Fear and Learning @ Hoover Elementary is a very emotional film. It is a hard hitting documentary about the disastrous effects of Proposition 187 that were recently passed in California. It stands out in many concepts, one, it brings global realities into a classroom in a unique way that printed word seemingly cannot. When I reflect on the film, it crosses my mind that fears and learning are progressively unique both in form and in context. Arguably, fear and learning are among the most powerful, important and engaging film ever made about equity, social justice and education. The film raises countless questions particularly about ethnicity, race, socioeconomic class and language of the involved identities. The system in our society is exceedingly complex; I see fear reflected in marginalized students in school who fear that anyone in authority is trying to trap them.
People from different walks of life have come to America in search of greener pastures in the hope that they will have a better lifestyle not only for themselves but also for their families too. Prop 187 is quite inconsiderate as it denies illegal aliens from receiving many services such as public services in the State of California. It has greatly impacted many lives of illegal immigrants and gone to the extent of crushing their dreams and hopes for a prosperous life. This film leaves me speechless on many occasions on the portrayed perspectives. Myra is a young girl and the main focus of the film. She works extremely hard to get good grades in class in the hope that she will finish school, go to a good college and become a lawyer one day. I am happy to see this girl so focused and determined to excel despite the many hindrances and setbacks in her life.
Though the film entirely focuses on an elementary school it is evident that fear and learning plays a major role in encouraging dialogue on issues that cross all grade. My thoughts on this film are numerous. All through, I thought the movie is very powerful because it displays an effect on proposition 187 to the general public. Secondly, teachers’ views on Proposition 187 are different and quite interesting. For instance, I couldn’t comprehend how a teacher who was propositioned 187 could not recall the name of the student despite the fact that she worked and interacted with the kids who would be affected directly. The teacher is emotionless despite the fact that she is working with the kids.
It is not just an ordinary movie; it brings about major issues for all people working in schools. It is actually very ignorant to affirm that immigration in America is not a hot topic. Fear and Learning @ Hoover Elementary makes an interesting point which most people never consider as alarming. Schools in America and in other nations receive money depending on the particular level of attendance of students. Frequently, Hoover Elementary lost a lot of money as a result of the inconsistent attendance level of all migrant students. To me it appears that such an issue can easily be solved after holding talks with parents about it. In spite of the personal feelings about immigration in the U.S and how it relates to several other issues, the underlying issue that still remains unsolved is allowing all children irrespective of color, race, ethnicity and religion to receive an appropriate and free education. The ways in which children finally landed in the U.S or their level of skills is pointless until we hold of ourselves that we all have an obligation to secure them, accommodate them and provide them with good education like the rest of the students in America. Essentially, I thought the prop 187 was quite interesting particularly on the part where teachers interviewed volunteers. I really hope that the teacher who finally left Hoover Elementary today saw the way she acted in the film and hit her making her realize what kind of racist she was throughout the movie (Profe, 2013).
People are sometimes arrogant and racist. Fear and Learning @ Hover elementary portrays intra-group discrimination, my assumption on this is that if majority of the people outside ones group are against them, there should then be solidarity particularly among people from within their group. To say that people are better off starving and dying from natural catastrophes and disasters because the healthcare system in the U.S is the richest in the world, cannot accommodate them is appalling and inhumane in the strongest terms. Fear and Learning integrate various perspectives, revealing the complexities underlying these appalling issues.
Works Cited
Profe Chicano. Fear and Learning at Hoover Street Elementary. YouTube, 22 Aug 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
