Walkout!

A few days ago, my wife and I watched the HBO original movie, "Walkout". I am posting the synposis of the film here, as taken from their official website.

"A film with a powerful message that resonates 38 years after the events it depicts occurred, Walkout is the stirring true story of the Chicano students of East LA, who in 1968 staged several dramatic walkouts in their high schools to protest academic prejudice and dire school conditions. Aided by a popular and progressive young teacher, Sal Castro, Paula Crisostomo and a group of young Chicano activists battle parents, teachers, bureaucrats, the police and public opinion to make their point. Along the way, the students learn profound lessons about embracing their own identity and standing up for what they believe in. Set in 1968, a tumultuous year that shook America to its foundation, Walkout is a vivid reminder that people can change the world.

The producers of Walkout have a very personal reason for bringing the drama to the screen. Edward James Olmos was born and raised in East LA, and has long been a strong and supportive advocate for reform among the Mexican-American community. Executive producer Moctesuma Esparza was one of the original 1968 protesters; he is portrayed in this film by Bodie Olmos, Edward James Olmos' son. Several cast members are children of the original protesters, including Esparza's daughter Tonantzin.

A high-profile producer, director, actor and community activist, Edward James Olmos (who directed and appears briefly in the film) has a long history of being involved in film and TV projects that tackle themes of diversity, especially in the Latino community.

The appealing young cast of Walkout is headed by Alexa Vega, who won fame for her role in 2001's hit Spy Kids, as well as the film's two sequels. Walkout also stars Michael Peña (Million Dollar Baby) as Sal Castro, Yancey Arias (Kingpin) as Paula's father Panfilo, and Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite) as her friend Bobby. Marcus De Leon (The Big Squeeze), Ernie Contreras (Fairy Tale: A True Story) and Timothy J. Sexton (HBO's For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story) wrote the script; executive producers are Moctesuma Esparza (Selena, The Milagro Beanfield War) and Robert Katz (Gods and Generals); the producer is Lisa Bruce. - HBO Walkout synposis

I was loving the whole film. Actually, it was more of loving the whole story. It was a piece of history of America which seemed to have been missed out or overlooked by modern historians. The end of the film featured all the real people involved during the walkout. Interestingly, the female protagonist, Paola Crisostomo, was actually half-Filipina. In fact, in the movie, his father told her that she wasn't pure "Chicana" (Mexicana) but she was "Chilipina" (Mexicana-Filipina).

The story showed that if one has a will and stands up for his principles, then he will have his way. Those Mexican students suffered poor education, lack of facilities and resources, and their government did not want to give to them what they should be having simply because they were not "Whites". But the film portrayed that it does not matter whether you are white or black or "brown". Their battlecry was "Equal Education For All!" And "Brown is Beautiful".

They were reprimanded by their teachers and some of their parents. Most of these students were student leaders, brilliant and excelling in their studies. If they would join the rallies, they could lose their chance of graduating from the school. But they risked that chance for a better goal.

This movie reminded me of my own ideals. There was a time that I was as idealistic as these young high school students were. There were moments that in my desire to attain for these ideals and to stand up for these principles, the "bad guys" still end up winning.

How I wish that our students and young people also be more of critical thinkers rather than just passive concurring bunch of lambs who can't even learn to question their elders whenever they see something wrong is being done. There is nothing wrong with questioning, for as long as one questions with reason and courtesy. There is nothing wrong with protesting, for as long as one protests peacefully. Evil prevails only when good men do nothing.