Full Transcript for Educator At Heart

I'm A and you know, I'm a stopping those Dm's and yeah, 35 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,680 and. What's up, you know, and and I 36 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:11,400 did it you know and then you know if anything was more like 37 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,840 appreciation for the for the beautiful work that you're 38 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,600 doing. You know and and and in the 39 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,960 corners of of documents in our stories and and and also just 40 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,400 sharing, you know knowledge and having people share their their 41 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:26,360 experiences. You know. 42 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,160 Yeah, and yeah, like you said, you know. 43 00:02:30,220 --> 00:02:34,180 It was beautiful to find connection with with someone who 44 00:02:34,260 --> 00:02:38,300 shares similar experiences you know as they and you know it's 45 00:02:38,300 --> 00:02:40,660 been it's it's been such a beautiful journey man I which I 46 00:02:40,660 --> 00:02:44,020 appreciate I appreciate you know so much you know being able to 47 00:02:44,020 --> 00:02:48,540 like connect with other other you know brown man you know even 48 00:02:48,540 --> 00:02:50,980 though even though we're like you know a little far away from 49 00:02:50,980 --> 00:02:54,660 each other you know like mileage you know but someone's like in 50 00:02:55,180 --> 00:02:58,220 like in Portland order one but it it just feels. 51 00:02:59,020 --> 00:03:00,700 You know every time we talk, every time we talk the real time 52 00:03:00,700 --> 00:03:03,980 you know connect like it feels like we're so close to each 53 00:03:03,980 --> 00:03:05,820 other. You know and I think that has to 54 00:03:05,820 --> 00:03:10,500 do with effect data where you know I think one of them is that 55 00:03:10,500 --> 00:03:13,140 you know we both are really trying to be open minded open 56 00:03:13,140 --> 00:03:17,020 hearted and just be you know Bunera with each other you know 57 00:03:17,020 --> 00:03:20,380 and that's that's beautiful. So that's that I guess. 58 00:03:20,380 --> 00:03:23,780 And then it turns off myself with the you know I guess 59 00:03:23,940 --> 00:03:25,780 throughout throughout the podcast or throughout the you 60 00:03:25,780 --> 00:03:28,060 know, the the storytelling you know or. 61 00:03:28,470 --> 00:03:31,910 That we're going to be more and more about myself, but I just, I 62 00:03:31,910 --> 00:03:33,390 guess just a quick, quick interest. 63 00:03:33,390 --> 00:03:36,390 You know, Jaime, you know, I'm a father. 64 00:03:36,470 --> 00:03:40,670 I'm an educator, I'm an artist. And I'm just also like I'm just 65 00:03:40,710 --> 00:03:45,750 a, I'm just a, you know, in this, in this while, you know, 66 00:03:45,750 --> 00:03:54,510 craziest the Mundo, right. And you know, I'm a really 67 00:03:54,510 --> 00:03:57,590 beautiful beautiful man. Beautiful with the young. 68 00:03:58,110 --> 00:04:03,070 You know, brown girls women that's the and you know, just, I 69 00:04:03,110 --> 00:04:05,310 guess, you know, just a look, I'm, you know, I guess I'm just, 70 00:04:05,430 --> 00:04:07,030 I'm such a conflict human being, man. 71 00:04:07,030 --> 00:04:10,070 And it's kind of hard sometimes, like do a quick intro like who 72 00:04:10,270 --> 00:04:12,150 am I, you know. Yeah. 73 00:04:12,190 --> 00:04:14,030 There's a lot. Yeah. 74 00:04:15,670 --> 00:04:17,750 No, I was saying that there's a lot that you're it's harder to 75 00:04:17,750 --> 00:04:19,190 like just implement to one thing. 76 00:04:19,190 --> 00:04:21,149 You know, just to share a bit of a little bit about yourself 77 00:04:21,149 --> 00:04:23,630 because it's so many things going on that you know you want 78 00:04:23,630 --> 00:04:27,700 to say everything, but it's hard at the same time to put it into 79 00:04:27,780 --> 00:04:29,940 one perspective, you know? Yeah. 80 00:04:29,940 --> 00:04:32,380 But I guess, you know, just, I guess, you know, to give, you 81 00:04:32,380 --> 00:04:34,980 know, people a little more of like background, you know, 82 00:04:34,980 --> 00:04:37,020 because I know sometimes we need a little bit more like, you 83 00:04:37,060 --> 00:04:41,140 know, structure And I guess, you know, just again, you know, I'm 84 00:04:41,140 --> 00:04:42,340 a father. I'm an educator. 85 00:04:42,340 --> 00:04:49,260 I'm an artist, you know, a community organizer and you 86 00:04:49,260 --> 00:04:53,980 know, just, yeah, just a person that loves to challenge things 87 00:04:54,020 --> 00:04:56,720 and and and also. I guess joy, you know, someone 88 00:04:56,720 --> 00:04:59,600 that loves to create and experience joy, you know. 89 00:04:59,960 --> 00:05:03,320 So that's what's up. That's what I respect that and I 90 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,000 thank you for your kind words in the beginning. 91 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:08,480 I think you seeing you and where you're at right now is the 92 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,280 making me like it gives me motivation to where I want to be 93 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:13,480 because I, you know, eventually want to be an educator too. 94 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,000 And you talking about the stories that you have with your 95 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:17,920 students and, you know, situations that you face with 96 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,720 them really makes me want to continue my, my educational 97 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,220 going and, you know, move towards that movement of joining 98 00:05:25,260 --> 00:05:28,300 the, you know, the educated, like, you know, class and stuff 99 00:05:28,300 --> 00:05:30,500 like that. But yeah, that's very 100 00:05:30,500 --> 00:05:32,060 interesting of you. And thank you for sharing that 101 00:05:33,020 --> 00:05:35,460 podcast. I'd like to do what I call like 102 00:05:35,500 --> 00:05:38,980 the Rose and the Thorn segment. And

it's pretty much like pretty 103 00:05:38,980 --> 00:05:41,060 much just figuring out where you're at at the moment. 104 00:05:41,420 --> 00:05:43,780 Maybe, you know, you never really know what people are 105 00:05:43,780 --> 00:05:45,060 going through. They could be going through a 106 00:05:45,060 --> 00:05:47,020 hardship. They could be going through the 107 00:05:47,020 --> 00:05:49,900 greatest moment of their life, You know, just feel free to 108 00:05:49,900 --> 00:05:54,770 share what you want. A rose is pretty much something 109 00:05:54,770 --> 00:05:57,010 good, something positive that's happened in your life lately. 110 00:05:57,330 --> 00:06:00,170 And a thorn is just, you know, maybe you might be going through 111 00:06:00,170 --> 00:06:03,170 it, maybe you know there's a downfall in your household or 112 00:06:03,170 --> 00:06:05,410 something. Just, you know, if you want to 113 00:06:05,410 --> 00:06:07,810 share a little bit about what your rose and a thorn is and 114 00:06:07,810 --> 00:06:09,690 then I can go ahead and share mine and. 115 00:06:12,690 --> 00:06:15,450 Man, you know, a rose. There's so many, you know, I 116 00:06:15,450 --> 00:06:17,290 think. I think, honestly, I feel like. 117 00:06:17,850 --> 00:06:19,610 This episode could be the whole episode. 118 00:06:19,610 --> 00:06:20,930 Could be about my roses, you know? 119 00:06:21,650 --> 00:06:23,610 Because I've been. I'm just being blessed, man. 120 00:06:23,610 --> 00:06:25,370 You know, I'm just being so fucking blessed. 121 00:06:25,370 --> 00:06:26,330 Sorry man, my bad. I just. 122 00:06:26,370 --> 00:06:28,010 I just said no. You're good. 123 00:06:28,490 --> 00:06:32,170 It's the no for the roses I guess you know it's the I guess 124 00:06:32,210 --> 00:06:35,690 I can start with feeling more grounded, you know and the last 125 00:06:35,690 --> 00:06:40,930 couple years has been, has been rough in many ways you know, but 126 00:06:40,930 --> 00:06:44,290 mainly mentally and emotionally which you know. 127 00:06:46,230 --> 00:06:49,990 I just feel more grounded. I feel more you know I feel like 128 00:06:52,470 --> 00:06:57,710 I feel what it is the that I belong, you know I feel like 129 00:06:57,710 --> 00:07:00,350 that I belong and and you know I I. 130 00:07:01,350 --> 00:07:03,230 That's such a beautiful feeling. Feeling like a sense of 131 00:07:03,230 --> 00:07:06,710 belonging is so beautiful. You know and and even though you 132 00:07:06,710 --> 00:07:08,070 know like I said even though I'm 36. 133 00:07:08,070 --> 00:07:09,990 There's time that I still, you know, feel like that, but. 134 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,280 I feel, you know, belonging. I feel sense of community. 135 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,360 So I guess my roses are, you know, feeling of belonging, 136 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:20,400 community. I'm, you know, I work at a 137 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:21,720 school. So right

now I have a summer 138 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:24,440 break and and this is my first summer break that I actually 139 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:27,880 take off from, you know, and it's been beautiful to just take 140 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:32,240 time off for myself, right. So it's being, you know, another 141 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:36,440 rose just to actually have the privilege and the access to take 142 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,200 time off, right. So that's a huge rose. 143 00:07:40,830 --> 00:07:44,390 This has give you a chance to like be with my, be with my 144 00:07:44,390 --> 00:07:48,710 daughters more, you know, be with my friends, explore things, 145 00:07:48,710 --> 00:07:52,910 try new things. So you know that. 146 00:07:52,910 --> 00:07:57,910 And also I think another big I guess, yeah, another big gross 147 00:07:57,910 --> 00:08:00,750 is like my mental health. You know, I feel like definitely 148 00:08:01,270 --> 00:08:04,150 I feel like you know this be able to have time off. 149 00:08:04,150 --> 00:08:08,370 My mental health has improved. Yeah, I said it's, you know, I 150 00:08:08,370 --> 00:08:11,730 said I'm going to work and I'm going journeying federal. 151 00:08:11,770 --> 00:08:15,810 They feel like has been a huge rose that allows me, you know, 152 00:08:15,810 --> 00:08:16,970 to be pressing. Right. 153 00:08:16,970 --> 00:08:19,810 So allows me to be pressing with my body, with myself, with with 154 00:08:19,810 --> 00:08:25,650 the people around me and, you know, definitely enjoy life and 155 00:08:26,130 --> 00:08:27,810 enjoy the beautiful things about life, you know. 156 00:08:27,810 --> 00:08:34,210 And so that is getting my assisted, I think, yeah, I mean, 157 00:08:34,450 --> 00:08:35,610 again, I could. I got so many. 158 00:08:36,830 --> 00:08:39,470 You know, meeting people like you, honestly, Rose, right now, 159 00:08:39,470 --> 00:08:42,669 it's just like I've been connecting with beautiful, 160 00:08:42,950 --> 00:08:45,430 beautiful human beings, man, beautiful people in the 161 00:08:45,430 --> 00:08:49,790 community. And we've been sharing stories, 162 00:08:49,790 --> 00:08:52,510 we've been sharing like our thing, we've been sharing this, 163 00:08:52,510 --> 00:08:55,430 the music, we've been sharing this, the space together, you 164 00:08:55,430 --> 00:08:59,030 know, food. And it's just being such a rose, 165 00:08:59,030 --> 00:09:03,350 such a blessing to have so much care and so much beautiful, like 166 00:09:03,350 --> 00:09:07,790 people around me, you know, I feel that now that's really 167 00:09:07,790 --> 00:09:11,110 interesting. I think for me, like a rose, a 168 00:09:11,110 --> 00:09:13,710 rose would probably just be like, you know, I'm here and, 169 00:09:13,710 --> 00:09:16,510 you know, just another day. I can't really complain about 170 00:09:16,510 --> 00:09:19,950 anything because I feel like I have everything that I need to 171 00:09:19,950 --> 00:09:21,710 just move forward throughout the whole day, you know? 172 00:09:21,710 --> 00:09:25,350 Like, I could complain about things, but that's just me being 173 00:09:25,350 --> 00:09:29,590 like guilty or like greedy and stuff, you know, But definitely 174 00:09:29,590 --> 00:09:32,850 in a better spot than you know. In the past few years it's been 175 00:09:32,850 --> 00:09:35,650 a struggle with like, you know, just being able to work and 176 00:09:35,730 --> 00:09:39,570 being able to go to school, staying focused, staying. 177 00:09:39,570 --> 00:09:43,450 Like, you know, just keeping my mind on a certain, you know, 178 00:09:43,450 --> 00:09:45,690 mindset that, you know, I have to finish school and I have to 179 00:09:45,690 --> 00:09:48,170 keep pushing through. Even though, like I've met, 180 00:09:48,170 --> 00:09:50,170 like, you know, a lot of my friends who have already 181 00:09:50,170 --> 00:09:52,530 graduated the university, like they still haven't found their 182 00:09:52,530 --> 00:09:55,650 dream job or, you know, their occupation or their career they 183 00:09:55,650 --> 00:09:58,010 want to focus on. So it's kind of, you know, it 184 00:09:58,010 --> 00:10:01,810 kind of leaves me thinking at the same time, but it'll, I feel 185 00:10:01,810 --> 00:10:04,610 like I want to be the one to open new opportunities for not 186 00:10:04,610 --> 00:10:06,610 just myself but for other people as well, you know. 187 00:10:07,170 --> 00:10:12,570 So for me to be able to get a bachelors in history, like I 188 00:10:12,570 --> 00:10:14,410 want to be able to open that door, to be able to teach the 189 00:10:14,410 --> 00:10:16,490 youngins, you know, to be able to teach the youth and work with 190 00:10:16,490 --> 00:10:19,210 the youth. Simply because when I was in 191 00:10:19,210 --> 00:10:22,410 high school, when I was going through my educational process, 192 00:10:22,450 --> 00:10:27,850 I didn't have that opportunity to expand my mind on who my 193 00:10:27,850 --> 00:10:32,510 ancestors were or like where did I come from, stuff like that, 194 00:10:32,510 --> 00:10:36,150 that I really wish that I could have had that individual to, you 195 00:10:36,150 --> 00:10:38,870 know, maybe guide me towards that, you know, and that 196 00:10:38,870 --> 00:10:44,990 knowledge, that perspective. But you know, it's just it's an 197 00:10:44,990 --> 00:10:47,630 everyday battle in a way, because I feel like the movement 198 00:10:47,630 --> 00:10:51,310 has really died down and it's not even like people don't even 199 00:10:51,310 --> 00:10:53,470 consider it like a movement. It's more like a fashion now. 200 00:10:53,470 --> 00:10:56,870 It's more like a style like it's just really watered down. 201 00:10:57,510 --> 00:11:02,490 You know, I I, I tell this before like in my last, you 202 00:11:02,490 --> 00:11:06,930 know, experiences with college like I really

haven't found 203 00:11:06,930 --> 00:11:08,650 people that are down for the movement like that. 204 00:11:10,050 --> 00:11:12,170 It's just really watered down, like people just want to get 205 00:11:12,170 --> 00:11:14,610 through classes and get get their degree pretty much, you 206 00:11:14,610 --> 00:11:19,370 know, I just, I don't know. Sometimes it's kind of draining 207 00:11:19,370 --> 00:11:22,330 that you feel like you really want to do something but there's 208 00:11:22,330 --> 00:11:26,530 no like support. So it kind of sucks having to 209 00:11:26,530 --> 00:11:30,000 walk the line by yourself, but that's my rose. 210 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:33,680 I guess my thorn for me would be, you know, just mental 211 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:35,560 health. Like it's just been all over the 212 00:11:35,560 --> 00:11:38,080 place. I, you know, try to take a break 213 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,520 from things and I just, I don't know. 214 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,960 I feel like I need to find something new to keep myself 215 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:47,080 entertained or you know keep myself like motivated. 216 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,840 You know, I I do see my family every now and then Fiddle was, I 217 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,960 don't know some things. I just, I think it's just better 218 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:58,440 like I got to take a break for myself and I have days off. 219 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,530 Like I usually go visit my family and you know, not that I 220 00:12:01,530 --> 00:12:03,770 have anything against them, but I just have to have like I feel 221 00:12:03,770 --> 00:12:07,370 like I need a day to myself, you know, like today I have the day 222 00:12:07,370 --> 00:12:08,450 off. I've been working 8 days 223 00:12:08,450 --> 00:12:11,570 straight like fuck. So like today I had the day off 224 00:12:11,610 --> 00:12:13,850 and you know, I look forward to this interview. 225 00:12:13,850 --> 00:12:16,250 I look forward to talking to you, to speaking with you 226 00:12:16,250 --> 00:12:18,970 because like you know there's a lot of things that we can relate 227 00:12:18,970 --> 00:12:21,650 to and we can, you know experience on behalf of each 228 00:12:21,650 --> 00:12:24,370 other better. But yeah, that's pretty much it 229 00:12:24,370 --> 00:12:27,210 for me. Other than that, I I'm, I'm in a 230 00:12:27,210 --> 00:12:29,970 pretty good spot right now. I'm really looking forward to 231 00:12:29,970 --> 00:12:33,610 next semester and you know the classes I'll be taking and I'm 232 00:12:33,610 --> 00:12:36,330 just you know pushing forward and you know keep going. 233 00:12:36,330 --> 00:12:37,010 No idea. Otra. 234 00:12:37,250 --> 00:12:44,570 Just gotta keep moving forward. Yeah, exactly. 235 00:12:46,010 --> 00:12:48,930 Yeah, I. Guess my thorn for me. 236 00:12:48,930 --> 00:12:53,130 You know, you know, I I wanna say you know this for me has 237 00:12:53,130

