Essay: Racial and Ethnic Division Portrayal in Freedom Writers (2007)

This essay provides an analysis of the film Freedom Writers (2007), focusing on the portrayal of racial and ethnic divisions within the context of a high school setting. The essay examines how the film depicts the challenges faced by students due to racial and ethnic tensions, gang violence, and societal stereotypes. It highlights the role of the teacher, Erin Gruwell, in fostering tolerance and understanding among her students through the use of diaries and historical references like the Holocaust and the Rodney King incident. The essay explores the impact of these divisions on the students' lives, their identities, and their interactions, emphasizing the importance of breaking down barriers and promoting unity. The analysis also touches upon the sociological concepts of race, ethnicity, and racism, drawing on relevant academic sources to support the arguments made about the film's social commentary and its message of hope and change. The essay concludes by underscoring the film's message that overcoming racial and ethnic discrimination requires societal effort and a change in mindset.

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Racial and Ethnic Division in Freedom Writers (2007)
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Professors Name
Due Date

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Racial and Ethnic Division in Freedom Writers (2007)
Freedom Writers (2007) is an inspiring film about an idealistic teacher who choose to
break down the walls separating students from each other. The film delivers message about hope
and the inspirations that changes the destiny of the characters and does it in a way that it evokes
emotion and intellectual satisfaction. The movie is staring Hillary Swank who plays Erin
Gruwell shows encounters recorded in the diaries about 150 ‘Untouchable and at risk students in
California. The movie incorporates students from students at Wilson High School as an
instrument to navigate through the instance of racial and ethnic division.
Race, ethnicity and Tolerance are important issues and virtues evident in the film story.
The daily lives of the students is affected by the rivalry among the Asians blacks and Latinos.
The most determinants of peace and clashes was external appearance and loyalty to the various
groups. In this case, students learnt to remain between the confined of their identity groups.
Despite the intense clashes, Ms. Gruwell started teaching his students the repercussions of racial
and ethnic violence from the historical perspectives. The teacher emphasized on Anne Frank
stories about the Nazi-occupied Netherlands and Zlata Filipović who gave a narration about the
contemporary war torn in the Bosnia and Herzegovina (LaGravenese,2007). In this case, the
teacher navigates the students’ imagination into the horrific consequences of ethnic hatred in the
prevalent society. As a result, the students learn to focus on a society that is beyond racial and
ethnic divisions.
The hate and hate and fear existing between people due to hatred can be stripped off and
emphasize on the similarity within the society. Through the process, people will understand that
they are fundamentally the same regardless of the differences in the race and ethnicity. While
racism and ethnicity continue to mere the United States, people tend to identify with groups due

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to the stereotypes associated with the groups. The movie portrayed instances where some
students endured physical abuse from their colleagues due to skin tone or race (Yulinarni,
Asridayani & Efendi,2020). There is a prevalence stratification between the race and ethnicity is
illustrated in the movie as sad ordeal as some students were undergoing some negative family
situation and pressure.
The implications of discrimination due to racism and ethnicity is a societal problem that
people should avoid since the implication of the actions is not good for the cohesion within the
groups. Clair &Denis (2015) termed racism as a subject of race and stated that “
“Although biologically meaningless when applied to humans – physical differences such
as skin color have no natural association with group differences in ability or behavior –
race nevertheless has tremendous significance in structuring social reality. Indeed,
historical variation in the definition and use of the term provides a case in point” (p.857)
On the other hand, race is distinct from ethnicity. The biological case of race is the main
attribute of the particular race. The race is perceived by physical characteristics within an
individuals. It is evident that racism is actually the social constructs that offers permission to one
group to exploit another in notion that justifies the practice. The practice is evident in countries
with high level of racism leading to increased social jealous among the population. The movie
plot in Wilson High School is in an urban world with a long beach where racial tension and gang
wars lead to racial and ethnic divisions. For instance, the social identity of an individual
determines the group of belonging and the chances of survival I the respective streets. In 1992,
officers in Los Angeles police Department were caught on Camera brutally beating Rodney
King, an unarmed African American in police custody. The action sparked anger and reaction
among the Blacks who protested against the historical discrimination and abuse among the black

