I did some research on the historical backgrounds of the movie, and found that it was inspired by the slogan of a textile strike in Massachusetts in 1912, in regards to fair wage (bread) and good conditions (roses). It was one of the strikes where workers came together in unity against the company, arguing together for fair conditions. This forms the basis of the 2000 movie “Bread and Roses” in which an illegal immigrant (Maya) finds work as a janitor, and tries to unionize to get fair pay and better conditions.

The movie recounts her struggles with Rosa, her sister, as well as her bosses who know that she is an illegal immigrant and take advantage of it. This movie really got me to think about minimum wage in this country, which is not enough to support a family, especially in an expensive city like Los Angeles, where the movie is set. If minimum wage always came with benefits including health insurance then it wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but often the problem is that minimum wage jobs do not support those types of benefits. Jobs such as janitorial jobs are incredibly important, and someone has to do them, but people don’t want to do them because of how those with those jobs are treated.

People that do the jobs that are important for our society to function on the lowest level should have the same benefits as anyone else who works at a full time job.