--> 00:12:57,170 been you know, my dad. You know Rita, he's, he's going 238 00:12:57,170 --> 00:13:00,620 through some. Health issues, you know, and 239 00:13:00,620 --> 00:13:03,740 that's being, that's being a big eye opener for me. 240 00:13:03,740 --> 00:13:06,500 And you know we haven't always had the best relationship, you 241 00:13:08,260 --> 00:13:10,500 know, but definitely the last couple years, you know, has just 242 00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:12,740 been improving and we're definitely closer and better, 243 00:13:12,740 --> 00:13:14,500 you know, better healthy relationship. 244 00:13:15,220 --> 00:13:18,500 You know, there's here and there hiccups and here and there ain't 245 00:13:18,500 --> 00:13:19,660 no pedal. Yeah, I get that. 246 00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:23,380 Overall, you know, we were doing much better, but he's, he's 247 00:13:23,380 --> 00:13:28,540 Health Rita and that's you know. It's a little bit you know a 248 00:13:28,540 --> 00:13:31,460 little bit of stress and also just an eye opener that man you 249 00:13:31,460 --> 00:13:36,140 know he's he's getting older you know and and and you know so I 250 00:13:36,140 --> 00:13:39,900 it hurts me seeing him you know the way because he for the most 251 00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:43,140 part you know he's a happy person you know he's always 252 00:13:43,140 --> 00:13:48,260 doing things and said it's only a quick time you know. 253 00:13:48,420 --> 00:13:50,980 So that's that's been a bit of a a thorn, I guess, you know, just 254 00:13:51,060 --> 00:13:53,970 thinking about him. Because health and also actually 255 00:13:53,970 --> 00:13:56,570 a couple of friends, I mean they're mostly, you know older 256 00:13:56,570 --> 00:14:00,610 like older men you know brown men he, you know who like 257 00:14:00,610 --> 00:14:03,410 they're older and you know seeing them struggle with their 258 00:14:03,410 --> 00:14:07,170 health just brings me pain, you know, brings me some pain 259 00:14:07,170 --> 00:14:10,690 because I'm like it has you know and again you know we can I 260 00:14:11,370 --> 00:14:12,530 don't have, we don't have everybody right now. 261 00:14:12,530 --> 00:14:13,770 Right now, we don't have to deal with you. 262 00:14:13,930 --> 00:14:16,730 Know the fact that they they have to survive, you know, they 263 00:14:16,730 --> 00:14:20,210 they they have to work 2-3 jobs or they have like you know, 264 00:14:20,250 --> 00:14:22,010 taking up such a beating, you know. 265 00:14:22,390 --> 00:14:25,950 So we so I, so their families will have a better, you know, 266 00:14:26,830 --> 00:14:29,350 access to benefits or whatever. You know, in this case, like for 267 00:14:29,350 --> 00:14:31,390 me, you know, be able to have, you know, summer break and get 268 00:14:31,390 --> 00:14:32,790 me half. And it breaks my heart, you 269 00:14:32,790 --> 00:14:35,630 know, because I'm like, damn, like he deserves a time off, you 270 00:14:35,630 --> 00:14:38,070 know, he deserves his things and he deserves access to health. 271 00:14:39,150 --> 00:14:43,990 So that's been a thorn, you know, also, like everything you 272 00:14:44,070 --> 00:14:47,390 know, not not just in Portland, right, but all over the all over 273 00:14:47,390 --> 00:14:49,040 the country, like. You know we're dealing with the 274 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:53,440 housing crisis and it's just also there's my heart you know 275 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:57,160 driving around like you know I'm I'm doing things and and seeing 276 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:01,080 how you know the we're having a housing crisis here in Portland 277 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:03,760 and and just it hurts to see you know. 278 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:08,040 Families and people and, you know, having access to a safe 279 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,640 space to be at night or through the day, you know, and yeah, 280 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:12,000 it's really fucked up. Yeah. 281 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:14,880 So that's being you know that's I go out about and I try to help 282 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:17,080 you know I try to do my part better place you know that's 283 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,910 been a thorn and and you know. I guess it's been a thorn and 284 00:15:21,910 --> 00:15:24,670 also like a rose, you know, a family member. 285 00:15:24,670 --> 00:15:27,870 Hopefully, you know next month he'll be out of prison after 286 00:15:27,870 --> 00:15:32,510 doing 25 years hopefully. So you know that was soon a 287 00:15:32,510 --> 00:15:36,070 rose, you know, for Thorn, you know, yeah, we're we're hoping 288 00:15:36,070 --> 00:15:38,430 that everything goes well and we'll get to see him you know, 289 00:15:38,550 --> 00:15:41,630 again in person and that'll be, that'll be so much healing for 290 00:15:41,630 --> 00:15:45,150 our family and for him, Tommy. You know, and I guess my last 291 00:15:45,150 --> 00:15:48,110 thing and my last thing in terms of thorns is the stick was. 292 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:50,440 You know we we you and I have talked about this. 293 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:52,280 You know I mean thing with DACA right. 294 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:55,120 I'm a DACA recipient you know which is the first action for 295 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,160 childcare arrivals. And I'm assuming you know most 296 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:01,440 people that have this in your pockets are aware you know just 297 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,320 especially Vasica Mente is just a work permit you know and and 298 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:09,040 and I mean I can I can travel right now but I apply for 299 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:13,040 advance parole and I don't want to guess just being like you 300 00:16:13,040 --> 00:16:16,200 know I I'm I'm making the most out of this summer right like. 301 00:16:16,730 --> 00:16:19,970 Summer break and and I have some projects and ideas and thorn in 302 00:16:20,010 -->

00:16:23,290 is not be able to like you know just travel outside the US 303 00:16:23,490 --> 00:16:26,610 without having to go through this process and fees it all on 304 00:16:26,650 --> 00:16:28,130 you know. So yeah, that's. 305 00:16:28,330 --> 00:16:30,850 Been thorn You know better place again. 306 00:16:30,890 --> 00:16:33,130 You know little by little It was in this place. 307 00:16:33,130 --> 00:16:39,290 I know. You know, yeah. 308 00:16:39,690 --> 00:16:41,730 I really hope so too cuz I feel you on that one. 309 00:16:42,370 --> 00:16:45,090 But yeah, I I. You brought a lot of topics to, 310 00:16:45,090 --> 00:16:47,870 you know, maybe we can talk later in the episode. 311 00:16:47,870 --> 00:16:50,150 I really want to talk about like the housing crisis and, you 312 00:16:50,150 --> 00:16:51,910 know, our parents and, you know, stuff like that. 313 00:16:53,110 --> 00:16:56,630 But just to kind of kick off the episode, like tell us a little 314 00:16:56,630 --> 00:16:58,750 more more about yourself. How long have you been an 315 00:16:58,750 --> 00:17:02,470 educator? You know what is your your most 316 00:17:02,470 --> 00:17:03,950 valuable experience as an educator? 317 00:17:04,630 --> 00:17:06,390 What what have you just been up to lately? 318 00:17:06,390 --> 00:17:07,670 You know, like what's up? Yeah. 319 00:17:08,230 --> 00:17:10,550 Yeah, definitely goes, you know, I guess, um, I guess I'll start 320 00:17:10,550 --> 00:17:13,910 with the, you know, where, you know, where where I'm from from, 321 00:17:13,910 --> 00:17:15,670 you know, it's like, yeah, people ask me. 322 00:17:15,829 --> 00:17:17,670 Like, hey, where you from? Like, you know, like what do you 323 00:17:17,750 --> 00:17:19,670 mean where you're going from like you know and you know 324 00:17:19,670 --> 00:17:21,750 growing up especially, you know, I mean, you know, man, growing 325 00:17:21,750 --> 00:17:24,390 up concerned areas when people ask like, hey, where you from is 326 00:17:24,390 --> 00:17:29,110 like, yeah, exactly. You know, so that's a dangerous 327 00:17:29,150 --> 00:17:32,030 question you ask me like. You want to like, you know, you 328 00:17:32,070 --> 00:17:33,670 know quote, UN quote, professional space and then 329 00:17:33,670 --> 00:17:35,040 like. Hey, so where you from? 330 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,560 And I'm like my head. I'm like, when I was a kid, man. 00:17:40,200 And up, you know, they're like, 332 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:41,360 hey, where's good you from? You know? 333 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:43,840 Yeah, but. Obviously, you know, I guess, 334 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:49,680 you know, I was born in Mexico and it's Taliban Mexico and I 335 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:54,720 see that because I'm this summer Koyuk, I was born there the 336 00:17:54,720 --> 00:18:01,240 first time we migrated to the USI was like 5 ish around there. 00:18:03,180 If you move from California, 338 00:18:03,260 --> 00:18:06,460 right, so we we we you know we moved, we went to California and 339 00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:11,020 the Bay Area, you know we we we moved around a lot. 340 00:18:11,020 --> 00:18:14,540 I mean we were like East Baroardo in Newark, Hayward, 341 00:18:15,100 --> 00:18:21,260 Redwood City and then in the what mid 90s, mid 90s, I think 342 00:18:22,500 --> 00:18:24,420 early 90s, mid 90s, that's when you know they they were trying 343 00:18:24,420 --> 00:18:27,460 to pass the ball this like all this like fucked up laws in 344 00:18:27,460 --> 00:18:29,420 Cali, right, like taking away driving license. 345 00:18:30,290 --> 00:18:34,170 Think there's only a schools to London, the A/B 18187 and 5:40 346 00:18:34,170 --> 00:18:36,810 and all that. Like the A/B ones 87 and 5:40 347 00:18:36,810 --> 00:18:37,650 and all that stuff. Yeah. 348 00:18:37,770 --> 00:18:41,010 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So my dad was like and you know, 349 00:18:41,010 --> 00:18:42,890 both of my, you know, this whole time and I've been with both of 350 00:18:42,890 --> 00:18:46,130 my parents and, you know, they were, they were both working 351 00:18:46,130 --> 00:18:50,210 and, you know, working full time jobs or London. 352 00:18:51,010 --> 00:18:53,010 And my dad just couldn't see, like, you know, we were getting 353 00:18:53,090 --> 00:18:54,490 any. I mean, for him, he was like, 354 00:18:54,490 --> 00:18:56,450 hey, we're not, no, no, no. You know, we're not doing 355 00:18:56,450 --> 00:18:58,860 nothing here like. Stuck in this pattern with stuck 356 00:18:58,860 --> 00:19:01,340 in this thing is like, you know, if we're gonna be, if we're 357 00:19:01,340 --> 00:19:03,980 gonna be, you know, that's the same, you know, if I'm gonna be 358 00:19:03,980 --> 00:19:07,020 poker, I'd rather be poker in my, my country, you know, 359 00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:08,820 because at least I'm, I'm at home, you know. 360 00:19:08,900 --> 00:19:12,100 And it's like, you know he saved us some money he bought, he 361 00:19:12,260 --> 00:19:18,820 actually bought a Bronco, like a 908790 Bronco, you know like 362 00:19:18,820 --> 00:19:22,580 almost by Mexico. And we went guys, Mexico and I 363 00:19:22,580 --> 00:19:25,050 got there. And then what you got Mexico 364 00:19:25,170 --> 00:19:27,530 was, you know, it was also a culture shock for me because you 365 00:19:27,530 --> 00:19:31,210 know I'm like it was, it was like this the kitchen is way it 366 00:19:31,210 --> 00:19:34,450 was way advanced for me, you know, but of course and it's 367 00:19:34,450 --> 00:19:39,530 almost Donna's and you know we were in Mexico for a few years 368 00:19:39,530 --> 00:19:44,050 come in, you know and things got really rough in Mexico, really 369 00:19:44,090 --> 00:19:47,530 rough, you know, but actually it was the name of I'm on the 370 00:19:47,530 --> 00:19:49,930 regresso and but this time we came to Oregon. 371

00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,960 And this time around we can do Oregon because Una, you know, I 372 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:57,960 actually, you know, I asked some people ask me like why Oregon, 373 00:19:57,960 --> 00:19:59,800 You know, and I'm like that's a good question, you know. 374 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:02,720 And I'm like as I, as I got older and thought about it is 375 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:04,240 like I'm actually asked myself questions. 376 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,320 I'm like, you know, I have 50 states, you know, all the all 377 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,240 the states in the US like you know why Oregon, like it rains a 378 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,400 lot, right. It's cool then, you know? 379 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:17,580 And I was like, oh, makes sense. Going back in the back in that 380 00:20:17,580 --> 00:20:21,580 time, you know the Oregon, Washington and New Mexico were 381 00:20:21,580 --> 00:20:24,020 the only only state that were given driver license for 382 00:20:24,020 --> 00:20:26,500 unducing people. Oh, damn, I know that. 383 00:20:27,100 --> 00:20:30,940 So that was, that was a huge reason why we came to Oregon, 384 00:20:31,660 --> 00:20:35,060 right? Because, you know, we had 385 00:20:35,140 --> 00:20:37,060 driver's license to work and many things, right? 386 00:20:37,140 --> 00:20:39,460 So it was like, hey, let's go to Oregon. 387 00:20:42,170 --> 00:20:44,930 And you know, we had a family member over here and she was 388 00:20:44,930 --> 00:20:47,570 like, you know, she was And also my uncle was like, hey, I take 389 00:20:47,570 --> 00:20:51,330 Holly, it's like in my, my, my, my family has merely worked in 390 00:20:51,330 --> 00:20:57,970 like delivery driver positions and was like and I've been here 391 00:20:57,970 --> 00:21:03,330 for 25 years now, 25 years now. I can't afford with them. 392 00:21:04,690 --> 00:21:07,950 And so yeah. So when you look for that guy, 393 00:21:07,950 --> 00:21:11,590 you know things, you know, they were they were good and they, 394 00:21:11,590 --> 00:21:12,790 you know, they were saying, you know, like anything. 395 00:21:12,790 --> 00:21:15,870 You know, there's some really some good looks that happen, 396 00:21:15,870 --> 00:21:18,790 some not so good And then you know things got pretty intense. 397 00:21:18,950 --> 00:21:22,230 So but I've been, you know, I grew up mostly most of my life 398 00:21:22,230 --> 00:21:26,270 on documents. And so like, I want to say five 399 00:21:26,270 --> 00:21:28,830 years ago when I decided to fight for advance or not for, 400 00:21:29,150 --> 00:21:33,350 for DACA, it was the, you know, go back to your question about, 401 00:21:33,430 --> 00:21:38,600 you know, my educator. Like, I guess it's the journey 402 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:43,160 has been, you know, So for some reason, you know, I I thought 403 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:44,800 about when you, you know, send me the question. 404 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:46,280 I thought about it. You know, I'm gonna ask you this 405 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:48,840 question, you know, and I thought about it like, you know, 406 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:50,640 there's like there's so many ways I can go about this. 407 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:53,040 But for me, I think, you know, one of the things for me since I 408 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:57,000 was a kid, man, since I was a kid, I always love, you know, 409 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:58,760 working with people and helping people out. 410 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,160 Like, that's just a thing that I was like, it's a meeting, you 411 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:05,350 know, I just love, you know, and all, you know, and all different 412 00:22:05,350 --> 00:22:10,430 aspects, all different ways. But I think that the moment, the 413 00:22:10,430 --> 00:22:16,750 moment when I realized that I wanted to be an educator was my 414 00:22:16,750 --> 00:22:20,110 junior senior year in high school, the high school that I 415 00:22:20,110 --> 00:22:26,990 went to, that it was like almost 90%, like diverse. 416 00:22:27,150 --> 00:22:30,460 You know, it was like 10% were white students. 417 00:22:30,460 --> 00:22:32,580 The majority were like, you know, black, brown, you know, 418 00:22:33,140 --> 00:22:35,460 different nationalities, different backgrounds. 419 00:22:35,460 --> 00:22:37,100 Like it was just such a diverse school. 420 00:22:38,020 --> 00:22:40,700 But one of the things, though, is that a lot of us were 421 00:22:40,700 --> 00:22:44,140 undocumented, You know, a lot of were just undocumented in the 422 00:22:44,140 --> 00:22:46,460 high school. And we knew that, you know, I 423 00:22:46,460 --> 00:22:47,900 knew that. I knew the whole time was 424 00:22:47,900 --> 00:22:49,660 undocumented. And we knew that, you know, 425 00:22:52,860 --> 00:22:55,020 there was not, you know, and also, like, this was back in 426 00:22:55,020 --> 00:23:00,120 like early early 2000, you know, where nobody talked about being 427 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:02,200 a document like, in terms of like schools, Right. 428 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:03,920 Educators didn't really talk about it. 429 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:06,480 The system didn't really talk about it. 430 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,000 Right. So, you know, many of us, you 431 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:13,040 know, many of us like, you know, didn't get the right support. 432 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:16,960 And I saw that. I like, I, I, I, you know, as I 433 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:19,440 was a kid, I like to observe, you know? 434 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:24,080 Yeah. And I noticed, you know, some, I 435 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:25,400 noticed there was something going on. 436 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:27,680 I didn't, I didn't know what it was, right. 437 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:28,840 I mean, I knew what it was, but I didn't know. 438 00:23:28,880 --> 00:23:30,600 I

