leads me to the following questions; 1. If you were not part of the walkouts (I am assuming this because you say only Mexican-Americans were part of the walkouts) how do you know exactly who attended? 2. How can you tell who is Central American, South American, Mexican? It has been said that the media was not allowed to air certain footage with that being the case, please don't tell me that you got this information through the media.

People on this forum have also stated that the walkouts were a waste of time that because things are the same there was no just cause for them. Would you say the same of the Anti-War Protests of then and now? I mean, we still have wars.

Though in your mind, maybe these walkouts meant nothing or the causes have not changed anything now, they changed thing's then. For those people and to those people it mattered. You may say, "No one that they interviewed became a Lawyer or Doctor, etc. so what were they fighting for?", They were fighting for the education to allow them to advance in whatever path they chose.

I see people put this film down because it is not the way they recalled it and that no one should glamorize this because it was a chance for gang youth to ditch school. Again, if you weren't there how do you know who attended? Every protest and every following has a few bad apples that ruin it for all, it's human nature. Does human nature make their actions acceptable? No, but it is there. (Let's remember the people who bombed SUV dealerships, as I recall they consider themselves Environmentalist and I have seen them only point out White Americans in these cases).

Let us see this film as an educational film. Something to show us a part of history through someone else's eyes. Not butcher the film because of it's message, lighting, acting, writing, etc.

At one point in my life I had someone tell me that she felt sorry for my generation. That I lived in a time where my generation had as many things to deal with, in different forms, as her generation of the 60's and we did not protest. We would just sit around and wait for the problems to resolve themselves. (BTW she was white not Hispanic or of Hispanic descent) If you disagree with the film, that is your opinion and accepted as we are in (technically) the land of the free. You have free speech, use it. Who know's you may direct, write or star in the next best film representing your ideas and how you see the world at hand.

Final words, Watch Rashômon by Akira Kurosawa. It is a film used in Law Schools (the ones where I have attended) to show different points of view.

Remember there are always 4 stories to tell, Your Story, Their Story, The Witness Story and the Truth.