Last Friday, we watched the movie Bread and Roses directed by Ken Loach, a movie depicting the life that struggling immigrants face in society; Specifically regarding the struggle of poorly paid janitors in Los Angeles.
I was curious about where the name Bread and Roses came from, as it is unique enough to likely posses some significance, and found out that it was derived from a 1911 poem by James Oppenheim, however over time it became associated with the 1912 textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. This perfectly fits with the movie, as it depicts a janitorial strike.
The story is told through Maya’s perspective. She’s an illegal immigrant who has just arrived to Los Angeles with limited English language abilities. She initially is given a job working at a bar, however pushes to become a janitor with her sister.
My favorite scenewas when Rosa (Maya’s sister) is yelling at Maya and telling her to stop being so idealistic, as the real world is not rose-colored. She tells her sister how she was a prostitute in order to get Maya her education, and sleep with her supervisor in order to get Maya her job. This really impacted me, as it really made me think about the privileges that I have in my life compared to others.