didn't know how to put a name through it, right. 439 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:33,640 You know, they've been doing anything. 440 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,080 You know, I I realized like, man, you know, like something 441 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,600 sparking me, something sparking me, that it's like, you know, 442 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:45,760 the schools are huge, like part of our communities, right? 443 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,440 The schools have like they're they're like a big Community 444 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,240 Center for us, right? Or or a space we can come and 445 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:55,980 hang out because we know each other like you know, where we 446 00:23:56,140 --> 00:23:58,500 bring our problems and hopefully you know there's an adult that 447 00:23:58,500 --> 00:24:00,860 can help us. But you know and also for our 448 00:24:00,860 --> 00:24:02,660 parents at least, you know, in my, in my experience, be 449 00:24:02,660 --> 00:24:04,740 careful. It's like saw the school as that 450 00:24:04,740 --> 00:24:06,940 place there. You know, yeah, I'm raising you 451 00:24:06,980 --> 00:24:08,900 here at the house, but the other place, the other place there 452 00:24:08,900 --> 00:24:10,380 raising you is at the school, right? 453 00:24:10,500 --> 00:24:13,260 Yeah. So for me it was like, man, you 454 00:24:13,260 --> 00:24:16,380 know, I want to help. I want, I want, I want to be 455 00:24:16,380 --> 00:24:20,180 able to help other undocumented students to have different 456 00:24:20,180 --> 00:24:23,750 experience and really help them out to, you know reach the next 457 00:24:23,870 --> 00:24:28,510 whatever, whatever, right. So that and and, and and also 458 00:24:29,470 --> 00:24:33,550 when I had a teacher back in Mexico and so that inspired me. 459 00:24:33,550 --> 00:24:36,430 But also that master from Mexico, he was, he was, he was 460 00:24:36,430 --> 00:24:38,590 from Oaxaca, right. So he was like my first, like, 461 00:24:39,150 --> 00:24:42,790 you know, indigenous like I can't remember his name. 462 00:24:42,790 --> 00:24:46,350 I wish I did because he did it. He had a big impact in my life 463 00:24:47,590 --> 00:24:52,060 and he was like an educator who like really pushed us to like, 464 00:24:52,060 --> 00:24:56,420 you know, grow, you know, mentally and emotionally but 465 00:24:56,420 --> 00:24:59,180 also become critical thinkers. Right. 466 00:25:00,620 --> 00:25:03,620 And yesterday my husband post they OK really inspire me. 467 00:25:03,660 --> 00:25:06,220 So when I graduate high school with that I remember that 468 00:25:06,220 --> 00:25:09,740 teacher and I seen seeing you know the environment that was I 469 00:25:09,740 --> 00:25:12,540 was I was growing up and I'm like I want to do something 470 00:25:12,540 --> 00:25:13,980 about this. You know I want to do something 471 00:25:13,980 --> 00:25:15,220 for myself. Right. 472 00:25:15,220 --> 00:25:18,380 Because I mean it was I needed you know it was something that 473 00:25:18,700 --> 00:25:23,460 it was I was passionate about for myself and also for you know 474 00:25:24,300 --> 00:25:29,740 the the the young people you know unfortunately you know back 475 00:25:29,740 --> 00:25:33,540 then we can really be open about being undocumented and and and 476 00:25:33,540 --> 00:25:34,820 the research were limited. No. 477 00:25:34,820 --> 00:25:37,780 Yeah. So I went to, you know, I went 478 00:25:37,780 --> 00:25:41,260 to college a lot on that. And there was a program and, you 479 00:25:41,260 --> 00:25:44,500 know, they actually recruited. You know, their their focus was 480 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:48,430 to recruit, you know, Bipod, you know, future educators. 481 00:25:48,430 --> 00:25:51,470 You know, in fact, I want to spell it on the, you know, what 482 00:25:51,470 --> 00:25:54,870 I told about my status because you know, that, you know, they 483 00:25:54,870 --> 00:25:56,710 were like, yeah, we can't help you with that because, you know, 484 00:25:56,750 --> 00:26:00,670 it comes so, you know that that that that hurt, you know, that 485 00:26:00,670 --> 00:26:02,830 hurt because I was paying out, you know, paying out of pocket. 486 00:26:02,830 --> 00:26:04,350 I didn't, you know, I had no scholarships. 487 00:26:04,550 --> 00:26:07,470 I was working full time. So you know I was like 488 00:26:07,550 --> 00:26:09,510 encouraged. You know I was like I want to do 489 00:26:09,510 --> 00:26:12,830 this I'm, I'mma do it, you know in support of my family. 490 00:26:12,950 --> 00:26:17,040 You know was that really broke my heart. 491 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,840 So I took the time off from from you know school and work. 492 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:23,480 I mean I just worked start making money and but about the 493 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,000 input, both the inputs that was why, you know that was like that 494 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:27,520 that that was the I likes Benita. 495 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:33,800 It's like you know that that was that need and want to like do 496 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,960 certain things in life, right. So, you know, with the support 497 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,880 of my family and friends and community, I did a, you know, I 498 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,480 I did a lot of organizing And then and and that was like part 499 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:47,720 of like a way for me to come back to like school, went to 500 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,560 school, to launda and then, you know, the one thing, let's do 501 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,560 another. And you know, after so many 502 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,840 years, you know, we finally got DACA. 503 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,920 And with DACA I was able to like apply at a school. 504 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:05,360 You know, most most of the time I have been working nonprofits 505 00:27:06,520 -->

00:27:10,150 just doing community work. You know, it was on DACA. 506 00:27:10,150 --> 00:27:11,870 I was able to apply for for advanced role. 507 00:27:13,070 --> 00:27:18,150 At that time I was dating someone who was also DACA and 508 00:27:18,670 --> 00:27:22,270 educator, right. She was like hey, check this 509 00:27:22,270 --> 00:27:23,430 out. Like there's an opportunity for 510 00:27:23,430 --> 00:27:25,270 you to like work at this. The juvie actually. 511 00:27:25,390 --> 00:27:31,030 And I, the juvie here in Portland and I apply and and and 512 00:27:31,030 --> 00:27:37,270 got hired, you know and and just through a a trans like a trans 513 00:27:37,270 --> 00:27:40,300 school people from there, you know one thing that's for 514 00:27:40,300 --> 00:27:40,980 another. And I've been. 515 00:27:41,300 --> 00:27:45,180 I've been with the district now for three, almost four years 516 00:27:45,180 --> 00:27:47,220 now. Yeah, that's that's what's up. 517 00:27:47,980 --> 00:27:49,660 Yeah, man. So, yeah, So it's being, you 518 00:27:49,660 --> 00:27:51,900 know, again, you know, this is kind of like the short version 519 00:27:51,900 --> 00:27:53,780 of it. You know, I'm thinking about 520 00:27:53,780 --> 00:27:55,820 time. But of course, I mean, you know, 521 00:27:55,820 --> 00:27:57,260 I know. I know they care for, you know, 522 00:27:57,500 --> 00:27:59,740 when we're listening, you know sometimes, you know it's hard to 523 00:27:59,740 --> 00:28:02,980 keep track. You know, you know this is the 524 00:28:03,020 --> 00:28:05,700 little you know like short version of like how you know end 525 00:28:05,700 --> 00:28:10,000 up in the classroom and and it's just been it's been amazing 526 00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:13,000 honest. It's been so amazing and and so 527 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:16,040 healing, you know, for me and our and and the students like 528 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:19,160 it's being such a like such a beautiful journey for all of us, 529 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,720 you know, and and I'm just being blessed to be able to just be in 530 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,600 a space where the majority of my students are you know, black and 531 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,320 brown. They're undocumented. 532 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:32,600 They're you know. So it's just it's been such a 533 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:36,520 beautiful experience and. Yeah. 534 00:28:37,380 --> 00:28:38,660 Dang. I think the hardest part about 535 00:28:38,660 --> 00:28:41,500 that has been the waiting game. Like, just waiting. 536 00:28:41,500 --> 00:28:43,740 Just waiting. You know, just because you know, 537 00:28:44,060 --> 00:28:47,660 nobody fucking thought about, like nobody had this coming 538 00:28:47,660 --> 00:28:49,580 about DACA. Like nobody fucking knew that. 539 00:28:49,620 --> 00:28:52,540 Like, you know, and like you said, you grew up knowing that 540 00:28:52,540 --> 00:28:55,460 you were undocumented. But like, I had a sense I I was 541 00:28:55,460 --> 00:28:56,980 in document two when I was, you know, younger. 542 00:28:56,980 --> 00:28:59,780 But when I was younger, I would just pay attention to, like all 543 00:28:59,780 --> 00:29:02,260 the stuff my parents would do. Like they wouldn't want to go 544 00:29:02,260 --> 00:29:04,300 out late at night. They wouldn't want to, you know. 00:29:07,120 Just be driving out late at 546 00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:09,720 night when there was like authorities out, We just go get 547 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:11,080 inside the house. Like, you know, there was stuff 548 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:13,560 like that that you just didn't really like take into 549 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,240 consideration, but it was out of fear, you know? 550 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:17,920 And I think my parents didn't tell us that. 551 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:19,720 Like, oh, we came from Mexico. We don't have papers. 552 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:21,320 You can't work. You don't have this. 553 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,440 You don't have the ability to, you know, get a job right after 554 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:26,200 high school, this and that because you don't, you weren't 555 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:27,400 born here. You don't have a Social 556 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:29,360 Security. So like, that's the way that I 557 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:32,760 found out, like when I was in in high school, like my friends 558 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:34,240 started getting jobs and stuff and. 559 00:29:34,950 --> 00:29:37,190 I remember, like, I always tell the story, like I applied at a 560 00:29:37,190 --> 00:29:39,510 local Safeway. It's like a grocery store over 561 00:29:39,510 --> 00:29:42,830 here. And I got the interview. 562 00:29:42,830 --> 00:29:46,270 I went to the interview and you know, I could have sworn I got 563 00:29:46,270 --> 00:29:47,750 the fucking job, dude. Like, I already. 564 00:29:47,750 --> 00:29:52,030 I saw myself working the very next day, like, you know, and 565 00:29:52,910 --> 00:29:55,190 there goes the question, there's like, do you have a Social 566 00:29:55,190 --> 00:29:57,070 Security number? And I was like, the fuck? 567 00:29:57,070 --> 00:29:59,110 I was like 1415. I was like, the fuck is that a 568 00:29:59,110 --> 00:30:01,070 Social Security number? Like I never heard of that, you 569 00:30:01,070 --> 00:30:03,110 know? And they're like, yeah, you 570 00:30:03,110 --> 00:30:05,550 know, just, you know, come back with your social and you know we 571 00:30:05,550 --> 00:30:07,630 can get it dialed into the computer system and, you know, 572 00:30:07,630 --> 00:30:09,110 you can you can start right away. 573 00:30:09,110 --> 00:30:12,630 And I was like, hell, yeah, like, you know, go home and ask 574 00:30:12,630 --> 00:30:14,310 my parents and you know, I asked my mom. 575 00:30:14,310 --> 00:30:16,950 I was like ma, like they're

asking me for the Social 576 00:30:16,950 --> 00:30:19,910 Security number and but and I I needed to be able to like start 577 00:30:19,910 --> 00:30:21,790 the the work, you know, the job and stuff. 578 00:30:22,430 --> 00:30:24,870 And there goes my mom like, you know you don't have a social you 579 00:30:24,870 --> 00:30:27,030 weren't born here. You you won't be able to work. 580 00:30:27,390 --> 00:30:29,230 You know. And that was like that was 581 00:30:29,230 --> 00:30:31,590 something hard to accept. But at the same time. 582 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:33,760 I was still kind of, like, coping with that because I 583 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:37,280 didn't know what that meant at the time, You know, until like 584 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,400 she explained everything to me and I was like, what the fuck? 585 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,800 Like, holy shit. Like this is something serious. 586 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:43,720 And she's like, yeah, we never tell you guys at a young age 587 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,920 because, you know, kids now like, and they like kids in in 588 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:48,520 school, you know, they'll speak about anything. 589 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,320 And so just out of fear, like, they want to keep that as a 590 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:53,920 secret, you know, like you said back then, you couldn't even 591 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:55,520 talk or tell people that you were undocumented. 592 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:57,080 Like that was putting a target on your back. 593 00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:01,280 You know, you had to be careful about that stuff and. 594 00:31:02,440 --> 00:31:05,640 I can tell you that most of my parent, like my teacher parent 595 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:07,840 meetings, I was the one translating for my parents. 596 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:10,520 They had no translators. I was the one over here. 597 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,320 Even if I was getting bad grades, I had to tell my parents 598 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:17,200 like, you know, she's saying this, she's saying that it was 599 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:21,280 kind of like a mix of emotions to to know you can grow up like 600 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,160 that later on in life. DACA comes out and gives you 601 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:25,800 this opportunity to be able to work. 602 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,480 And it's crazy because like I always tell my friends, up to, 603 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:34,080 up to like nowadays, you know? I'm like, why I'm working on a 604 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:37,320 work permit to be able to work and then they're like, what the 605 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:38,400 hell? Like that's so many. 606 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,680 That sounds so complicated. Like it sounds like you have to 607 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:43,040 do so much work to. I'm like, trust me, it is. 608 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,960 It is. And it's also fucking expensive. 00:31:48,840 Like, you know, it's, yeah, it's 610 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:52,520 annoying that, you know, a year, you know, and again, I don't 611 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:53,400 know if you know, I don't know how much. 612 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,080 Like, you know somebody listeners like know about DACA. 613 00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:59,360 But DACA is like, just it's literally just the work from it 614 00:32:00,170 --> 00:32:01,850 that allows to work and pay taxes. 615 00:32:02,050 --> 00:32:04,010 Yeah. You know you don't get no, like 616 00:32:04,570 --> 00:32:06,610 financial aid. You don't get I mean you know, 617 00:32:07,010 --> 00:32:08,930 unless your state has like financial from document 618 00:32:08,930 --> 00:32:10,890 students, right. Yeah, but or doctor students. 619 00:32:11,250 --> 00:32:13,690 But you cannot apply for any type of federal assistance, 620 00:32:13,690 --> 00:32:16,250 right. And you you know, you pay 621 00:32:16,650 --> 00:32:19,490 regular freaking taxes, but every two years get renewed 622 00:32:19,610 --> 00:32:21,370 everything you know. Everything expires. 623 00:32:21,490 --> 00:32:24,210 You know and actually you know it's done about expiring. 624 00:32:24,210 --> 00:32:26,650 Like my license already expired you know and that needs to go go 625 00:32:26,650 --> 00:32:29,890 get it renewed. But it's like you're gonna let 626 00:32:29,890 --> 00:32:32,130 your employer know like hey, here's my new work And again you 627 00:32:32,130 --> 00:32:34,370 know depends where you work. People understand that I'm yeah, 628 00:32:34,970 --> 00:32:37,370 depends where you work. Some, some employers as soon as 629 00:32:37,370 --> 00:32:40,090 you you, you work. When it expires, they're like, 630 00:32:40,090 --> 00:32:41,970 hey, we need it now or you gotta, gotta go. 631 00:32:42,050 --> 00:32:43,170 Exactly. Yep. 632 00:32:43,210 --> 00:32:48,490 And then sometimes, I mean you, I mean immigrant USCIS, you 633 00:32:48,490 --> 00:32:51,930 know, that's where, you know, when there's not, you know, but 634 00:32:51,930 --> 00:32:54,610 that's where, you know, part of the migrant, right. 635 00:32:54,930 --> 00:32:56,850 But sometimes they take forever, right. 636 00:32:56,850 --> 00:33:01,320 And with the whole pandemic, things got so backed up and it's 637 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,840 like, I can't imagine, like, I mean again, thankfully where I 638 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:08,120 work, that hasn't happened and I can advocate for myself, right. 639 00:33:08,120 --> 00:33:09,680 And I and and they need me there, right. 640 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:11,760 So I know they're not going to, you know, be like, hey, you 641 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:14,200 gotta go. You know, that's not, that's not 642 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:15,960 every situation. And like on top of that, you 643 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:19,640 know, it's like being with that stress or like, man, my work is 644 00:33:19,640 -->

