Film Analysis: Marginalization from 'Stand and Deliver' Lenses

This essay delves into the theme of marginalization as portrayed in the film 'Stand and Deliver,' focusing on the experiences of students at Garfield High School and their math teacher, Jaime Escalante. The analysis highlights two key aspects of marginalization: education inequalities and discrimination. The film illustrates how students from inner-city schools face unequal access to resources and are often subject to prejudiced perceptions. The essay references the real-life events of the 1982 Advanced Placement calculus exam, where students' success was questioned due to their background, leading to a retake of the exam. It also discusses how societal structures and choices perpetuate discrimination, limiting opportunities for marginalized groups. Ultimately, the essay concludes that 'Stand and Deliver' serves as an inspiring example of how marginalized individuals can overcome challenges and prove societal biases wrong through commitment and excellence.

Running head: MARGINALIZATION FROM THE LENSES OF STAND AND DELIVER FILM 1
Marginalization from the Lenses of Stand and Deliver Film
Name
University

MARGINALIZATION FROM THE LENSE OF STAND AND DELIVER FILM 2
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Education Inequalities.....................................................................................................................3
Discrimination.................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
Stand and Deliver Film is a reflection of the real story as portrayed by Jaime Escalante, a
math teacher at Garfield High School. The film itself is a true indication of how the marginalized
individuals in the society are treated. The marginalization aspects start at the Garfield school
which is economically disadvantaged. Despite the Garfield school lacking the sufficient
resources to offer adequate learning, it is the only hope for the minorities and the weak groups to
acquire education. The film appears to insinuate that this condition has been caused by societal
influences since Garfield high school is associable with the Hispanic people and the educators
believed that all the students were hardcore criminals. The educators' perception had been
influenced by the notion that Hispanic background bear gang members (Heldiz, 2017). In the
film, the two key marginalization themes are well-showcased through education inequalities and
discrimination.
Education Inequalities
In the film, it is evident that students from the inner-city schools are not treated equally as
the rest of the students in the country because of their background. Education is a universal
system and all students should receive similar education and learning facilities irrespective of
where they come from. However, this is not the case as exhibited in the film which shows that
students in the Garfield school received less quality education because they came from “barrio”
(Grimes, 2010). Inequality in education has severe consequences for the economy and the
country. Reports indicate that America loses billion dollars through taxes revenues and loss of
productivity every year when the students' dropout out of schools (Angrist, Cohodes, Dynarski,
Pathak, & Walters, 2016). Students in the poorly-resourced schools are likely to drop out of
schools because of the unfavorable learning environment which is further worsened by their
marginalized condition.

MARGINALIZATION FROM THE LENSE OF STAND AND DELIVER FILM 4
The inequality in education is not only portrayed through the denial of resources but also
via the favoritism which is rooted in the attitude that students from marginalized backgrounds
cannot perform well. For example, Escalante and his students produced surprising calculus
results in 1982. The eighteen students passed the Advanced Placement calculus exam.
Nevertheless, the favored society which feels that all should belong to them disputed the results
through the Educational Testing Service which ordered 14 of the 18 students who had performed
well to retake the exam (Grimes, 2010). Two of the students declined to redo the test by stating
that they did not need credit to go to college. Surprisingly, 12 students proved the Education Test
Service wrong by performing extremely well not putting into consideration that they had only
one day to prepare. The two students who declined to redo the test represents the marginalized
learners who drop out of schools because of unfair policies and rules which favors the
advantaged at the expense of the minority groups. Nevertheless, 1982 marked the turn of events
for Garfield since it continued to produce amazing results and hence the film title, Stand and
Deliver (Angrist, Cohodes, Dynarski, Pathak, & Walters, 2016).
Discrimination
Discrimination is another fundamental element used in the film to explain the
manifestation of marginalization. Paula Rothenberg explained how discrimination is perpetuated
in the society by considering several factors:
“Making choices is an essential part of everyday life for individuals and organizations.
These choices are shaped in part by social structures that set standards and influence
conduct in such areas as education, employment, housing, and government. When these
choices limit the opportunities available to people because of their race, sex, or national
origin, the problem of discrimination arises” (Rothenberg, 2005, p. 243).

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Rothenberg position explains how the scarcity of resources leads into the race and background-
based discrimination. For example, the ETS was convinced that because of the Garfield students’
reputation and background, they cheated in their AP Calculus exam and therefore, they had to
retake it to prove their performance. This shows that the upper class in the society are unlikely to
accept the success of the marginalized society, especially when it is evident that it will threaten
their position. Garfield school proved its performance in the later years when it continued to do
extremely well and this showcases that the disadvantaged society has to be outstanding for the
system to accept it as part of the wider successful community. The Garfield success was only
accepted by ordering the students to retake AP exams and maintaining the same consistency in
later years.
Conclusion
Stand and Deliver, is a perfect example that no matter the challenges, the marginalized
can prove the wider society wrong by doing what is right and doing it quite well. Through the
efforts and commitment of Jaime Escalante, Garfield High School disputed the notion that the
large society had towards inner-city schools in the East of Los Angeles. Despite the stereotyping,
unfavorable learning environment and discrimination the school was able to Stand and Deliver.
The film strives to tell the less advantaged in the society that they have the capacity to do
ordinary things which other people in the society do. Escalante’s student managed to deliver
results like everyone else.

MARGINALIZATION FROM THE LENSE OF STAND AND DELIVER FILM 6
References
Angrist, J. D., Cohodes, S. R., Dynarski, S. M., Pathak, P. A., & Walters, C. R. (2016). Stand
and Deliver: Effects of Boston’s Charter High Schools on College Preparation, Entry, and
Choice. Journal of Labor Economics, 34(2), 275-312.
Grimes, W. (2010). Jaime Escalante, Inspiration for a Movie, Dies at 79. NYTimes.com, 1-3.
Heldiz, A. (2017, June 29). Please Stop Talking About 'Stand and Deliver'. Retrieved from
https://www.newamerica.org/weekly/edition-170/please-stop-talking-about-stand-and-
deliver/
Rothenberg, P. S. (2005). White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism. New
York: Worth Publishers.