Twelve Latino education change agents share their personal experiences making changes in schools responsive to the needs of Latinos and all children.
Excerpt
…This anthology of stories (known as “cuentos” in the Latino oral tradition) is our way of passing wisdom from one generation to the next. This collection reflects the experiences, lessons learned, and wisdom gleaned by those immersed in a historic time: from segregation to integration, from college only for the elite; to the idea of higher education for all, from linguistically different as special education to linguistically different as bilingual education, from tracking to mainstreaming and the list goes on and on.
In many ways, this anthology represents a passing of the torch to a future generation of educators who wish to make significant changes in our school systems which are still in need of radical transformation in the 21st century. This body of work demonstrates what a small committed group of people can accomplish with the right training and strong conviction that “all children can learn.” We began the process, and now reach out to those younger to carry it forward.
…It has been emphasized over and over by many “teachers” that a person’s greatest wounding becomes the path, the journey, the destiny that will illuminate the present and the future toward a better tomorrow. In my case, my greatest wounding was also the “opening” for the most meaningful life journey in Education. As a result, Universal Guidance has led me to focus on a pioneering experience with a different international structure of education.
…It was a cloudy morning and excitement filled the air. My brother and sisters were playing hopscotch on the sidewalk laughing, chasing each other and running around waiting to get started off to school. My mother made sure we all dressed nicely with brand new clothes and shoes for the beginning of the new school year. As for me it was the first time ever to start school and the thrill of it filled the air with excitement and anticipation for me. However, in the back of my mind remained a piece of information that I had heard from my brother and sisters that they hoped I did not end up in the school’s meanest teacher’s class.
It didn’t take very much time to realize that not only was she my first grade teacher but that the reputation of meanest teacher proved to be right. My excitement dissipated quickly but on top of it all I came to realize that not knowing English was detrimental to my well being at school.
My first three years of school were full of pain and fear. These emotions weren’t about what students were going to do to me, but about the harm that teachers and the principal might inflict.
…It was only natural for me to leave my humble origins with the belief that anything and everything can come true. Growing up so sheltered, I believed that I was born to make a difference somewhere, somehow. I was fearless and idealistic and so like Don Quixote, I prepared to pursue the impossible dream; to fight windmills and to create a world that “could be” while refusing to accept the world “that is” or “has been.” My dreams ultimately became a gift of imagination where all possibilities are born. And so my story of developing a passion and vision for education begins like this.
…This has been a time of reflection, focusing on the challenges that took place in the 60s and 70s. In the year 2009, we are labeled ‘illegal aliens’. As I work in my office, I encounter the eyes of hundreds of Mollys. I now have the task of reviving others so that they too can accept who they are with pride and joy, so that the many layers are laid to rest. It is so gratifying to watch the Guadalupe students and the Phoenix College students don on their caps and gowns, earn their A.A. and B.A. and Master degrees. I wait patiently for an invitation from a doctoral student. It is but a matter of time.
…Part V: ©Yo Soy Joaquin
In conclusion, I would like to end my brief “story” by citing the conclusion (the last stanza) of Corky Gonzales’s dream, his epic poem:
Alejandro, Alex, Dr. Pulido;
or whatever I call myself,
I look the same
I cry and sing the same.
I am the masses of my people and
I refuse to be absorbed,
I am Joaquin.
The odds are great but my spirit strong,
My faith is unbreakable, My blood is pure.
I am Aztec prince and Christian Christ.
I SHALL ENDURE;I WILL ENDURE!
Read more about The Rising Voices of Latino Change Agents in Education and Pauline McBeth HERE.
Copyright 2010 Pauline McBeth. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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