00:33:22,400 going to expire. What if I get fired and then you 645 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,920 know, and then things can trickle down and you end up in. 646 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:27,330 Yeah. In that different situation that 647 00:33:27,370 --> 00:33:29,730 Dan pushes you to do other things and so on, right? 648 00:33:29,850 --> 00:33:34,090 Yeah, yeah, you know, it is so freaking annoying and better, 649 00:33:34,090 --> 00:33:36,170 you know. You stuff like that, like how 650 00:33:36,170 --> 00:33:38,450 you're saying you're gonna get you might get fired and stuff 651 00:33:38,450 --> 00:33:41,050 like that. Like it's fucking funny to think 652 00:33:41,050 --> 00:33:43,170 about like that should actually happened to me cuz I don't know 653 00:33:43,170 --> 00:33:45,490 if I told you my story with my DACA and stuff back then. 654 00:33:47,650 --> 00:33:51,810 But So what happened was I was on DACA and because of an 655 00:33:51,810 --> 00:33:54,850 incident that happened to me the summer before my freshman year 656 00:33:54,850 --> 00:33:58,080 of high school. I was able to apply for the Visa 657 00:33:58,080 --> 00:34:02,920 U and so fucking we went to this, you know, attorney person. 00:34:04,760 It's a place over here. 659 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:06,680 I'm not, I'm not even going to say the place because honestly, 660 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:08,560 they really fucked us over with the whole system. 661 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:13,600 But so I had my DACA, I was working at my local Home Depot 662 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:16,560 and so I was like, fuck it, like I'm done with this job. 663 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:19,120 So I went to apply for another shot, another job at a 664 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,600 dealership. And so I've been there since 665 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:25,340 2017. I started as a detailer and as 666 00:34:25,340 --> 00:34:29,620 of the moment right now, I appraise people's cars in case 667 00:34:29,620 --> 00:34:31,540 they wanna sell them to us. We give them an offer this and 668 00:34:31,540 --> 00:34:34,179 that. And so I had been working and 669 00:34:34,179 --> 00:34:38,300 stuff and as a detailer my DACA expires and so. 670 00:34:39,350 --> 00:34:43,110 They had told me you're in the process of receiving your visa, 671 00:34:43,110 --> 00:34:46,630 like Visa U permit and stuff like that, which is good for 672 00:34:46,630 --> 00:34:48,870 four years instead of two with the original DACA. 673 00:34:49,350 --> 00:34:52,190 And so at the moment my DACA is about to expire. 674 00:34:52,190 --> 00:34:55,030 And so I contact them and I'm like, hey, like should I renew 675 00:34:55,030 --> 00:34:58,630 my DACA or should I just wait for my Visa U permit And they're 676 00:34:58,630 --> 00:35:00,590 like, no, no, go ahead, go, go ahead and renew. 677 00:35:00,830 --> 00:35:04,830 So that's as you know, as we all know that's like $500 that you 678 00:35:04,830 --> 00:35:06,870 know you're paying for a two year permit. 679 00:35:07,620 --> 00:35:10,180 And so I go ahead, I pay, I make the payment out, I get the money 680 00:35:10,180 --> 00:35:15,300 order, I send it out and fucking like within three weeks it I get 681 00:35:15,300 --> 00:35:18,380 a notice in the in the mail. And it says due to the fact that 682 00:35:18,380 --> 00:35:23,140 you applied for renewed DACA and Visa, you cannot be granted like 683 00:35:23,140 --> 00:35:25,300 both of them. So they can only give you 1. 684 00:35:25,580 --> 00:35:27,940 So I was like, what the fuck? And so I'm having to call the 685 00:35:27,940 --> 00:35:30,500 office and they're like, oh, we're sorry we messed up this 686 00:35:30,500 --> 00:35:32,380 and that. And I'm like, now I don't have a 687 00:35:32,380 --> 00:35:34,060 job. So like what the hell am I going 688 00:35:34,060 --> 00:35:36,860 to do? And so my job, my job lets me 689 00:35:36,860 --> 00:35:39,080 go. And the day that I had to like 690 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:41,480 turn in my uniforms and everything, my boss calls me, 691 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:43,920 he's like, hey, I'm sorry. I was like, I'm, I'm working on 692 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:45,440 my paperwork right now. I'm here in the office. 693 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:47,680 I'm trying to figure like everything else so I can, you 694 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:51,040 know, keep my job essentially, you know, And he's like, I'm 695 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,280 sorry. Whenever you have time today, 696 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:58,200 just please come to the store and you know, turn in your 697 00:35:58,200 --> 00:35:59,800 uniforms and your work badge and everything. 698 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:03,080 And I was like fuck man, like it's just a really shitty 699 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,840 situation. And at the moment like I had 700 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,680 moved out of my parents house. And I had a roommate and I had 701 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:11,680 my girlfriend and we're paying rent and you know you're you're, 702 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,240 you know, living that like quote UN quote grown up life, you know 703 00:36:14,240 --> 00:36:15,800 having to pay like bills and stuff. 704 00:36:16,400 --> 00:36:19,600 And so I'm like fuck man like what the fuck am I gonna do like 705 00:36:20,240 --> 00:36:22,840 and so didn't just shit just takes a turn for the worst. 706 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:26,240 And so I go with the people that help me out to get my DACA and 707 00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:29,280 stuff and that we're filling out the paperwork for the Visa U. 708 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:31,800 And I tell them like, hey, like I just lost my job. 709 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:34,680 Like I need to pay bills I don't have the money to. 710 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:36,920 You know, rent's coming up like this, Bill and this and that. 711 00:36:37,490 --> 00:36:41,410 And so all they were able to give me was 180

day extension 712 00:36:41,410 --> 00:36:45,330 that was approved by USCIS, which gave me the ability to go 713 00:36:45,330 --> 00:36:48,130 work for another 180 days while they fix like my paperwork and 714 00:36:48,130 --> 00:36:50,650 get everything like sorted out to see what they're going to 715 00:36:50,650 --> 00:36:52,530 give me. Either the DACA or the work 716 00:36:52,530 --> 00:36:54,370 permit and the VISA U for four years. 717 00:36:55,210 --> 00:36:58,410 And so I go back to my employer and I say here I have 180 day 718 00:36:58,410 --> 00:37:00,490 extension that will give me the ability to work. 719 00:37:00,850 --> 00:37:03,730 And they're like, sorry, we need the physical card or we can 720 00:37:03,730 --> 00:37:07,290 accept you. And I was like, man, I was like, 721 00:37:07,290 --> 00:37:10,410 what the fuck? Like, I not to be braggy or 722 00:37:10,410 --> 00:37:13,290 anything, but I'm one of the top, like, you know, workers 723 00:37:13,290 --> 00:37:14,730 there. Like I bust my ass off every 724 00:37:14,730 --> 00:37:15,970 day. I never complain. 725 00:37:16,330 --> 00:37:20,570 Like, you know, I just feel like everything was just, you know, 726 00:37:20,810 --> 00:37:22,770 like a lie to me. Like why would you lie to me 727 00:37:22,770 --> 00:37:24,890 that I'm such a good worker, but then you can't take me back 728 00:37:24,890 --> 00:37:27,050 because this and this, like, you know, it's just a bunch of 729 00:37:27,050 --> 00:37:28,890 bullshit. And it really like got me 730 00:37:28,890 --> 00:37:32,370 thinking like, damn bro, nobody really gives a fuck and so. 731 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,440 I go back and you know, these were words that I had told 732 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:38,800 myself like, man, I'm never gonna go back to the Home Depot. 00:37:40,080 Like fuck that place, you know, 734 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:43,080 this is it was a fucking dead end fucking job. 735 00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:53,800 And exactly, Yeah. Yeah. 736 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:59,000 I mean, I mean, you know what corporation is not like? 737 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:02,120 Yeah. Petitions and policies right 738 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:04,810 little. And they call and you know, and 739 00:38:04,810 --> 00:38:07,050 you know I've been some places home people call it La Migra on. 00:38:09,010 Exactly how it is, right. 741 00:38:09,010 --> 00:38:10,890 Exactly. But you know, it's like, I hear 742 00:38:10,970 --> 00:38:13,610 you, but it's like it's all funny joke, But yeah, I mean 743 00:38:13,610 --> 00:38:15,210 it's. It's messed up, you know, and 744 00:38:15,650 --> 00:38:18,810 and that's the, you know, that's unfortunately you know. 745 00:38:18,810 --> 00:38:22,370 That's the story of many of our. Documents that in DACA folks 746 00:38:22,370 --> 00:38:25,090 right, regardless of nationality. 747 00:38:25,210 --> 00:38:25,810 Right. Yeah. 748 00:38:26,850 --> 00:38:31,680 And

that thing, right. You know it's been it's been a 749 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:34,720 journey when it comes to that. It's the for me specifically in 750 00:38:34,720 --> 00:38:38,080 terms of like DACA, you know because I because for so many 751 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:40,840 years like you know I left some documents that and I I figure 752 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:45,440 out a way to like you know move around and and live in a society 753 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:51,480 without you know documentation. You know, I had my LLC, so I was 754 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:53,360 a contractor with nonprofits or launda. 755 00:38:55,290 --> 00:38:57,450 And then also the time, you know, yeah, I mean, true. 756 00:38:57,450 --> 00:39:02,610 And I had to do what I had to do, you know, and, you know, 757 00:39:03,250 --> 00:39:07,690 have to figure things out, you know, And, you know, I did. 758 00:39:07,730 --> 00:39:10,770 I did like I did a bunch of organizing around immigration, 759 00:39:10,770 --> 00:39:14,210 you know, and and I remember, you know, hearing about that 760 00:39:14,210 --> 00:39:15,250 guy. And I remember, you know, when 761 00:39:15,250 --> 00:39:19,010 it happened, when when I heard about it, I had mixed feelings, 762 00:39:19,050 --> 00:39:20,930 you know, and I was, I was like, whoa, whoa. 763 00:39:20,930 --> 00:39:23,370 Like, this is because the first time I heard about his dream, 764 00:39:23,370 --> 00:39:29,140 that was back in 20, no, 22,002 thousand 2001. 765 00:39:29,140 --> 00:39:30,820 When I heard about the DREAM Act. 766 00:39:31,300 --> 00:39:34,580 You know, the DACA. DACA is like the little, little, 767 00:39:34,700 --> 00:39:39,300 tiny, tiny, little piece of DREAM Act, you know, So it was 768 00:39:39,300 --> 00:39:42,780 like after so many years, you know, I've seen like this 769 00:39:42,780 --> 00:39:44,980 conversation about DREAM Act, DREAM Act, this DREAM Act that. 770 00:39:44,980 --> 00:39:47,220 And I, you know, was involved in this, involved in that and like 771 00:39:48,020 --> 00:39:50,380 finally happened. But at this point in my life, 772 00:39:50,380 --> 00:39:55,050 you know, I was like, what, my late 20s, the late 20s, The 20, 773 00:39:55,050 --> 00:39:56,130 yeah. So I'm something like that, late 774 00:39:56,130 --> 00:39:58,810 20s. It's the when I when when it 775 00:39:58,810 --> 00:40:03,610 happened, I was like, I don't, I don't need this. 776 00:40:03,610 --> 00:40:05,770 Like this is not this is not what I'm asking. 777 00:40:05,770 --> 00:40:08,050 For yeah, you. Know this is not what I need, 778 00:40:08,130 --> 00:40:10,970 you know also like why? Why? 779 00:40:11,210 --> 00:40:13,370 Why do I disturb? Why do I get this? 780 00:40:13,490 --> 00:40:17,970 Like, why am I getting this, but now my family, Not my dad, not 781 00:40:17,970 --> 00:40:19,970 my mom. Not like, you know, the people I 782 00:40:19,970 --> 00:40:22,610 know who are.

Like disturbing more than I. 783 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:27,040 You know and and then it was hard it took me many like 784 00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:30,320 honestly it took me like 2-3 years to apply for it because I 785 00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:34,320 was like Nah, like for me it was a wave like you know like I 786 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:37,000 guess you know as I, as I reflect on it. 787 00:40:52,310 --> 00:40:56,070 But but eventually you know friends and family was like, 788 00:40:56,070 --> 00:41:01,310 hey, you know, like you're you're you know, like you're 789 00:41:01,310 --> 00:40:38,080 you're you know use it. I have reflect on it. 790 00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:42,360 You know, it's it was a form of like, you know, being, you know, 791 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:45,560 being out of ship with my community and also like, you 792 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:48,760 know, be like, Nah, like I'm not gonna conform to your, you know, 793 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:50,680 crumbs. Like we can serve better, you 794 00:40:50,720 --> 00:41:04,670 know? Like utilize this this while you 795 00:41:04,670 --> 00:41:07,710 can utilize it. You know utilize it in a way 796 00:41:07,710 --> 00:41:10,390 that you know guru, this can allow you to this. 797 00:41:10,590 --> 00:41:13,430 This can allow you to places that you can't right now because 798 00:41:13,430 --> 00:41:16,750 of your documentation, right. And I've been in, I've been in 799 00:41:16,750 --> 00:41:19,310 space where, like, I was not, like, technically allowed, but I 800 00:41:19,470 --> 00:41:23,200 pushed myself through, you know? Why Why waste energy on that 801 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:26,000 when I can just have this piece of paper that lasts to be there 802 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:30,200 and I can use my energy to like you know support others you know 803 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,200 and then so I apply for it and got it. 804 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:37,280 You know, I I have noticed. I have noticed as to how much 805 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:41,440 even though you know and and I think all of this could be true, 806 00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:42,920 right. You can talk shit about DACA, 807 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:44,360 right? I mean, I think we can 808 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:46,920 definitely do that because it's been our experience and we deal 809 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:51,160 with them and at the same time. The I've seen, I've seen how 810 00:41:51,160 --> 00:41:54,560 much it has helped me and others that me and some of my other 811 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:58,240 friends as they who have been able to be, you know, be like 812 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:03,000 traveling artists have, you know have that stability to like you 813 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:05,760 know, and I think I don't know, but I feel like one of the 814 00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:07,720 biggest thing I have noticed like to work on our, you know, 815 00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:12,520 the stability to have stability to be able to work on our on our 816 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:16,400 mental health, you know, and I've seen that. 817 00:42:16,910 --> 00:42:20,470 I seen, I seen the impact in in in the people around me who have 818 00:42:20,470 --> 00:42:25,590 received.com and and and the joy that people have gained from 819 00:42:25,590 --> 00:42:29,030 just having a little bit of that breathing, you know? 820 00:42:31,030 --> 00:42:34,070 To be able to like explore things and be able to like, you 821 00:42:34,070 --> 00:42:36,590 know try new things in the in the castle, you know, and I can, 822 00:42:36,630 --> 00:42:40,830 you know figure for myself, I'm having the summer off, you know. 00:42:41,990 And again, it's been a problem 824 00:42:41,990 --> 00:42:44,300 because you know it's not. I'm not like you know, I was I 825 00:42:44,300 --> 00:42:46,500 mean don't get around. I'm happy and I'm I'm thankful 826 00:42:46,500 --> 00:42:49,300 and I'm joyful and just send it. I'm like you know I'm like damn, 827 00:42:49,300 --> 00:42:52,340 I feel guilty you know pedal then level. 828 00:42:52,540 --> 00:42:56,820 I'm using it into like you know re energize you know keep 829 00:42:56,820 --> 00:42:58,500 working on myself. So when I go back to the 830 00:42:58,500 --> 00:43:00,460 classroom you know, which is going to be next month. 831 00:43:01,020 --> 00:43:03,900 You know, go back in the classroom and you know, just 832 00:43:05,140 --> 00:43:08,260 bring that energy and and and and that support because you 833 00:43:08,260 --> 00:43:10,900 know, for me also, like you know, just going back to talking 834 00:43:10,900 --> 00:43:14,710 about being an educator for me. As an educator, I don't see 835 00:43:14,710 --> 00:43:17,270 myself someone just teaching academically, right? 836 00:43:18,230 --> 00:43:20,870 For me, as an educator, you know, I think myself as a as a 837 00:43:20,870 --> 00:43:25,230 as a social worker, as a mentor, as a educator, you know, 838 00:43:25,230 --> 00:43:29,990 academically I think myself as a as a someone who you know. 839 00:43:30,870 --> 00:43:32,830 And if we have counselors, we have therapists, you know, 840 00:43:32,830 --> 00:43:34,270 Thankfully I work at school where we have all these 841 00:43:34,270 --> 00:43:37,790 resources. But in my classroom, at least 842 00:43:37,790 --> 00:43:39,870 for me as an educator, I don't see myself like, I'm just going 843 00:43:39,870 --> 00:43:41,900 to, you know, walk in. Open up the text. 844 00:43:41,900 --> 00:43:43,300 We're gonna learn about this, yeah. 845 00:43:44,260 --> 00:43:46,820 I see myself and and I think you know and and I get it. 846 00:43:46,820 --> 00:43:51,060 You know, not, not not every educator wants to take all those 847 00:43:51,060 --> 00:43:52,380 roles and that's fine. I get it. 848 00:43:52,380 --> 00:43:57,100 I understand because it is heavy and it's hard and it's it's it's 849 00:43:57,100

--> 00:43:58,900 a lie. You know for me I can't just 850 00:43:59,340 --> 00:44:02,420 that's not me, you know. So for me I know as someone that 851 00:44:02,420 --> 00:44:06,340 I love to like help people out as a giver, as someone that 852 00:44:06,340 --> 00:44:08,980 likes to take care of people. Like, I needed this, you know 853 00:44:08,980 --> 00:44:09,980 and. And I'm excited. 854 00:44:10,450 --> 00:44:13,930 To go back in the classroom regardless of what happens with 855 00:44:13,930 --> 00:44:16,290 DACA, right. Because we know, you know, going 856 00:44:16,290 --> 00:44:18,810 back a little bit around DACA, you know how they having the 857 00:44:18,810 --> 00:44:21,530 whole argument again in Texas around you. 858 00:44:21,530 --> 00:44:24,850 Know do we keep DACA or not you know and and don't get everyone 859 00:44:24,850 --> 00:44:27,250 like that tricks me out a little bit since I'm you know I try to 860 00:44:27,250 --> 00:44:30,330 like not give it too much energy and instead keep focusing on 861 00:44:30,330 --> 00:44:35,450 myself keep doing my thing and and then you know we'll see what 862 00:44:35,450 --> 00:44:37,850 happens and and and and one thing I know. 863 00:44:37,930 --> 00:44:40,860 One thing I know. Is that whatever happens I mean 864 00:44:40,900 --> 00:44:44,540 worst case scenario like I know that as a community you know we 865 00:44:44,540 --> 00:44:48,300 will we will organize you know it and and I know that I have 866 00:44:48,420 --> 00:44:51,420 people around me who who are gonna support me who are gonna 867 00:44:51,420 --> 00:44:55,300 you know show love and that's gonna be helpful better because 868 00:44:55,740 --> 00:44:58,420 for right now that's not that's not the reality you know for 869 00:44:58,420 --> 00:45:01,860 right now we still have doctor for right now you know for most 870 00:45:01,860 --> 00:45:05,500 alo for most almost endo. And I'm, I'm gonna go back in 871 00:45:05,500 --> 00:45:07,460 the classroom and, you know, keep you know. 872 00:45:08,550 --> 00:45:09,870 Do my thing with with my students. 873 00:45:10,230 --> 00:45:11,430 Yeah. And that's good. 874 00:45:11,430 --> 00:45:13,270 Like you said, we're gonna organize like we always have, 875 00:45:13,270 --> 00:45:16,670 you know, I mean, it's one of those topics that, you know, 876 00:45:16,670 --> 00:45:20,190 actually makes bring like people together and you fight for one 877 00:45:21,750 --> 00:45:24,110 little again. I wanted to go back a little bit 878 00:45:24,110 --> 00:45:27,270 on how you were seeing how like we can sit here and we can talk 879 00:45:27,270 --> 00:45:29,790 shit about DACA or we can talk about how great it's been. 880 00:45:30,790 --> 00:45:34,470 But I just want to go back and state a little bit about how 881 00:45:36,310 --> 00:45:39,350 when you're first applying for DACA, like, you have had to have 882 00:45:39,350 --> 00:45:42,630 been in the