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people (LaGravenese, 2007). According to Ms. Gruwell’s observation, tension existed in Wilson
High School due to the prevalent group identities among the teenage learners.
Rising to the challenge in the desire to navigate through the issues and manage to counter
the thoughts of the groups who perceive and popularize the notion of racial and ethnicity is one
the task in the film. Combating discrimination in racial and tribal lines require the society to be
part of the initiatives since they are part of the problem. Thus, the society can change their
mindset regarding the perceived discrimination and rivalry. In Freedom Writers, the new high
school teacher manages to grab the attention of unruly teenagers by illustrating the implications
of segregations and racism in the era of the Second World War The teacher takes through the
students in the Holocaust section in Los Angeles museum and narrates to the students the destiny
of Anne Frank as a Holocaust victim. As a result, many students could identify with the
experiences from the narrations (Hidayati, 2017). Therefore, Ms. Gruwell cornered the students
into accepting that there is another side of life when one is expected to be loyal.
Diaries are significant tools that shows the everyday life of individuals. Compared to the
variety of other historical documents, it is evident that routinely generated diaries portrays the
honest part of an individual. The revelations inspire them to record their daily experiences in the
diaries and compile in the book “The Freedom Writers Diary” which the film is based. After the
recording the teacher could only read if the students give them permission. After visiting the
holocaust in Los Angeles, Erin let the students read Anne Frank’s diaries. Students sympathized
with holocaust victim for her encounters with intolerance, hatred and violence (Hidayati, 2017).
Therefore, using an evidence base approach aimed at equipping students with critical skills to
analyses situation in different lens.

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The historical consequences of dividing people along the tribal lines or group identity is
negative to the society and Freedom Riders concluded that it was not safe for a thriving
community. After the lessons, students came in terms that separation of people in the tribal and
racial lines generates injustice and harm. In diary 3, a student recounts a time as a witness in
court about her friend Paco, whom she witnessed killing a man. In this case, she was supposed to
defend Paco through lies since Paco was her Fellow Latino “People and her “blood”
(Mughibbah, 2016). On the court, the students observes despair in the eyes of the accused man’s
mother, an African American. The desperation reminded her of her Mexican mother and noted
that both side s of the conflicts impacts everyone through violence. As a consequence, the
students recounts how protecting someone in the name of group identity tears more families
apart. Eventually, she focused on truth in her recounts in the court.
Racial and ethnic discrimination is a historical aspect that marred United States
population. Due to division of the communities in racial and tribal lines, group identity took
center stage on discrimination and violence within the society. The experiences are evident in the
Freedom Writers (2007) film which highlights the plight of unruly students who recognized the
benefits of diversity in their society. In the movie, a new teacher comes up with a strategy to end
ethnic diversity through the use of diaries and recount of experiences in different families.

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References
Clair, M., & Denis, J. S. (2015). Sociology of racism. The international encyclopedia of the
social and behavioral sciences, 19, 857-863.
Hidayati, N. (2017). Appraisal analysis in freedom writers movie. EduLite: Journal of English
Education, Literature and Culture, 2(1), 317-333.
LaGravenese, R. (2007). Freedom Writers. Paramount Pictures.
Mughibbah, L. (2016). The analysis of interpersonal meaning in “Freedom Writers” movie
subtitles (Doctoral dissertation, IAIN Syekh Nurjati Cirebon).
Yulinarni, A., Asridayani, A., & Efendi, D. (2020). Racism and Its Effect in Freedom Writers
Film by Richard La Gravense: Sociological Approach. Krinok: Jurnal Linguistik
Budaya, 5(1).