Sneak peek: Looking for a movie to show in your heritage Spanish class?
All eyes were glued to the screen during this charming movie. My heritage students were enthralled with the Latino characters that reminded them of people they know personally. They found the main character’s father to be especially hilarious. I loved hearing my classroom burst into laughter because of a relatable character. The storyline is heartwarming and the Mexican-American culture portrayed is accurate. The plot is believable and there is even a hint of romance! I 100% recommend this film for your class!
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Language
This movie is mostly in English with some Spanish. The subtitles are only available in English. I was okay with that because the purpose of showing this to my class was more for the themes and culture represented. The English spoken was essential to accurately convey the hybrid identity of the Mexican-American characters. It was neat to hear one of my students greet me the second day of watching this film by saying:
“I really like this movie! I’m going to show it to my family.”
Synopsis
Juana is a young Latina woman living in California with her father and daughter. She is especially talented in the kitchen and upon finding a new job at a Japanese restaurant, aspires to become a sushi chef despite racial and gender barriers.
School Appropriate
There is nothing too inappropriate to show high school students. You could even show this to middle school students but know that there is a bit of alcohol and some very mild swearing.
Duration
This movie is 1 hour and 45 minutes. Combined with our normal class routine of ten minutes of free reading to start the hour, this took my class three days.
Streaming
East Side Sushi is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. If you prefer, you can also purchase the DVD on Amazon. I don’t regret this purchase one bit. I will gladly support a film with great Latino representation!
Themes
This was the PERFECT movie for summing up the first trimester of my heritage Spanish class. We studied a unit on hybrid identity where we learned about stereotypes and discrimination. Juana, the main character, is a great example of someone who, with a mixed identity, faces discrimination based on her ethnicity. This trimester we also did a mini food unit so this movie fit right in!
Another topic in this movie is the hard work and grit of Latinos in the United States.
Questions Sheet
You can download my post-movie reflection sheet (in both English & Spanish) for free by becoming a subscriber to my freebie folder.
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What other movies do you love showing in your heritage Spanish class? Comment below!