US by a certain month, by a certain day. 883 00:45:42,950 --> 00:45:45,990 You know, like, and a lot of us, like, you know, a lot of our, 884 00:45:45,990 --> 00:45:48,350 our people didn't even qualify for DACA the first time it came 885 00:45:48,350 --> 00:45:50,030 out. You know, So there's still 886 00:45:50,030 --> 00:45:52,670 people out there getting paid under the table doing, you know, 887 00:45:52,670 --> 00:45:55,350 like, you know, jobs under the table, like, because there's 888 00:45:55,350 --> 00:45:58,550 there's no other way. And I think just just like 889 00:45:58,630 --> 00:46:02,870 recently, I think they were able to first time people who were 890 00:46:02,870 --> 00:46:04,550 about to apply for DACA were able to apply. 891 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:08,120 But then again, there's so many fucking shit that USCIS like 892 00:46:08,320 --> 00:46:10,400 puts in front of people that makes it so much harder for 893 00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:13,320 people to get it. So it's even like it's just, 894 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:15,600 it's a fucking headache, you know, dealing with all that 895 00:46:15,600 --> 00:46:18,160 stuff. But like you said, if we could 896 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:20,800 just, you know, continue to ask for backup or, you know, keep 897 00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:23,440 fighting for the immigration reform, you know, something that 898 00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:26,080 we always have been fighting for a better place. 899 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:29,760 You know, studying cabron, especially now, like with all 900 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:32,520 the politics we have in office, like it just doesn't really help 901 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:34,940 at all, You know? Everybody is not true to 902 00:46:34,940 --> 00:46:37,260 themselves, you know, And even if they tried, you know, this 903 00:46:37,260 --> 00:46:39,660 fucking fucked up government wouldn't let them do what they 904 00:46:39,660 --> 00:46:42,140 wanted to. So you know. 905 00:46:42,660 --> 00:46:44,620 Yeah. I mean that I, I yes. 906 00:46:44,660 --> 00:46:49,260 And and I wanna add you know I think I think there's a I think 907 00:46:49,260 --> 00:46:52,620 for me one thing I see is that there's a there's a wave of 908 00:46:52,620 --> 00:46:56,020 different different things happening right. 909 00:46:56,020 --> 00:47:01,140 I think some of us you know and I and I noticed like you know 910 00:47:01,140 --> 00:47:04,000 some of my. Friends and some of the people 911 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:07,040 that he's organized with who were also in our, you know, some 912 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:08,880 are doctors, some are still undocumented. 913 00:47:10,360 --> 00:47:13,040 You know, we got tired. You know, we were, we were 914 00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:15,800 tired. We were like, you know, we were 915 00:47:15,800 --> 00:47:21,880 like burnt out, you know, doing like direct actions, doing so, 916 00:47:22,080 --> 00:47:24,240 like doing so is stopping deportations. 917 00:47:24,240 --> 00:47:27,280 Like, you know, infiltrations at detainment centers. 918 00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:30,680 Like, you know, it puts a toy on you, you know and I think. 919 00:47:31,660 --> 00:47:35,340 Some, some folks are, you know, just, you know, tired, you know 920 00:47:35,340 --> 00:47:39,340 and I think when when you try to organize, when you're like I see 921 00:47:39,340 --> 00:47:45,020 Consala, like things get heated, you know, and then you're doing 922 00:47:45,020 --> 00:47:48,740 it from from the love and you know, I mean don't give her. 923 00:47:48,740 --> 00:47:51,540 There's some paid organizers, you know and and that's a career 924 00:47:51,540 --> 00:47:54,980 for some folks. And again that's a different 925 00:47:54,980 --> 00:47:56,700 conversation. I have my own opinion about 926 00:47:56,700 --> 00:47:59,620 that. But you know, sometimes you know 927 00:48:00,340 --> 00:48:02,040 most of the time. Is unpaid. 928 00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:05,240 You know and and and when you're ready like face on the same like 929 00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:09,840 just it does get you know exhausting and I think you know 930 00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:12,920 there's a group of folks who are like enjoying the fact that you 931 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:17,760 know you have this somewhat stability right and you, you 932 00:48:17,760 --> 00:48:19,800 know be able to like, you know take care of yourself and do 933 00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:22,400 certain things. And there's A and and there are 934 00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:25,040 a group of young people who are like doing things like I'm doing 935 00:48:25,160 --> 00:48:26,080 something. I have noticed. 936 00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:29,560 I do have notice, like young people. 937 00:48:30,160 --> 00:48:33,000 Doing some really beautiful things happen in the last two 938 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:35,760 years, right? I mean, the uprising of the 939 00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:38,560 Black Lives Matter. I noticed a lot of young people 940 00:48:39,160 --> 00:48:42,560 were driving, you know, that that, you know, driving it, you 941 00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:44,800 know, and then also like there's some actually were happening at 942 00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:45,640 the schools. Right. 943 00:48:46,840 --> 00:48:51,440 So And for that, I think for, you know, one thing I feel for, 944 00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:53,840 for to contain the moment. I'm like, you know, we support 945 00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:54,280 that. Right? 946 00:48:54,280 --> 00:48:57,500 And I think that adults. Needs to be able to like like 947 00:48:57,700 --> 00:48:59,980 learn from that and also step back and be like, OK, how can I 948 00:48:59,980 --> 00:49:03,380 support, right. And obviously, you know there's 949 00:49:03,380 --> 00:49:04,980 like this big picture thing, right? 950 00:49:04,980 --> 00:49:10,100 It's this big thing where it's like you know

capitalism. 951 00:49:10,420 --> 00:49:12,700 Capitalism knows, knows, knows, you know, Carlos right is the 952 00:49:12,700 --> 00:49:14,060 very moment because we're like, man. 953 00:49:14,420 --> 00:49:16,780 So I think, you know, I think it's a combination of things. 954 00:49:16,780 --> 00:49:21,140 But I've noticed, man, I have noticed a lot of young people do 955 00:49:21,140 --> 00:49:24,740 beautiful things and I think I, I admire that and and I admire, 956 00:49:24,780 --> 00:49:26,840 you know. Seeing them take certain risks 957 00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:29,080 that I'm like, that's that's beautiful in that. 958 00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:32,640 How can I support that, you know, and I think for me, you 959 00:49:32,640 --> 00:49:35,560 know, I'm, you know, doing around like I'm still down to 960 00:49:35,600 --> 00:49:37,800 show up at rallies, I'm down to show up, you know, organize 961 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:40,640 certain actions, but I don't. But also thinking about you know 962 00:49:41,160 --> 00:49:45,840 what's my role now, you know and also being being a little more 963 00:49:45,840 --> 00:49:50,080 strategic and and I guess and not so strategic but not so 964 00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:53,000 strategic being smart about like where do I show up and where I 965 00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:56,130 don't. Needs to show up, right And and 966 00:49:56,130 --> 00:49:57,170 something. I don't need to show up but I 967 00:49:57,170 --> 00:50:01,890 can I can very spend more some money to folks who like you know 968 00:50:01,890 --> 00:50:06,930 buy some like groceries or whatever or or transportation. 969 00:50:06,930 --> 00:50:08,890 Right. Because you know that mean you 970 00:50:08,890 --> 00:50:13,210 know when things get heated like I can't I'm going to be mindful 971 00:50:13,210 --> 00:50:16,050 of like how how much do I put myself at risk just because I 972 00:50:16,090 --> 00:50:17,730 think about my my my family. Right. 973 00:50:17,730 --> 00:50:20,370 And I think about the fact that if I end up, you know, end up 974 00:50:20,370 --> 00:50:23,090 with any. Different charges like I'm I'm 975 00:50:23,090 --> 00:50:26,730 gonna lose my doctor right. And now now I'm not going to be 976 00:50:26,730 --> 00:50:29,610 in the classroom who's going to take that position I don't know. 00:50:30,690 But I'm not going to take that 978 00:50:30,690 --> 00:50:31,610 risk I'm having. No. 979 00:50:32,490 --> 00:50:37,250 You know there's like teacher you know teaching them like 980 00:50:37,250 --> 00:50:40,970 bunch of Bf's and and not only that but being also a racist and 981 00:50:40,970 --> 00:50:45,690 no I'm I'm I'm gonna be mindful and of course but I have I I 982 00:50:45,690 --> 00:50:48,690 noticed some really beautiful work happening from from 983 00:50:48,930 --> 00:50:50,890 different communities and and I think. 984 00:50:51,760 --> 00:50:57,160 You know I feel like sometimes we I I

guess sometimes I I have 985 00:50:57,160 --> 00:50:58,920 noticed, you know including myself at one point it's like 986 00:50:58,960 --> 00:51:01,280 all we need is like it is needed. 987 00:51:01,320 --> 00:51:03,160 You know we're not able to see on right. 988 00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:05,040 Which is needed right. And the same time you know it's 989 00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:08,560 like this it's really let's think about it's something. 990 00:51:08,560 --> 00:51:10,640 And again I I also learned that from other friends. 991 00:51:10,640 --> 00:51:12,480 Right. Like and people in my community 992 00:51:12,480 --> 00:51:15,560 that have really challenged me to to to also like think about 993 00:51:15,560 --> 00:51:17,280 it. I mean, I'm like, what is it 994 00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:18,080 really? You know what? 995 00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:20,480 What does the really need to have a revolution right like? 996 00:51:21,100 --> 00:51:24,100 And you know they told me that you like you as a as a brown 997 00:51:24,100 --> 00:51:26,900 man. Do you think it's revolutionary 998 00:51:26,940 --> 00:51:29,660 to be healthy and have a health arrangement with your daughters? 00:51:31,140 I'm like, oh shit, you're right, 1000 00:51:32,220 --> 00:51:35,180 you're right. Like that's sold revolutionary 1001 00:51:35,180 --> 00:51:37,940 in a in in a society that tells me that I shouldn't be that way. 00:51:38,460 Right. 1003 00:51:38,460 --> 00:51:42,140 You know, it's like you that taught me, you know the 1004 00:51:42,180 --> 00:51:44,380 different way of living. It's like, oh man, like I'm 1005 00:51:44,380 --> 00:51:46,780 taking care of my mental health. I'm taking care of my my, my 1006 00:51:46,780 --> 00:51:48,970 spiritual. Now I've even then I'm not 1007 00:51:48,970 --> 00:51:50,930 perfect you know I make I still make mistakes. 1008 00:51:51,810 --> 00:51:53,930 I definitely you know have a different lesson with my 1009 00:51:53,930 --> 00:51:57,850 daughters that you know my or even or my my students have a 1010 00:51:57,850 --> 00:52:00,690 different with my students like that itself is so revolutionary 1011 00:52:01,050 --> 00:52:04,290 and we need that we need that and also we need folks on the 1012 00:52:04,290 --> 00:52:07,210 street like so it's everything's needed because you know I think 1013 00:52:07,210 --> 00:52:11,610 you know we we are you know finding this like multi headed 1014 00:52:11,610 --> 00:52:14,610 like monster you know and I think it's all needed and I 1015 00:52:14,610 --> 00:52:19,660 think you know we you know. I think going going to Capasado 1016 00:52:19,660 --> 00:52:23,900 and I do have a feeling that one one of these days you know you 1017 00:52:23,900 --> 00:52:28,660 know as a mass in as a mass we are going to stand up and be 1018 00:52:28,660 --> 00:52:31,580 like now we're we're done with this little I think with the 1019 00:52:31,580 --> 00:52:36,980 with COVID and and you know the the previous president and the 1020 00:52:36,980 --> 00:52:39,820 current president is just being like people are kind of like I 1021 00:52:39,820 --> 00:52:42,980 feel you know there's been this exhaustion you know and I think 1022 00:52:43,020 --> 00:52:46,740 and then she tries to survive you know with this whole COVID 1023 00:52:46,780 --> 00:52:49,390 thing you know. Well, I, I, I have feeling we're 1024 00:52:49,390 --> 00:52:52,830 gonna get there because it's been also being nice to see like 1025 00:52:53,550 --> 00:52:55,750 the things that are happening around, you know? 1026 00:52:55,750 --> 00:52:59,270 Yeah, no, I I agree with that. Especially with like, you know, 1027 00:52:59,270 --> 00:53:00,790 the atmosphere that we're living in right now. 1028 00:53:00,790 --> 00:53:04,030 Like politics are pretty fucking big right now, you know, like 1029 00:53:04,030 --> 00:53:07,190 anything politics. So it's kind of hard to even get 1030 00:53:07,190 --> 00:53:09,150 that away from the youth. And that's why they're stepping 1031 00:53:09,150 --> 00:53:11,790 up to the plate, you know, and taking the role of, you know, 1032 00:53:11,790 --> 00:53:15,530 leading, leading the pack. You know, I think in the time we 1033 00:53:15,530 --> 00:53:18,490 live and it's really hard to not express your opinion towards 1034 00:53:18,490 --> 00:53:21,130 certain things that are going on or that people decide on, you 1035 00:53:21,130 --> 00:53:25,410 know, like, you know, like stuff like with with abortion and 1036 00:53:25,410 --> 00:53:27,010 stuff. You know, every young kids are 1037 00:53:27,010 --> 00:53:28,850 listening about these things and they're like, you know, what is 1038 00:53:28,850 --> 00:53:31,770 that or like what is happening? And, you know, it's only 1039 00:53:31,770 --> 00:53:34,730 important for us to be able to, you know, tell them what is 1040 00:53:34,730 --> 00:53:37,450 really going on instead of, you know, telling them, oh, don't 1041 00:53:37,450 --> 00:53:39,210 listen to that. You know, don't don't pay 1042 00:53:39,210 --> 00:53:42,470 attention to that because then again, we're the ones, you know, 1043 00:53:42,470 --> 00:53:46,110 making the blind eye, you know, So it's really critical out 1044 00:53:46,110 --> 00:53:47,790 there. It's really critical out there. 1045 00:53:49,630 --> 00:53:51,190 It is, no. And then I think, you know, just 1046 00:53:51,190 --> 00:53:53,870 like having those, you know, especially like in, you know 1047 00:53:53,870 --> 00:53:56,030 talking about, I mean just almost anywhere, right? 1048 00:53:56,070 --> 00:53:59,110 Like, I mean, even in my house, like I my house, like we talk 1049 00:53:59,110 --> 00:54:01,190 about bunch of things with my, you know, my family, with my 1050 00:54:01,230 --> 00:54:04,310 daughter, specifically defense. We talk about things and you 1051 00:54:04,310 --> 00:54:08,560 know,

