{for the D.A.C.A DREAMers and all our nation’s immigrants}
". . . my veins don’t end in me
but in the unanimous blood
of those who struggle for life . . .
. . . mis venas no terminan en mí
sino en la sange unánime
de los que luchan por la vida . . ."
—Roque Dalton, Como tú
Como tú, I question history’s blur in my eyes
each time I face a mirror. Like a mirror, I gaze
into my palm a wrinkled map I still can’t read,
my lifeline an unnamed road I can’t find, can’t
trace back to the fork in my parents’ trek
that cradled me here. Como tú, I woke up to
this dream of a country I didn’t choose, that
didn’t choose me—trapped in the nightmare
of its hateful glares. Como tú, I’m also from
the lakes and farms, waterfalls and prairies
of another country I can’t fully claim either.
Como tú, I am either a mirage living among
these faces and streets that raised me here,
or I’m nothing, a memory forgotten by all
I was taken from and can’t return to again.
Like memory, at times I wish I could erase
the music of my name in Spanish, at times
I cherish it, and despise my other syllables
clashing in English. Como tú, I want to speak
of myself in two languages at once. Despite
my tongues, no word defines me. Like words,
I read my footprints like my past, erased by
waves of circumstance, my future uncertain
as wind. Like the wind, como tú, I carry songs,
howls, whispers, thunder’s growl. Like thunder,
I’m a foreign-borne cloud that’s drifted here,
I’m lightning, and the balm of rain. Como tú,
our blood rains for the dirty thirst of this land.
Like thirst, like hunger, we ache with the need
to save ourselves, and our country from itself.
-Richard Blanco
As students and beyond, each and every one of us is entitled by law to receive assistance we might need to better ensure our well-being when suffering from any type of disability and/or distress, for example. Unfortunately, many of us are too afraid, embarrassed, and ashamed to ask for help due the risk of being stigmatized and stereotyped.
Or worse, we simply do not know these
programs exist to serve and protect us. Rather than addressing
these and other needs in our youth when we have the best opportunity, as adults
we are still struggling—potentials never reached; dreams never realized.
In
order to better cope, I would suggest starting with the expertise of the school
guidance counselor, trained to listen to understand and address a variety of
debilitating issues. Undiagnosed learning and emotional
disabilities can be managed through appropriate modifications that must be
maintained not only in public school but also in college as well as employment
under the Americans With Disabilities Act. There is no shame in
receiving the help to which we all are entitled. The real loss is not
seeking it.
Always remember, this is YOUR time. You will NEVER have this moment again. Embrace your youth. Never lose your childlike sense of wonder because you’re being put into an unfair and sometimes abusive position of growing up too fast. Find the courage to say, “No,” rather than allow others to manipulate you for their own gain without considering your best interests and feelings.
Celebrate your innocence. Speak your
piece LOUDLY. Become an activist and advocate for other young people as well as
yourself. Get involved in groups and activities, feeding your soul. Take advantage of all opportunities to live and learn.
Most of
all “stay gold” in spite of all obstacles and hardships you might face now and
over a lifetime. Marvel at our collective humanity—what is good,
kind, and just as well as what is not. Learn from your failures and successes--
your gains and losses. With all the highs and lows life has to offer,
take a moment to enjoy your unique journey. Although never alone be
confident in the knowledge that you will always be enough.
