Character 114 – Angel (Stand and Deliver)

Whats “Cal-Culus” ? This character is “Angel” who is not what he seems. You might see thug or cholo, and that is part of his character. But in the film we get to see so much more of who he is. In the late 80s a film called “Stand and Deliver” gave me a gift. As a child watching this film I recognized some of the characters, but didn’t know so many of them.  This is a rare portrait of latinos in East LA at the time. In Hollywood films Latinos were and still are tropes, stereotypes, and tired shells of characters if they are seen at all. Most of the time Raza are invisible in film, but in “Stand and Deliver” we get to see a variety of nuance, layer, and subtlety because the teens in Mr. Jaime Escalante’s class were not one type. They were jocks, nerds, princesses, rockers, thugs, students, and kids who could not be categorized. If you have never seen the film, or if you haven’t seen it since you were a kid I recommend re-watching it. The genius portrayal of a Bolivian math teacher who challenged and inspired a generation. The effects of his work to teach algebra than calculus are still being felt.

Did you see my version of Ana Delgado?