they're they're. They going to 9 and you know 1052 00:54:08,560 --> 00:54:11,040 she's almost nine. And my my oldest is like 12 and 1053 00:54:11,040 --> 00:54:13,680 13 like we talk about. So I'm like quote UN quote 1054 00:54:13,680 --> 00:54:17,360 controversial things, you know, and and then think, you know, I 1055 00:54:17,360 --> 00:54:19,480 do that here at home and I do it in the classroom and you know, I 1056 00:54:19,480 --> 00:54:23,360 know something in the classroom, you know some educators or some 1057 00:54:23,360 --> 00:54:25,400 folks that don't feel comfortable talking about it 1058 00:54:25,400 --> 00:54:28,080 because they don't it makes them uncomfortable, you know, But 1059 00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:30,320 it's like we have to, we have to create those spaces. 1060 00:54:30,320 --> 00:54:33,400 We have to talk about this stuff, you know? 1061 00:54:34,160 --> 00:54:37,480 We have to create a, you know, a space for them to like, process 1062 00:54:37,480 --> 00:54:40,320 this and like let them know, break it down to them, you know, 1063 00:54:40,320 --> 00:54:44,520 and and and and also there's been times where I, you know, 1064 00:54:45,040 --> 00:54:47,520 you know, have facilitary compensation. 1065 00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:50,440 But man, I end up learning from the young people. 1066 00:54:50,440 --> 00:54:53,000 I'm like, whoa, like you guys. Some things that I didn't know, 1067 00:54:53,000 --> 00:54:54,240 like now you're breaking it down to me. 1068 00:54:54,280 --> 00:54:57,560 So but we have to, you know, let into those spaces. 1069 00:54:57,680 --> 00:55:01,440 And also we have to be. We have to have, you know, we 1070 00:55:01,440 --> 00:55:03,440 have to do our work. I mean because we cannot just 1071 00:55:03,440 --> 00:55:05,640 say certain conversations because sometimes they can 1072 00:55:05,640 --> 00:55:18,800 create more harm you know so we have to be it's it's, it's it's 1073 00:55:19,280 --> 00:55:28,600 it's it's it's it's violate keep. 1074 00:55:30,020 --> 00:55:33,980 I messed up you know and I think I you know I look back at those 1075 00:55:34,060 --> 00:55:38,180 moments and I and and even to this day you know but I'll be I 1076 00:55:38,220 --> 00:55:43,660 try be you know being an educator and and it's also like 1077 00:55:44,580 --> 00:55:46,780 constantly educating yourself and then learning your things 1078 00:55:46,780 --> 00:55:50,260 and what's happening and to be able to like you know now you 1079 00:55:51,220 --> 00:55:53,700 know create more harm better place. 1080 00:55:54,020 --> 00:55:55,980 Yeah. Yeah, exactly. 1081 00:55:56,100 --> 00:55:58,180 No, yeah, I feel that. And I understand that too. 1082 00:55:58,180 --> 00:56:02,630 It's just, you know, the fact that it's an ongoing battle with 1083 00:56:02,630 --> 00:56:06,230 everything going on around us is just it makes things like twice 1084 00:56:06,230 --> 00:56:10,750 as hard, you know, So But I just wanted to shift a little bit on 1085 00:56:11,150 --> 00:56:16,430 the topic of mental health for a little bit and kind of just like 1086 00:56:17,150 --> 00:56:20,710 talk about maybe like, you know, what is your experience with 1087 00:56:20,710 --> 00:56:22,030 mental health? Like, did you grow up in a 1088 00:56:22,030 --> 00:56:24,910 household where you could, like, express yourself or, you know, 1089 00:56:24,910 --> 00:56:27,310 how was it growing up for you with, you know, having to deal 1090 00:56:27,310 --> 00:56:30,510 with mental health or having to reflect that on your parents? 1091 00:56:34,030 --> 00:56:37,190 Yeah, I know. I mean I think it's been, it's 1092 00:56:37,190 --> 00:56:43,190 been a combination of things. I think definitely growing up, 1093 00:56:43,230 --> 00:56:46,630 growing up, I remember as a kid, remember growing up, we didn't 1094 00:56:46,630 --> 00:56:49,350 really talk about mental health, if anything. 1095 00:56:50,620 --> 00:56:55,100 People will talk about as a as a being crazy you know or that's 1096 00:56:55,220 --> 00:56:57,940 that's crazy things or that's where someone was crazy you know 1097 00:56:57,940 --> 00:57:00,300 and and that was like the only conversation we I grew up you 1098 00:57:00,300 --> 00:57:03,020 know hearing and learning about mental health. 1099 00:57:03,020 --> 00:57:07,020 You know better place to stay. I think more, more. 1100 00:57:07,020 --> 00:57:11,740 In the last decade there's been more conversations in my family 1101 00:57:11,740 --> 00:57:15,340 around mental health and and it's been nice actually. 1102 00:57:15,340 --> 00:57:19,480 It's been beautiful to see. The girls and my family around 1103 00:57:19,480 --> 00:57:27,680 mental health right we you know there's there's been more 1104 00:57:27,680 --> 00:57:31,000 conversation around the most depression in my home. 1105 00:57:31,000 --> 00:57:34,840 You know what I think because I also feel because my siblings 1106 00:57:34,880 --> 00:57:42,120 and I, you know, we're more we, we have had the access to learn 1107 00:57:42,120 --> 00:57:43,480 about this stuff, right? And and and. 1108 00:57:44,880 --> 00:57:47,000 We bring it up you know we will I mean hef. 1109 00:57:47,040 --> 00:57:49,920 I mean hef. I you know and and and they also 1110 00:57:49,920 --> 00:57:53,360 talk you know they also have talked about it and and how more 1111 00:57:53,360 --> 00:57:56,160 like religion you know many of my mom. 1112 00:57:56,240 --> 00:57:57,600 Right. My mom has talked about how 1113 00:57:57,600 --> 00:58:01,720 religion has helped her mental health and and you know, I mean 1114 00:58:01,720 --> 00:58:03,960 good for you, you know because at the end of the day, you know 1115 00:58:04,560 --> 00:58:07,560 as long as as long as it's like helping you, you know, I mean we 1116 00:58:07,560 --> 00:58:10,240 might not agree on certain things around the

organized 1117 00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:14,070 religion, you know? Because if it if it's helping 1118 00:58:14,070 --> 00:58:16,630 your mental health and it's helping you be more present for 1119 00:58:16,630 --> 00:58:19,110 yourself and us like do your thing. 1120 00:58:19,230 --> 00:58:22,510 You know, I get it like La Fay. You know La Fay is huge in our 1121 00:58:22,510 --> 00:58:26,670 community and you know and with people and like and also La Fay 1122 00:58:26,670 --> 00:58:30,270 was affect many parts of your life. 1123 00:58:30,310 --> 00:58:33,710 And I think for my mom and my family has been like seeing 1124 00:58:33,750 --> 00:58:36,870 seeing them. You know, we realize La Fay to 1125 00:58:37,750 --> 00:58:40,910 be able to, like, be more, you know, mentally stable like that, 1126 00:58:40,910 --> 00:58:41,830 that's cool. You know? 1127 00:58:41,830 --> 00:58:45,100 I appreciate that. And again I think you know 1128 00:58:45,100 --> 00:58:48,940 between me and my siblings like we've been able to like you know 1129 00:58:49,180 --> 00:58:53,700 talk about it more openly and and you know I I I with my 1130 00:58:53,700 --> 00:58:56,340 daughters. You know I tell them I done 1131 00:58:56,340 --> 00:58:58,420 therapy with my daughters. You know and they because we 1132 00:58:58,420 --> 00:59:00,220 have gone through certain things and we're like cool let's go to 1133 00:59:00,220 --> 00:59:03,260 therapy. You know for myself. 1134 00:59:03,260 --> 00:59:06,500 I tell them, you know I'm I'm still I'm still in therapy and I 1135 00:59:06,580 --> 00:59:08,740 still go to therapy and I got telling them ohh yeah you know I 1136 00:59:08,820 --> 00:59:10,860 go to therapy or like hey you know we can look it up. 1137 00:59:10,940 --> 00:59:12,700 So I can't, you know, do certain things, so. 1138 00:59:13,240 --> 00:59:16,960 It's something that, you know we talk about it just openly you 1139 00:59:16,960 --> 00:59:20,440 know, obviously, you know, has been a journey in that and it 1140 00:59:20,440 --> 00:59:21,760 has been a journey within myself time. 1141 00:59:21,760 --> 00:59:23,840 Yeah. You know, because you know, for 1142 00:59:23,840 --> 00:59:28,840 me, you know growing up, you know, like to to deal with 1143 00:59:30,160 --> 00:59:34,520 things in life, it was you know self medication, right. 1144 00:59:34,840 --> 00:59:39,200 Or utilizing, you know the gym. You know, like I would used to 1145 00:59:39,200 --> 00:59:41,160 go to the gym like, oh this, this, I'm going to deal and you 1146 00:59:41,240 --> 00:59:43,480 know. Working out so good for your 1147 00:59:43,480 --> 00:59:45,120 body. But if, I mean, you know, became 1148 00:59:45,600 --> 00:59:47,720 a thing that was like, you know, I was so Dick to it. 1149 00:59:47,720 --> 00:59:49,360 Like, you know, this this the only thing that's going to help 1150 00:59:49,360 --> 00:59:50,200 me, you know? Yeah. 1151 00:59:51,360 --> 00:59:54,760 Going out, you know, like, you know, I mean, first of all, I I 1152 00:59:54,760 --> 00:59:57,480 love to dance. I'm a dancer, you know, like I. 1153 00:59:57,480 --> 01:00:01,040 Love to dance and and you know, I hit in the dance floor at the 1154 01:00:01,040 --> 01:00:02,800 club. You know like cumbia, merengue 1155 01:00:02,880 --> 01:00:03,520 by chapter. You know. 1156 01:00:03,640 --> 01:00:08,520 You know I get down with. I love just dancing and I cannot 1157 01:00:08,520 --> 01:00:11,160 just use that as a way to like, deal with something else, you 1158 01:00:11,160 --> 01:00:11,800 know? And I think. 1159 01:00:12,490 --> 01:00:16,250 You know, being able to like being in situations and 1160 01:00:16,250 --> 01:00:19,010 relationships, right. Because I think also being in 1161 01:00:19,010 --> 01:00:23,170 relations with certain people have been, have been helpful and 1162 01:00:23,170 --> 01:00:26,210 they have taught me around like mental health, you know and 1163 01:00:26,690 --> 01:00:29,690 important therapy. So it has been also a journey 1164 01:00:29,690 --> 01:00:34,290 that I have gone through, you know, with, you know, previous 1165 01:00:34,290 --> 01:00:37,610 partners or friends and you know, so yeah. 1166 01:00:38,330 --> 01:00:39,730 That's good, though. I mean, that's awesome. 1167 01:00:39,730 --> 01:00:42,050 That and great that you're aware of, like you know your 1168 01:00:42,050 --> 01:00:44,610 surroundings, that you're aware of what you're capable of doing. 01:00:46,770 To be able to, in order to, you 1170 01:00:46,770 --> 01:00:50,130 know, help yourself and make yourself, you know, not better, 1171 01:00:50,130 --> 01:00:53,170 but like a better person in a way you know little by little, 1172 01:00:53,170 --> 01:00:56,450 you know, recognizing what you have, what you have to do for 1173 01:00:56,450 --> 01:01:00,290 you and you know for people around you to just be able to 1174 01:01:00,290 --> 01:01:03,690 keep your mental state healthy. I think that's an important 1175 01:01:03,690 --> 01:01:07,220 thing that you know. To this day, and not a lot of 1176 01:01:07,220 --> 01:01:09,620 people talk about mental health because it's not an easy topic 1177 01:01:09,620 --> 01:01:12,860 to talk about either. You know, a lot of us grew up in 1178 01:01:12,860 --> 01:01:15,620 households where you weren't, like you said, you know, able to 1179 01:01:15,620 --> 01:01:18,140 express yourself or you had to keep things to yourself. 1180 01:01:18,140 --> 01:01:19,540 Or your parents never expressed feeling. 1181 01:01:20,540 --> 01:01:25,340 I mean, at least for me, my parents, my dad, I mean talk 1182 01:01:25,340 --> 01:01:29,180 about like, you know, machista, you know, machismo and stuff 1183 01:01:29,180 --> 01:01:31,420 like that. You know, it's a thing that you 1184 01:01:31,420 --> 01:01:34,350 just. If you were to give him

1185 01:01:34,350 --> 01:01:37,550 something and you know that was everything he's ever wanted, 1186 01:01:37,550 --> 01:01:42,510 like you won't never get a tear out of this man, you know, And 1187 01:01:42,510 --> 01:01:46,350 it's unfortunately happened, you know, in moments in our lives 1188 01:01:46,350 --> 01:01:48,710 where, you know, death has made an appearance. 1189 01:01:49,670 --> 01:01:53,270 You know, I for the very first time was able to tell my dad I 1190 01:01:53,270 --> 01:01:56,550 love you, you know, And I was able to hug him and, you know, 1191 01:01:56,550 --> 01:02:00,230 comfort him when my grandma passed, you know, and that was 1192 01:02:00,230 --> 01:02:02,710 his mom, obviously, the situation with. 1193 01:02:03,130 --> 01:02:05,690 Being undocumented and not being able to see your loved ones for 1194 01:02:05,690 --> 01:02:09,650 the very last time, not being able to say goodbye is something 1195 01:02:09,650 --> 01:02:12,410 that to this day, both of my parents are still healing. 1196 01:02:12,410 --> 01:02:15,290 You know, there, there, there isn't a thing that I can think 1197 01:02:15,290 --> 01:02:18,930 of that I can, you know, make their their life, you know, 1198 01:02:18,930 --> 01:02:22,050 quote UN quote, better, you know, because at the same time, 1199 01:02:22,050 --> 01:02:24,490 I also have to take care of myself before I can take care of 1200 01:02:24,490 --> 01:02:27,450 other people. And it's not even, it's fucking, 1201 01:02:27,450 --> 01:02:29,410 it's it's it's hard as fuck, you know? 1202 01:02:29,410 --> 01:02:32,050 It's not something that you can do from one day to to another 1203 01:02:32,050 --> 01:02:34,260 because. There's a whole process of, you 1204 01:02:34,260 --> 01:02:36,300 know, being able to understand where your parents are coming 1205 01:02:36,300 --> 01:02:38,100 from. And, you know, they tell me all 1206 01:02:38,100 --> 01:02:40,300 the time, like if like, you don't know what we went through 1207 01:02:40,300 --> 01:02:43,460 and I go exactly like, you know, that's the reality. 1208 01:02:43,460 --> 01:02:46,340 I don't know what you went through, but maybe speaking 1209 01:02:46,340 --> 01:02:50,220 about it with me or, you know, with someone like with me, like, 1210 01:02:51,020 --> 01:02:53,340 yeah, exactly. Understand you and then get. 1211 01:02:53,340 --> 01:02:54,100 To know you. Yeah, exactly. 1212 01:02:54,100 --> 01:02:56,020 Because me, I I'm not a mind reader. 1213 01:02:56,020 --> 01:02:57,900 You know I don't have the ability to do that. 1214 01:02:58,620 --> 01:03:01,780 So it's it's that's the difficult part of being able to. 01:03:04,830 You know, I guess it's been it's 1216 01:03:04,830 --> 01:03:07,350 been a couple of years that I've, you know tried my parents 1217 01:03:07,350 --> 01:03:10,830 to you know when I used to go to therapy, I I would tell my mom 1218 01:03:10,830 --> 01:03:12,510 like, you

know come come to therapy with me. 1219 01:03:12,510 --> 01:03:15,030 You know, like I talk about you guys all the time. 1220 01:03:15,030 --> 01:03:18,470 You know, maybe getting an input from you and how you feel. 1221 01:03:18,830 --> 01:03:21,230 And even if it's just one session, like it'll it'll open a 1222 01:03:21,230 --> 01:03:23,710 door for me to be able to you know understand you a little 1223 01:03:23,710 --> 01:03:26,670 more you know understand what you're going through. 1224 01:03:26,670 --> 01:03:29,270 But. And it's fucking hard like. 1225 01:03:30,090 --> 01:03:32,970 You know to each their own. To each their own time. 1226 01:03:32,970 --> 01:03:36,130 Cuando, venga, tiempo. You know time will come and you 1227 01:03:36,130 --> 01:03:37,770 know I just. I just hope it's not too late 1228 01:03:37,770 --> 01:03:41,650 because I can tell you that from the perspective I see my mom 1229 01:03:41,650 --> 01:03:46,770 like she's been hurting since the year 2006, you know 2007 she 1230 01:03:46,770 --> 01:03:50,650 lost her brother. You know it was it was bad. 1231 01:03:50,650 --> 01:03:53,290 You know, to this day it's we know we don't, we don't 1232 01:03:53,290 --> 01:03:54,850 celebrate Christmas because of that. 1233 01:03:55,050 --> 01:03:56,850 And I I truly respect that, you know? 1234 01:03:58,190 --> 01:04:00,870 Because he, he passed on the 25th of December. 1235 01:04:00,870 --> 01:04:05,030 And that's just to us. Christmas is is nothing. 1236 01:04:05,270 --> 01:04:07,910 You know, growing up, we didn't have anything to begin with. 1237 01:04:08,550 --> 01:04:12,110 But you know, as soon as I got a job and I'm never gonna forget 1238 01:04:12,110 --> 01:04:13,390 this. As soon as I got my first job 1239 01:04:13,390 --> 01:04:15,270 and I got my first paycheck, it was around Christmas. 1240 01:04:15,590 --> 01:04:19,670 I got gifts for all my family. And I remember because my dad 1241 01:04:19,670 --> 01:04:21,790 always gets laid off around December. 1242 01:04:22,230 --> 01:04:25,110 So you know, you gotta stretch the check for the long as you 1243 01:04:25,110 --> 01:04:29,380 can. And I remember like, at the end 1244 01:04:29,380 --> 01:04:32,740 of the night, like I finished sharing my gifts and they were 1245 01:04:32,740 --> 01:04:34,060 like, you didn't get anything for yourself. 1246 01:04:34,060 --> 01:04:36,140 And I was like, no, like, why would I need to do something for 1247 01:04:36,140 --> 01:04:37,180 myself? You know, I'm not the type of 1248 01:04:37,180 --> 01:04:40,180 person to, you know, I'm not gonna lie every every now and 1249 01:04:40,180 --> 01:04:43,420 then I I treat myself. But you know, at that at that 1250 01:04:43,420 --> 01:04:46,620 moment, I was just like, Nah, like, exactly, You know, you 1251 01:04:46,620 --> 01:04:48,140 need to. But, you know, at that moment I 1252 01:04:48,140 --> 01:04:50,860 was like, Nah, you know,

