Walkout

love

Walkout not only came in perfect shape, with the plastic still over the cover, but is an excellent movie describing the conditions of certain low-classed students in a rundown part of the suburbs who were willing to stand up for their rights and freely protest the poor treatment given to them in their schools, which offered little hopes for their education, and future in general. I didn't much like the way the police came in and arrested many of these students, especially with them taking a few whacks at the underage minor kids as if they were terrorists of a sort, but in the end, even their parents came to help support them in their cause, and the movie has a moral to it: That every student in this country is entitled to a better education, despite their ethnic background and the color of their skin, or how their names sound.I first watched Walkout on an HBO viewing three years ago, and ever since then, I had vowed to put that movie on my shelf that holds hundreds of other movies. If not for Amazon, I probably would have spent the next 20 years trying to find it in every store and rundown pawn shop, and probably failing. Watch this movie, and see it for yourself on your own perspective!

This movie re-enacts a very significant historical event, but the biased presentation makes it less believable. It effectively becomes like a hagiography of Sal Castro and Paula Crisostomo while not showing any of the less beautiful side of East LA culture. Alexa Vega is pretty enough and dresses cute enough she could be one of the popular girls at Westerburg High School. The kids at the CYLC make it seem like the singular goal of every Chicano in East LA was just to get into UCLA. There didn't appear to be any rationale for closing the bathrooms at Garfield high school during lunch. There was no appearance whatsoever of drugs, gangs, barrio crime, violence other than by the police, or even high school kids drinking and smoking. This totally rose-colored re-creation of East LA in 1968 just betrays the rest of the truth portrayed in the movie.

Great movie! It was very well done, I especially like the scene where the teacher is asking the student to read something from the textbook she'll never find - our part in the history of America! (American History! Native American History!)I'm glad they mentioned the educational tracks. I know about the tracks, kind of like a "glass ceiling" only worse because it can hold a child back for the rest of their life. In my case, six years before this took place in east LA, they discouraged me from going to college for vocational school instead. (I am Pueblo & American-Mexican Indian)This movie reminded me of the fear I felt back then of what the police would do and it brought back the tears of pride at what they accomplished. It was great to see the students at the end and what they are doing today.When HBO releases movies on topics like this, respectfully done, it give me hope. Thank you HBO and Amazon.

I began showing this to my Spanish classes as soon as it came out. In fact, one of my Mexican-American students told me about it (gracias Ian!). I teach in an urban school with a diverse population. Social justice is a huge issue in our building and community. I have been amazed at how much this film has impacted my students. They connected deeply with the students in the film. There are so many discussion topics that came out of the film: inequality, poverty, heritage languages, student activism, cultural chasms, the connection to the civil rights movement, I could go on. I urge everyone to watch this film. I encourage my fellow teachers to incorporate this film into their curriculum. And you don't have to be from an urban area to feel the power of the inequalities in the film or be Latino to feel the pride of these students. It gives me chills everytime I hear a student call "Walkout!" or "Viva la Raza" or "Chicano Power!"

It had the feel of a made for an after-school movie. But I'm glad they made it. It should be required watching in Jr and Sr High Schools.

There isn't much in the textbook about Mexican-Americans trying to gain civil rights, so this DVD is a great addition to the U.S. History teacher's library. It realistically portrays walkouts staged by Mexican-American high school students in East L.A. in 1968 to protest the unequal education they were receiving--not learning about their heritage, being punished for speaking Spanish in school, not having bathrooms available at lunch, not being encouraged to apply for college, etc. Some of those walkouts turned violent because the police began beating the students on national TV, much to the horror of the viewing audience. After that, networks censored the protests. Eventually, students were able to present their complaints to the Board of Education, but little was done to help them. This is a harsh lesson for students--just because a group is in the right and tries really hard, doesn't mean they will win.

I applaud these kids for walking out of their class rooms, I sympathize for those who were injured, and arrested when the cops showed up but, these kids were protesting for their Education. They wanted to be treated Equally, with respect, they had to get swated and paddled just for speaking spanish? Who would treat somebody else's kids like that? It was time to take a stand, those kids got into College, the school board allowed these kids to put their foot down, and say what they had to say. So, I wanna send a big CONGRATULATIONS to these kids who took a stand for their Education, and to Mr. Castro for allowing these kids to Stand Up As One. WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!So, I am encoraging others to see this movie, I LOVED it the first time I saw it, I'm sure others will too.

Arrived within timeframe given. Arrived in great condition. Works great. Great movie. All around.... pleased.