Freedom Writers (2007)
The Freedom Writers Diary is a movie about an English teacher named Erin Gruwell and her students at
Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, as they go from freshman to senior years. Watching this
movie has been an eye-opener for me as I have observed societal issues which is timely and relevant even
up to this day.
One of the societal issues that I have seen in this movie is cultural indifference. Woodrow Wilson High
School is divided into groups or gangs — “The Little Cambodia”, “The Ghetto”, “The Wonder Bread Land”
and “South of the Border”. All of these gangs are present in Mrs. Gruwell’s class, whose students live by
decades of tight moral rules of defending their own at all costs. Many students are involved in gangs, and
practically everyone knows someone who has been killed or hurt as a result of gang violence. The main
reason behind all these is cultural indifference, leading to racism, and all sorts of violence. People tend to
belittle those who are not the same kind as theirs to the point where they feel entitled to humiliate or
hurt them because they’re different.
In a large archipelagic country like the Philippines, culture is very diverse. We have different ethnic groups,
minorities, and tribes which divides all of us as a nation. You can observe that from each province people
differ from their language, culture, belief, religion, and even the way they speak. This cultural indifference
has also led people in a non-pleasing situation, just like in the movie. People tend to look down on the
“Warays” or “Bisayas” because of their social class. They are treated as nothing because most of them are
just maids and drivers. I have seen many Tagalogs make fun of other ethnicities because of the way they
speak, their intonation, even the way they dress. Tagalogs are most likely the “white people” in the
Philippine set-up. They consider themselves as the superior one because they live in the city and they are
“well-educated” compared to those who used to live in the provinces; it’s like they see other people’s
lives as worthless, giving them the entitlement to do and say whatever they want. This kind of
maltreatment causes nothing but harm to our fellow Filipinos.
In this movie, I have also seen how privilege benefits a person. Ben Daniels, the only white person in Mrs.
Gruwell’s class, is also the only person who didn’t experience gang violence just because he’s white. He is
the only person who knows what a holocaust is because of the quality education he has received in his
former years, while his classmates who aren’t white, only knows the feeling of being shot at. The privilege
of being a white person is clearly seen in this scene. When Eva said she knows what white people can do
even if she doesn’t know them personally speaks a lot of volume. White people can do whatever they
want just because they feel like it and they can because they’re white. When Marcus said he’s lucky
enough if he made it to 18 because everyday he’s currently battling in a war made me so much impact in
me. It’s like they consider every single day as their last day in this world because of the maltreatment they
receive from white people because they’re not their own kind.
This societal issue can also be observed in our country nowadays. Having privilege or money in this country
gives you so much opportunity and powers. Privileged people can do whatever they want because they
have the money to do so and because they can. And sometimes, they abuse it just like our politicians; they
can easily get away from their cases of graft and corruption because they have the money and the
resources. I personally witnessed how money can turn things around; people sometimes respect you not
because they earned it but because they have the money. They have nothing to worry about because it
can solve everything. On the other hand, underprivileged people fight for their lives every single day
because they have to survive. One of the problems they face is discrimination because of the social class
they belong, getting proper and quality education, securing a job in the future, their health and safety,
and so on. When you ‘re poor, you need to think of these things every single day. These are the problems
privileged people don’t think because it doesn’t concern them. They just live in peace just like the white
person in the movie.
Lastly, I have seen how teachers are underappreciated in this movie. Mrs. Erin Gruwell is an overworked
high school teacher but is also underpaid and underappreciated. Her father in this movie seemed to
belittle teachers because of the salary they earn and thought she can do so much better than being just a
high school teacher. Her husband thinks that she’s doing too much for her students. Also, as she tried
harder to get resources to properly teach her students by juggling three jobs, she faced serious opposition
with her co-teachers such as Margaret Campbell, a 30-year teacher in Wilson High, who is regulationdriven and sees using books in the library as a waste and thinks Erin is inexperienced enough to do
whatever she wants, and Brian Gelford, who defended his privileged position of teaching senior honors
classes.
In the Philippines, I have witnessed how our teachers and professors are underappreciated for their work.
They don’t get the salary they deserve and is often deprived of the benefits they should get. Being a
teacher in the Philippines is very challenging, most especially if you chose or have been deployed in
provinces where transportation and resources are lacking. Some teachers travel for hours by walking just
to get in school and is earning below minimum wage. I have also encountered some instructors
complaining because of the frequent delay in their salaries. It isn’t easy to become a teacher. Teachers
prepare for hours what to teach and how to make it interactive and fun, handles numerous students,
checks their papers, prepare lesson plans, teach continuously for hours without getting enough breaks,
and so much more but are underpaid. This societal issue just shows how their profession is
underappreciated in this country.
Personally, I have enjoyed watching the movie. It reminded me how I wanted to become a teacher three
years ago. In fact, I passed my entrance examination in Philippine Normal University, where I planned to
pursue Education but my family didn’t want me to. I want to have that kind of influence to other people
because just like Erin Gruwell, I have high hopes for the youth. I want to impart my knowledge and wisdom
to my students because I believe they are our future. Teaching and guiding the youth properly can solve
these societal problems we are facing right now and might be a way for the future generation to live
better lives. As Erin Gruwell once said, “If you can change a classroom, you can change a community, and
if you change enough communities, you can change the world”.