this is, I want to see something for 1253 01:04:50,860 --> 01:04:51,940 them. You know, I'm getting something 1254 01:04:51,940 --> 01:04:56,010 for them. And my dad, he he gets his gift 1255 01:04:56,010 --> 01:04:58,610 that I gave him and he opens it and he's happy and everything. 1256 01:04:59,130 --> 01:05:02,490 He goes upstairs and he comes back and he's like, this is for 1257 01:05:02,490 --> 01:05:08,530 you. And at that moment, like, man, 1258 01:05:09,210 --> 01:05:11,450 it just fucking brings like a tear to my eye because like 1259 01:05:11,930 --> 01:05:14,850 knowing him that he didn't have the money and he went out of his 1260 01:05:14,850 --> 01:05:18,930 way to get me a pair of pants and a shirt, you know, socks. 1261 01:05:18,930 --> 01:05:20,650 Like something like that is something that I'm never going 1262 01:05:20,650 --> 01:05:23,120 to forget. Because to that day, like my 1263 01:05:23,120 --> 01:05:26,120 parents have done everything they they have been able to do 1264 01:05:26,120 --> 01:05:29,800 for us and it continues to show, you know, and I talk about it 1265 01:05:29,800 --> 01:05:31,360 all the time. You know, it's not easy for my 1266 01:05:31,360 --> 01:05:34,120 parents to express themselves and say and I love you or and 1267 01:05:34,120 --> 01:05:37,440 I'm proud of you and most of the time I do end up hearing it from 1268 01:05:37,960 --> 01:05:40,240 other people. But my mental health journey and 1269 01:05:40,240 --> 01:05:41,960 stuff like that. But it's just an ongoing battle, 1270 01:05:41,960 --> 01:05:44,040 you know, with every day and, you know, trying to find a way 1271 01:05:44,040 --> 01:05:47,240 to make everything better, you know, but but yeah. 1272 01:05:48,440 --> 01:05:49,280 Here we are. No. 1273 01:05:49,280 --> 01:05:51,920 I think I mean thanks for sharing open up you know a lot 1274 01:05:51,920 --> 01:05:56,440 more about your journey with mental health and you know I 1275 01:05:56,440 --> 01:05:59,960 mean I I shared a little bit of my journey but I think I want to 1276 01:05:59,960 --> 01:06:01,640 add a little more you know I guess I want to add a little 1277 01:06:01,640 --> 01:06:10,800 more is the you know I think after here was it I mean I can't 1278 01:06:10,800 --> 01:06:15,700 remember that big what year. But after I stopped organizing 1279 01:06:15,740 --> 01:06:19,060 running me grating and and doing all these things like you know I 1280 01:06:19,060 --> 01:06:23,540 had a had a breakdown you know emotional physical financial. 1281 01:06:23,540 --> 01:06:27,900 I'm he and I bottom Rock You know and I think and then I and 1282 01:06:27,900 --> 01:06:31,780 I think that the whole like you know healing and then and then 1283 01:06:31,780 --> 01:06:34,500 the whole like you know growing. It's been, you know, all my 1284 01:06:34,500 --> 01:06:37,820 life, you know here and there something you take, you know a 1285 01:06:37,820 --> 01:06:40,540 step, a step step up and then something you take, you know 1286 01:06:40,540 --> 01:06:43,460 three steps back And it's just like it's Just Dance, you know. 1287 01:06:44,930 --> 01:06:46,250 But I think I'm pretty gonna stop working. 1288 01:06:46,290 --> 01:06:49,690 That's when like I, I, I decided sorry, really like understanding 1289 01:06:49,690 --> 01:06:53,290 more around that and like really like and again and I think 1290 01:06:53,290 --> 01:06:58,450 through previous relationships, through friends, through spaces 1291 01:06:58,450 --> 01:07:01,370 of some of the organizing spaces that that that's something that 1292 01:07:01,370 --> 01:07:03,810 was something that was talked about people just staying. 1293 01:07:03,810 --> 01:07:08,370 You know, someone who loves you know, I'm, you know, I mean, you 1294 01:07:08,410 --> 01:07:09,890 know, yeah. I can say I'm an educator, but I 1295 01:07:09,890 --> 01:07:12,730 mean, no, I'm such a nerd, man. I love learning you know I love. 01:07:15,030 I just love it it it it can be 1297 01:07:15,030 --> 01:07:16,910 sometimes random things right. Like yeah ohh. 1298 01:07:18,190 --> 01:07:21,550 I get into something and I just like dive deep into learning you 1299 01:07:21,550 --> 01:07:26,910 know and I think I just like oh man like this whole like hurt 1300 01:07:26,910 --> 01:07:30,030 and feeling you know because I'm also like you know I'm also a 1301 01:07:30,070 --> 01:07:33,790 big I feel deeply you know and and I I'm I'm a Muslim person 1302 01:07:33,830 --> 01:07:37,150 you know and and I think I was like yeah I'm curious about this 1303 01:07:37,150 --> 01:07:40,190 and and again you know in those spaces relationships on that 1304 01:07:41,060 --> 01:07:42,820 those comments just came up and then I start getting more 1305 01:07:42,820 --> 01:07:45,860 curious and more curious they put them percept a live percept 1306 01:07:45,860 --> 01:07:51,100 in their mind start reaching out to therapies and therapists and 1307 01:07:51,740 --> 01:07:55,900 and I think you know it's been it's been rough it's being rough 1308 01:07:55,900 --> 01:07:58,860 it's being you know lonely It's being rough and it's being like 1309 01:07:59,380 --> 01:08:05,180 it's like hardcore you know and then and hurts and then you 1310 01:08:05,180 --> 01:08:07,700 question things and it's how you at least for me it was like man 1311 01:08:07,700 --> 01:08:13,110 who am I then you know little you know it's just like 1312 01:08:13,190 --> 01:08:16,109 rediscovery you know and and it's I'm going and it's I'm 1313 01:08:16,109 --> 01:08:18,430 going like I said it's not something that I'm like oh like 1314 01:08:18,950 --> 01:08:23,590 I did therapy and I'm I you know and people have had experience 1315 01:08:23,590 --> 01:08:26,870 great for you great for them you know for me has been you know it 1316 01:08:27,109 --> 01:08:31,170 has to be a

combination for me like I and I'm so tapping you 1317 01:08:31,170 --> 01:08:34,290 know so tapping into places that I haven't gone to in terms of my 1318 01:08:34,290 --> 01:08:38,930 my my trauma right. And something that I have 1319 01:08:38,930 --> 01:08:41,170 learned, I mean and that you know that's that does take 1320 01:08:41,170 --> 01:08:45,770 energy and doesn't take time. You know and and that's why I'm 1321 01:08:45,770 --> 01:08:49,609 I again, I'm trying to be mindful of asking people or 1322 01:08:49,609 --> 01:08:54,689 telling people hey you know you should do therapy. 1323 01:08:54,689 --> 01:08:57,660 You know it's I think you know it does require. 1324 01:08:57,660 --> 01:09:02,620 I mean you know at least in my experience when I go, when I 1325 01:09:02,620 --> 01:09:07,060 done therapy, there's I'm tired like I'm emotional. 1326 01:09:07,060 --> 01:09:13,020 I'm exhausted and I need to like take some time for myself, 1327 01:09:13,020 --> 01:09:14,580 right. In some sense. 1328 01:09:15,060 --> 01:09:16,300 In some sense. I do have that. 1329 01:09:16,740 --> 01:09:18,899 I do have that actually sometimes I don't. 1330 01:09:19,380 --> 01:09:22,380 But some folks have to go to work right away. 1331 01:09:22,380 --> 01:09:25,600 They have to do whatever. And it's like I can imagine like 1332 01:09:25,600 --> 01:09:29,000 you know being able like happens to like go to therapy and right 1333 01:09:29,000 --> 01:09:32,359 away go and you know take care of whatever and like or go to 1334 01:09:32,359 --> 01:09:35,359 work and like have to like just dealt with something heavy, you 1335 01:09:35,359 --> 01:09:38,120 know. So I think I hope you know and I 1336 01:09:38,120 --> 01:09:42,279 wish one day we have in a society we normalize that more 1337 01:09:43,040 --> 01:09:47,479 or we have access for folks who like take a day off or take some 1338 01:09:47,479 --> 01:09:50,880 time off after doing you know therapy because you know, I mean 1339 01:09:51,120 --> 01:09:52,399 you done it. You know how it is. 1340 01:09:52,399 --> 01:09:54,690 Of course. You're like, I'm gonna treat 1341 01:09:54,690 --> 01:09:58,410 myself. I'm, you know, I also, you know, 1342 01:09:58,690 --> 01:10:01,570 love to like, I mean sometimes, you know, I'm an emotional 1343 01:10:01,570 --> 01:10:02,850 eater. Sometimes I have therapy, man. 1344 01:10:02,850 --> 01:10:06,490 I want, I want my triple triple chocolate cake, like a slice of 1345 01:10:06,490 --> 01:10:07,650 triple chocolate cakes to deal with. 1346 01:10:07,650 --> 01:10:09,930 Like what I just went through. You know, exactly or. 1347 01:10:10,570 --> 01:10:12,370 But I just want to go. I just want to man, you know 1348 01:10:12,370 --> 01:10:13,610 what? I just want to get on my car, 1349 01:10:13,770 --> 01:10:18,050 cruise around and with the windows down and and just listen 1350 01:10:18,050 --> 01:10:21,090 to my oldies, you know? But some folks don't have that 1351 01:10:21,090 --> 01:10:22,930 access. But hopefully one day, you know, 1352 01:10:22,930 --> 01:10:26,470 and I think for me has been, you know, just I guess, you know, I 1353 01:10:26,470 --> 01:10:28,910 just been blessed to be able to have access to all that, you 1354 01:10:28,910 --> 01:10:32,430 know. And you know, it's a little, I 1355 01:10:32,430 --> 01:10:36,910 guess a little bit of a little bit of value because you know, 1356 01:10:36,910 --> 01:10:39,030 there's been a lot of growth in my family around that. 1357 01:10:39,030 --> 01:10:42,830 And when my dad come in and I and I appreciate and I really 1358 01:10:42,830 --> 01:10:47,310 admire the work that he's doing to be, you know, just a better, 1359 01:10:48,550 --> 01:10:53,310 oh, I want to say that I'm just appreciating just and seeing my 1360 01:10:53,310 --> 01:10:59,140 dad tap into those parts of his life for him specifically 1361 01:10:59,220 --> 01:11:03,340 because those habits those happens like our family members, 1362 01:11:03,340 --> 01:11:05,540 especially the older ones, they train a lot. 1363 01:11:06,020 --> 01:11:11,620 They are caring a lot And makes me feel, you know, happy to see 1364 01:11:11,660 --> 01:11:14,100 or makes me feel. Yeah, happy to see them tap into 1365 01:11:14,100 --> 01:11:19,060 those places of their life and and and find some closer, some 1366 01:11:19,420 --> 01:11:24,410 some type of healing or understanding, you know, and cuz 1367 01:11:24,450 --> 01:11:25,970 like you said, that trickles down to us, right? 1368 01:11:25,970 --> 01:11:28,970 We get to have a better relationship, so. 1369 01:11:30,090 --> 01:11:32,570 Yeah, no. Yeah, I completely 100% agree 1370 01:11:32,570 --> 01:11:35,850 with that. And I think it's a fact that it 1371 01:11:35,850 --> 01:11:40,770 is an uncomfortable situation at first, being able to express 1372 01:11:40,770 --> 01:11:43,450 yourself from someone else. But. 1373 01:11:44,560 --> 01:11:47,600 It's something that's really going to help you out later on, 1374 01:11:47,600 --> 01:11:51,640 you know, so like you know just from our experiences, like if 1375 01:11:51,640 --> 01:11:54,280 you're out there and if you're, you know, if you're listening to 1376 01:11:54,280 --> 01:11:56,720 this and you're going through something, you know it's okay to 1377 01:11:56,720 --> 01:11:58,320 get help. It's okay to, you know, you 1378 01:11:59,240 --> 01:12:01,040 know, definitely get help for your mental health. 1379 01:12:02,360 --> 01:12:04,200 Because it's not something that you know, it's highly 1380 01:12:04,200 --> 01:12:06,600 highlighted out there. And you know, obviously when 1381 01:12:06,600 --> 01:12:08,800 it's mental health awareness month, everybody's all over it. 1382 01:12:08,800 --> 01:12:11,560 But then the month is over and where did that go? 1383 01:12:11,560 --> 01:12:15,070 You know, it's like.

You know, there's so many things 1384 01:12:15,070 --> 01:12:18,470 that could be going out there and you know, you just it's 1385 01:12:18,470 --> 01:12:20,590 something that is, you know, I'm always going to keep pushing 1386 01:12:20,590 --> 01:12:23,470 forward and like, you know, the importance of mental health, 1387 01:12:23,470 --> 01:12:26,710 just like I'm pushing forward. Like the stories of undocumented 1388 01:12:26,710 --> 01:12:31,150 people and the work that we've been doing around, you know, you 1389 01:12:31,150 --> 01:12:34,430 know, schooling and organizing and, you know, getting our 1390 01:12:34,430 --> 01:12:37,190 stories out there is just as important as, you know, helping 1391 01:12:37,190 --> 01:12:39,870 yourself out with where you're going to, with what you're going 1392 01:12:39,870 --> 01:12:42,820 through internally. So I think it's something you 1393 01:12:42,820 --> 01:12:45,900 know, we have to keep sharing and expressing ourselves about. 1394 01:12:46,220 --> 01:12:51,020 But in regards to like school and stuff like how do you feel 1395 01:12:51,020 --> 01:12:53,740 that there is like is there a huge mental health support at 1396 01:12:53,740 --> 01:12:56,740 your school right now or you wish there could be more like is 1397 01:12:56,740 --> 01:13:00,300 a support given or you have to go looking for that for your 1398 01:13:00,300 --> 01:13:02,380 students. Yeah, I know. 1399 01:13:02,420 --> 01:13:04,140 I, I man at the school I work at. 1400 01:13:04,980 --> 01:13:09,260 You know we as a whole school, I want to say you know, we're 1401 01:13:09,300 --> 01:13:13,560 pretty, we're pretty good at the fact that we have had a lot of 1402 01:13:13,640 --> 01:13:18,480 life experiences, right. And I think the majority of 1403 01:13:18,480 --> 01:13:23,000 staff you know have some type of background when it comes to like 1404 01:13:23,040 --> 01:13:26,400 either mental health like you know advocates or mental health 1405 01:13:26,400 --> 01:13:30,360 like you know participants. So sound that, you know, I think 1406 01:13:31,280 --> 01:13:34,800 for the most part and you know the majority of staff are aware 1407 01:13:35,000 --> 01:13:38,080 in our opinion, you know, and learning understanding the 1408 01:13:38,240 --> 01:13:41,290 importance of mental health. We do have, like we have a 1409 01:13:41,290 --> 01:13:44,890 school counselor and we do have a therapist. 1410 01:13:45,130 --> 01:13:47,530 Right. So that's being such a blessing 1411 01:13:47,530 --> 01:13:50,650 to have that in our school now. You know. 1412 01:13:51,370 --> 01:13:53,690 Should we use more. Hell yeah. 1413 01:13:54,370 --> 01:13:54,970 Hell yeah. Hell yeah. 1414 01:13:54,970 --> 01:13:57,610 You know, wish we had like, you know, I wish we had like 3 1415 01:13:57,610 --> 01:13:59,770 counselors and like you know, 5 therapists. 1416 01:14:00,050 --> 01:14:02,610 Right. Yeah. 1417 01:14:02,770 --> 01:14:06,170 I mean always, you know, we need more more of that definitely. 1418 01:14:06,410 --> 01:14:08,330 Especially especially at the school where I work and I mean 1419 01:14:08,330 --> 01:14:10,990 just in general, right. Schools, you know, again, you 1420 01:14:10,990 --> 01:14:13,030 know, even public schools or private schools, whatever. 1421 01:14:13,030 --> 01:14:15,790 Like you know, mental health is a huge thing, you know. 1422 01:14:15,790 --> 01:14:18,950 And I think but with the, with the the school where I work at, 1423 01:14:18,990 --> 01:14:21,070 you know a lot of, a lot of students are going through a 1424 01:14:21,070 --> 01:14:29,550 lot, like a lot. But I think you know educator or 1425 01:14:29,550 --> 01:14:31,590 the people that I work with like do step step up. 1426 01:14:31,670 --> 01:14:33,910 You know like they do step in and like help out as much as 1427 01:14:33,910 --> 01:14:39,420 they can And but our, our, our counselor and our tech is to get 1428 01:14:39,420 --> 01:14:42,060 you know overworked not on purpose right. 1429 01:14:42,060 --> 01:14:45,620 Not not not because they you know like the principle doesn't 1430 01:14:45,620 --> 01:14:47,420 on purpose just because the need. 1431 01:14:47,580 --> 01:14:49,540 Right. And I think especially like it's 1432 01:14:49,580 --> 01:14:51,700 there's always been that need but all during and during the 1433 01:14:51,940 --> 01:14:54,580 beginning of COVID and the pandemic and the shutdown. 1434 01:14:55,020 --> 01:15:00,500 I mean you know the need who man went up like high. 1435 01:15:00,660 --> 01:15:06,300 So, you know, it's definitely, you know, again, I would love, 1436 01:15:06,780 --> 01:15:09,740 would love to see, you know, a therapist, like a lot more 1437 01:15:09,740 --> 01:15:12,620 therapists, but also like access to therapy therapists for our 1438 01:15:12,620 --> 01:15:14,300 families, right? For the parents not being Oh 1439 01:15:14,380 --> 01:15:16,620 yeah, of course. So that would be man, that would 1440 01:15:16,620 --> 01:15:21,100 be ideal to have like you know parent groups as the family 1441 01:15:21,260 --> 01:15:25,860 groups and we're, you know, we're in a pretty decent 1442 01:15:25,860 --> 01:15:26,940 position. Not gonna lie. 1443 01:15:27,940 --> 01:15:32,540 And again, I think overall as a school, like as a school we have 1444 01:15:32,540 --> 01:15:37,410 this cultura of like you know, just being open minded and also 1445 01:15:37,410 --> 01:15:42,210 like learning new things. And also like really I guess 1446 01:15:42,210 --> 01:15:44,130 it's really, it's really ingrained in our school that we 1447 01:15:44,170 --> 01:15:48,370 care about our community, right. And our students from like their 1448 01:15:48,370 --> 01:15:51,050 physical health to their mental health, so their emotional 1449 01:15:51,050 --> 01:15:54,770 well-being. And that was a pretty, you

