Stereotyping is an issue that affects people on a daily basis. Many people fall into the stereotypes and limit themselves because of it. These issues are addressed in the movie Stand and Deliver. In the movie math teacher Jaime Escalante pushes his students to break these stereotypes by working hard against these negative perceptions. His encouragement and belief in his students demonstrates how these prejudices can be broken.
The movie Stand and Deliver tackles stereotypes and tells a compelling story through the use of the 5cs. The 5cs is a cinematic device used in story telling to develop and progress a movie. The first C in the movie, Character, is shown in the opening scene when the students are creating discourse in the class. This shows how the students have fallen for the Spanish and Latin American stereotypes of being ‘indolent’ and ‘unintelligent’. Jaime Escalante in introduced as a teacher that genuinely wishes the best for his students. This is established when he argues against the school’s administration, telling them that the students can and will rise to the teacher’s expectations. The second C in the movie, Conflict, is introduced in the opening scene in the movie. The students have no clear interest in the school and prefer to live their lives, according to these prejudices. Escalante is shown clear interest in the well-being of his students and wants them to study. These conflicting interests are challenged in the third C. The third C, catastrophe, is established when Escalante informs the students that they will be taking the A.P. calculus exam in their senior year. This forces the students to break the common stereotype and work hard to achieve their goal. By forcing the students in an uncomfortable position, it teaches them not to live their lives based on what others think of them. The fourth C, climax, occurs when the students are accused of cheating on their exam. This demonstrates how the education system will actively stifle their progress, and it signifies the point in which they must overcome their stereotypes by showing that they did not cheat. The final C, conclusion, occurs when the original scores of the students is reinstated. This denotes the end of their arc and shows how they overcome the expectations of others by passing the test. The 5cs are used in a compelling way to both tell a story and send a message to the audience.
Stereotyping is an issue that affects people negatively in everyday life. It can be used to belittle people and, in extreme cases, may encourage poor behavior and habits associated with these stereotypes. In the movie Stand and Deliver, Jaime Escalante teaches a class of students all affected by these stereotypes. The students feel that they have no reason to perform well in school considering that no one expects them to. It allows them to take an easier route in life. One example of how these stereotypes affect the students is in the beginning of the movie. Angel and Pancho enter the class room wearing what would be considered ‘gang attire’. They scream out slurs and interrupt the class. This shows how the stereotype of Mexicans/Latinos being gang members affects the mentality of Escalante’s students. Angel goes further to tell Escalante to give him two different textbooks so the others don’t see him as ‘a nerd’. This illustrates how society affects the minds of these students. Later in the movie, a police car that believes that Angel and his friend are on their way to commit crime stops them. The officer proceeds to insult Angel for carrying a pencil. This highlights how police believe that because of their complexion, they are going to carry weaponry. The final main example of stereotyping affects these students is at the end of the movie. The students pass their A.P. calculus exams. The school is then praised for having one of the highest passing rates in the district. After the identity of the students is revealed, they are accused of passing the test through illegitimate means. This supposed racism is pointed out by Escalante earlier in the movie when he states, “There will be no free rides, no excuses. You already have two strikes against you: your name and your complexion.” After they retake the test, their original scores are reinstated.
Throughout Stand and Deliver, the director of the movie Ramón Menéndez conveys his thoughts about the education system through subtle hints in the movie. It can be assumed that Menéndez feels that the education system is flawed based on the message of the film. In the movie, the students are accused of cheating on their test for two reasons: the more explicit reason being their similar mistakes, and the more implicit reason being their background. The director carefully shows through dialogue that the similar mistakes of the students is due to the fact that they learned from the same teacher. This shows that the education system focuses too much on trying to discipline students rather than teaching them the content in the curriculum. The second reason they are caught for cheating, their background, shows how Menéndez feels that students are valued based on their educational background and skin complexion more than their intellectual merit. Menéndez also shows throughout the movie that students tend to find school uninteresting due to the lack of stimulation school provides. By making Escalante a strict teacher with high standards, he shows that students have the potential to find school engaging. He also shows through this that students don’t learn because of the standard format being too lenient.
Stand and Deliver shows the consequences of stereotyping children at a young age who are susceptible to such ideals and the problems of the education system. The overall message the film attempts to convey, however, is that rather than focusing on limiting students, schools should try to encourage students regardless of their origin to work hard towards their goal and live productive lives. This is shown countless times throughout the movie. When one of Escalante’s students is forced to drop from school to tend a restaurant, Jaime converses with her father and tries to convince him to let her back into school. This illustrates that students should live individually of their parents and should not be hindered because of certain responsibilities imposed on them. Escalante makes his students attend summer school despite the torrid weather, this sends the message that hard work is necessary in order to achieve one’s goal. Angel, one character in the movie, constantly misses school and, earlier in the movie, refuses to learn. At the end of the movie he passes his A.P. test with a perfect score. The director conveys through this character that anyone, regardless of origin, can achieve their goals through hard work and dedication.
Overall, Stand and Deliver demonstrates that rising above your limitations is important in being successful. When one limits their perspective to stereotypes and generalizations, they will never move past their ideas of insignificance and stagnate. By working hard, one can vanquish their limitations and succeed in their endeavors regardless of imposed restrictions. The movie makes extreme care in showing this through certain characters such as Angel and Anna who both are restricted by their family and themselves. By putting in the hard work and dedication required to pass, both of them overcome the odds and get near perfect scores on their A.P. test.
Emil F 