California Program Coordinator for SFER shares a poem for all her Guerreros y Guerrerras

On the outside, non-native Angelenos see Boyle Heights as a cultural war zone where residents are fighting for their lives. 

My name is Maribel Gonzalez and I'm the CA Director for Students for Education Reform. I come to these meetings every month with our students and usually I just sit and listen and take notes. Today I had to come up here after hearing the parents from Magnolia Elementary speak out against Equitas Academy Charter School.

As the daughter of an immigrant, I grew up believing the “American Dream” was real. It was the basis for my family’s migration to the U.S. If you work hard enough, you can reach all your dreams, or so it goes. But I knew many people, relatives and peers, who worked just as hard as or even harder than I did who were nowhere near reaching their dreams. Why?

Good evening board members and superintendent Bruce Harter. My name is Raquel Antolin and I am a West Contra Costa Alum, as well as a Wave Maker Alum, and a member of Students for Education Reform since 2014.

My name is Jillian Anais Ortiz Cruz and I am a third year Psychology and Social Welfare double major at the University of California, Berkeley and the Organizing Captain of Students for Education Reform (SFER).

My name is Luis Ledesma and I am a first year Community and Regional Development major at UC Davis. I am the Co-Chapter Leader for Students For Education Reform at UC Davis, and I am here today with my community to advocate for all students in the WCCUSD.