know, 1450 01:15:55,170 --> 01:15:58,170 it's been many years that that culture has been built. 1451 01:15:59,050 --> 01:16:01,890 But I the the the previous principle that was working there 1452 01:16:02,690 --> 01:16:04,710 really cultivated that culture right. 1453 01:16:06,030 --> 01:16:08,430 And and and and even though she's not there no more. 1454 01:16:08,470 --> 01:16:12,190 The vice principal who stepped you know stepped in because he 1455 01:16:12,190 --> 01:16:14,230 was around you know for those many years. 1456 01:16:14,670 --> 01:16:18,190 You know and and also because he's also a person that you know 1457 01:16:19,310 --> 01:16:23,310 likes to learn about what likes to like maintain during like and 1458 01:16:23,310 --> 01:16:26,430 he noticed he knows what he what works right and and he's being 1459 01:16:26,430 --> 01:16:30,230 open about keeping not not not especially things up, you know 1460 01:16:30,310 --> 01:16:33,190 so much that you know it really changed the culture of the 1461 01:16:33,190 --> 01:16:35,960 school. So yeah. 1462 01:16:36,480 --> 01:16:38,560 That's good though. I mean that's gladly, I'm glad 1463 01:16:38,560 --> 01:16:40,760 that you have the support that you need and you know, obviously 1464 01:16:41,480 --> 01:16:43,600 like you said there, there could be more space for more, You 1465 01:16:43,600 --> 01:16:47,040 know, obviously there's more that you can, we can contribute 1466 01:16:47,040 --> 01:16:49,080 to that. But all that's a good thing 1467 01:16:49,080 --> 01:16:51,480 that, you know, you have the support that you need at the 1468 01:16:51,480 --> 01:16:54,120 moment. So that's awesome because, you 1469 01:16:54,120 --> 01:16:56,640 know, there's a lot of schools out there can know it's 1470 01:16:56,640 --> 01:16:58,800 something that they don't really take that into consideration or 1471 01:16:58,800 --> 01:17:00,760 they don't care or, you know, stuff like that. 1472 01:17:01,240 --> 01:17:04,640 But that's that's amazing to to me, to, you know, to know that 1473 01:17:04,640 --> 01:17:06,800 you have the support that you want and that you need. 1474 01:17:06,800 --> 01:17:08,920 So that's something. Yeah, definitely. 1475 01:17:09,640 --> 01:17:11,280 Definitely. You know and not, you know, not 1476 01:17:11,280 --> 01:17:14,840 only in the not only the mental health aspect of it, but I mean 1477 01:17:14,840 --> 01:17:18,840 in the classroom aspect, right. Like if I need, if if I need a 1478 01:17:18,840 --> 01:17:21,880 training or or if I need a certain like curriculum or if I 1479 01:17:21,880 --> 01:17:26,720 need a certain is the books. You know it that the. 1480 01:17:27,640 --> 01:17:31,080 I think it comes down to like you know the the of course I'm 1481 01:17:31,080 --> 01:17:33,160 at the leadership rooms right. In case the the bicycle 1482 01:17:33,960 --> 01:17:34,720 principal. Right. 1483 01:17:35,960 --> 01:17:40,160 And they they try their best. You know and then they're at 1484 01:17:40,160 --> 01:17:42,520 least at my school they're doing a great job of like making sure 1485 01:17:42,520 --> 01:17:47,640 that you know we we get the the tools that we need and you know 1486 01:17:48,400 --> 01:17:54,000 have communication and have meetings and we have we do have 1487 01:17:54,000 --> 01:17:59,460 I think also not that we have as a as a school in general there's 1488 01:17:59,460 --> 01:18:03,340 A at least a good percentage in you know that of people that 1489 01:18:03,340 --> 01:18:07,660 have experienced many things in their life and and and and and 1490 01:18:07,660 --> 01:18:11,900 our students can relate and see and and you know just crazy this 1491 01:18:11,900 --> 01:18:14,660 beautiful like this beautiful bond between our students and 1492 01:18:14,660 --> 01:18:18,260 our staff that is like OK cool like I I I feel safe here And 1493 01:18:18,260 --> 01:18:22,180 then also our staff like has all this knowledge right around the 1494 01:18:22,180 --> 01:18:27,260 community around certain issues that is like you know and they 1495 01:18:27,300 --> 01:18:30,460 can we can support our students even better And as a staff like 1496 01:18:30,460 --> 01:18:35,020 even within us we try to like hold each other accountable. 1497 01:18:35,100 --> 01:18:37,300 Right. And then try to hold like bring 1498 01:18:37,340 --> 01:18:41,940 bring conversations again that are hard to talk about that are 1499 01:18:41,940 --> 01:18:44,060 challenging that are going to make us you know feel 1500 01:18:44,060 --> 01:18:49,500 uncomfortable and we do we do try our best you know with with 1501 01:18:49,500 --> 01:18:51,100 our capacity that we have for Gicquist. 1502 01:18:51,660 --> 01:18:59,360 You know and again know the the last two years of you know the 1503 01:18:59,360 --> 01:19:06,160 pandemic and you know like we have we have guns for a lot. 1504 01:19:06,200 --> 01:19:11,920 You know as a school we have you know lost a lot of students to 1505 01:19:11,920 --> 01:19:17,320 you know gun violence gang violence you know over those you 1506 01:19:17,320 --> 01:19:20,480 know all those things man. So it's being, it's being, it's 1507 01:19:20,480 --> 01:19:23,560 being rough pedal Again, I think, you know as a staff we, 1508 01:19:23,560 --> 01:19:28,590 we, we really do try to take care of ourselves to be able to 1509 01:19:28,590 --> 01:19:30,510 like you know, software students. 1510 01:19:30,910 --> 01:19:32,310 That's good though. That's good to know. 1511 01:19:34,350 --> 01:19:36,670 But yeah, I just wanted to you know, towards the end just 1512 01:19:36,670 --> 01:19:41,190 circle back to you and ask you like what is your vision or your 1513 01:19:41,190 --> 01:19:45,750 goal in the next five years? Yeah. 1514 01:19:45,750 --> 01:19:47,470 I mean you know I haven't really thought about the next five

1515 01:19:47,470 --> 01:19:53,950 years but but I actually so in terms of so as an educator you 1516 01:19:53,950 --> 01:19:56,830 know I've been thinking about one of my goals as an educator 1517 01:19:56,830 --> 01:20:00,230 and and and actually this year I'm I'm I'm excited. 1518 01:20:00,230 --> 01:20:04,270 You know I'm excited. I'm happy to like I'm gonna be. 1519 01:20:04,270 --> 01:20:06,750 I'm gonna be teaching social studies. 1520 01:20:07,110 --> 01:20:09,350 Nice. To high schoolers and middle 1521 01:20:09,350 --> 01:20:13,350 because actually gonna have middle school program and also 1522 01:20:13,350 --> 01:20:15,870 it's the I'm gonna be teaching language arts to high schoolers, 1523 01:20:15,870 --> 01:20:18,830 right. And one of my dreams and I've 1524 01:20:18,830 --> 01:20:20,430 been working on it, you know I've been working. 1525 01:20:20,430 --> 01:20:23,520 I mean, you know. When I jumped into the classroom 1526 01:20:23,520 --> 01:20:27,240 is the use IB I can forces they they're sharing you know you 1527 01:20:27,240 --> 01:20:30,440 know they're certain like there are certain things and you know 1528 01:20:30,480 --> 01:20:33,600 I have to learn certain things you know if I don't I've been 1529 01:20:33,640 --> 01:20:36,720 you know I've been I've been doing I've been doing some 1530 01:20:36,720 --> 01:20:39,760 teaching that I love to do around certain issues along that 1531 01:20:40,720 --> 01:20:43,080 but it's the I you know it's that you one of one of my goals 1532 01:20:43,080 --> 01:20:47,560 for this year as an educator is to really create this like 1533 01:20:48,000 --> 01:20:50,520 beautiful like intersectional like. 1534 01:20:52,810 --> 01:20:57,210 Curriculum around like you know, indigenous sovereignty queerness 1535 01:20:57,210 --> 01:21:03,250 is the, you know, it's the joy in in in you know, it's like 1536 01:21:03,250 --> 01:21:06,730 just like a curriculum that is like we're gonna talk about, you 1537 01:21:06,730 --> 01:21:09,770 know, I was the the past and things that had happened. 1538 01:21:09,850 --> 01:21:12,050 But also we're gonna talk about what's happening right now and 1539 01:21:12,650 --> 01:21:15,970 like update, you know update the language updated, you know, the 1540 01:21:15,970 --> 01:21:18,490 way you know the things that you know the young people can relate 1541 01:21:18,490 --> 01:21:19,530 to. You know, one of the things I 1542 01:21:19,530 --> 01:21:21,560 was talking about. Or thinking about the meaning is 1543 01:21:21,600 --> 01:21:24,800 I can talk about low writers, you know and then the joy about 1544 01:21:24,960 --> 01:21:28,320 low writing and also like the history around it and how that 1545 01:21:28,320 --> 01:21:29,720 you know. So even from that to like 1546 01:21:29,720 --> 01:21:32,480 obviously you know things that are affecting other communities, 1547 01:21:32,480 --> 01:21:37,080 right. So my goal is to

have a a a 1548 01:21:37,080 --> 01:21:39,320 dream, my dream. My goal is to have this like 1549 01:21:39,320 --> 01:21:43,960 curriculum that dies into this different intersections right 1550 01:21:45,360 --> 01:21:48,280 where we just don't talk about. Just one thing and that's it, 1551 01:21:48,360 --> 01:21:51,880 you know, and and and also in terms of my language art class, 1552 01:21:51,880 --> 01:21:55,200 like, you know, bring up, bring some books that like our young 1553 01:21:55,200 --> 01:21:57,320 people can relate to and they see themselves on. 1554 01:21:58,240 --> 01:22:01,200 Because I'm tired, man. I'm tired of seeing teachers 1555 01:22:01,200 --> 01:22:04,720 bringing up books that are like outdated, right. 1556 01:22:05,680 --> 01:22:08,840 So that's the dream of mine for this year, to really bring a lot 1557 01:22:08,840 --> 01:22:12,320 of really good material, a lot of really like people that have 1558 01:22:12,320 --> 01:22:14,120 never heard about that they should know. 1559 01:22:14,460 --> 01:22:19,100 Right and and making fun Tamian I I I want to make sure that you 1560 01:22:19,100 --> 01:22:22,460 know when appropriate Tamian you know because our students go 1561 01:22:22,500 --> 01:22:26,500 through a lot Tamian because they it doesn't feel it doesn't 1562 01:22:26,540 --> 01:22:28,380 feel nice when you know they're going through a lot like here 1563 01:22:28,380 --> 01:22:31,380 let's have you know like be mindful of that pedal I 1564 01:22:31,380 --> 01:22:33,940 definitely want my my my students to like have a 1565 01:22:33,940 --> 01:22:38,100 different experience in the classroom and and and and also 1566 01:22:39,980 --> 01:22:44,020 involve the community right. So if we're going to talk about. 01:22:45,040 As an example. 1568 01:22:45,120 --> 01:22:46,440 Right. And we're going to talk about 1569 01:22:46,440 --> 01:22:48,800 environmental justice. OK, Let's talk about it. 1570 01:22:48,800 --> 01:22:50,040 But now what? Right. 1571 01:22:50,280 --> 01:22:52,360 Because sometimes we do that like, oh, we can talk about all 1572 01:22:52,360 --> 01:22:54,600 these issues. But I'm like, now what? 1573 01:22:54,840 --> 01:22:57,400 Right. So there's a lot of different 1574 01:22:57,400 --> 01:23:00,160 organizations here around, you know, the community that are 1575 01:23:00,160 --> 01:23:02,880 doing beautiful work. And I want to be able to want to 1576 01:23:02,920 --> 01:23:05,400 be able to be like, have them be part of the curriculum. 1577 01:23:05,560 --> 01:23:07,600 Right. So that's a dream of mine for 1578 01:23:07,600 --> 01:23:10,920 this coming year, in the future. I don't know. 1579 01:23:10,960 --> 01:23:13,320 I still don't know in terms of that. 1580 01:23:14,250 --> 01:23:17,210 I love being in the classroom. I don't see myself being a 1581 01:23:17,210 --> 01:23:19,730 administrator. I see myself just stay in the 1582 01:23:19,730 -->

01:23:24,930 classroom and just keep building this beautiful spaces in the 1583 01:23:24,930 --> 01:23:29,650 classroom and get my sister I guess. 1584 01:23:30,290 --> 01:23:36,490 Personally I love doing art. I would love to like one day, 1585 01:23:36,490 --> 01:23:40,530 you know, DJ at A at a, you know, small venue, bunch of like 1586 01:23:40,610 --> 01:23:44,720 oldies because I love music. All this is like all this is my 1587 01:23:44,720 --> 01:23:48,080 thing and I wanted to like throw some some like little little 1588 01:23:48,080 --> 01:23:51,040 kickbacks with like friends in Tolanda where we just like you 1589 01:23:51,040 --> 01:23:53,800 know come together lessons on my oldies and have a good time and 1590 01:23:55,360 --> 01:23:58,400 yeah and then hopefully that's why I come in. 1591 01:23:58,400 --> 01:24:02,880 I love drawing and hopefully one day I can you know tattoo some 1592 01:24:03,080 --> 01:24:07,000 some of the art that I that I do and and travel. 1593 01:24:07,200 --> 01:24:09,640 Hopefully that's the thing that's a that's a dream of mine, 1594 01:24:09,640 --> 01:24:11,120 you know hopefully be able to travel. 1595 01:24:11,920 --> 01:24:13,360 Not just in the US, but outside the US. 1596 01:24:15,200 --> 01:24:17,880 I'm sure everything will come. I have a feeling that you're 1597 01:24:17,880 --> 01:24:18,640 gonna be able to. Oh the. 1598 01:24:19,000 --> 01:24:20,840 Advanced Parole. Yeah, Advanced Parole. 1599 01:24:22,120 --> 01:24:24,160 I have a feeling that there's big things for you, man. 1600 01:24:24,280 --> 01:24:27,880 Like, I'm telling, like I'm telling you, your car can see. 1601 01:24:27,880 --> 01:24:30,480 So all of our todo porque, like the way you are and the way, 1602 01:24:30,520 --> 01:24:32,560 man, just talking about your classroom and your goals. 1603 01:24:32,560 --> 01:24:35,120 Like, where can I sign up for this classroom, man? 1604 01:24:35,160 --> 01:24:36,600 I want to take your class, you know? 1605 01:24:36,600 --> 01:24:40,800 Like it makes it interesting to me to, you know, and I wish you 1606 01:24:40,800 --> 01:24:42,960 live closer. And I wish you didn't live 1607 01:24:42,960 --> 01:24:46,000 outside the state, man, you'd be kicking it all the time. 1608 01:24:46,000 --> 01:24:48,760 I'm not gonna. Lie, you know, like I hear you, 1609 01:24:49,160 --> 01:24:51,280 I hear you on that. But yeah, I. 1610 01:24:52,120 --> 01:24:54,600 I'm sure I'll be like, hey, you know, live. 1611 01:24:54,680 --> 01:24:56,880 Wanna be roommates. Exactly. 1612 01:24:58,240 --> 01:24:59,640 No. But yeah, I mean, that's, I 1613 01:24:59,640 --> 01:25:02,120 mean, I really appreciate you since the beginning for reaching 1614 01:25:02,120 --> 01:25:05,920 out and, you know, expressing your words to me because I, you 1615 01:25:05,920 --> 01:25:09,600 know, for me starting this podcast, it was never like and I 1616 01:25:09,600 --> 01:25:13,000 I never had the mindset of, you know, gaining financial gain 1617 01:25:13,000 --> 01:25:15,280 from this. And I don't, you know, it's just 1618 01:25:15,680 --> 01:25:18,200 I want to be able to highlight people and their stories and 1619 01:25:18,200 --> 01:25:20,120 where they come from and, you know, highlight issues that I'm 1620 01:25:20,120 --> 01:25:22,840 really talking about. But, you know, you speaking up 1621 01:25:22,840 --> 01:25:25,320 and, you know, telling me that you were undocumented just like 1622 01:25:25,320 --> 01:25:28,600 myself, like it it makes me like, it makes me feel proud. 1623 01:25:28,600 --> 01:25:30,480 You know, It makes me feel like I'm not alone. 1624 01:25:30,480 --> 01:25:32,840 And you know, I can talk to people like you and every now 1625 01:25:32,840 --> 01:25:35,720 and then we talk and it's just like, you know, I feel like I've 1626 01:25:35,720 --> 01:25:38,000 known you forever and I haven't even met you in person yet. 1627 01:25:38,000 --> 01:25:42,270 You know, I still have that, you know that that dream of, you 1628 01:25:42,270 --> 01:25:45,150 know, one day getting to know you and kicking it, you know, 1629 01:25:46,590 --> 01:25:50,230 But you know that's that's one thing for the future for sure is 1630 01:25:50,230 --> 01:25:54,590 the since the beginning, like I told you, you've been nothing 1631 01:25:54,590 --> 01:25:56,470 but a real homie. And you know if you've opened my 1632 01:25:56,470 --> 01:26:01,630 mind on certain topics and and you know ideas that you know, I 1633 01:26:01,630 --> 01:26:04,350 think about all the time, you know, just it helps me as a 1634 01:26:04,350 --> 01:26:06,990 person and it helps me in the career that I want to pursue. 1635 01:26:06,990 --> 01:26:10,090 So I really appreciate you would give me those words of you know 1636 01:26:10,090 --> 01:26:13,370 knowledge and and you know concejos along the way. 1637 01:26:13,370 --> 01:26:16,170 So I really appreciate that. Now that now that you know and I 1638 01:26:16,170 --> 01:26:19,890 think yeah I mean this is this has been this like been such a 1639 01:26:19,890 --> 01:26:23,570 beautiful you know beautiful experience to just be able to 1640 01:26:23,570 --> 01:26:26,770 connect with like other folks and like yourself and you know 1641 01:26:26,970 --> 01:26:29,810 especially like other owners you know like I think that's 1642 01:26:29,810 --> 01:26:33,490 beautiful and I and I hope that you know we we get continue to 1643 01:26:33,490 --> 01:26:36,090 experience that with other whether other owners in our 1644 01:26:36,090 --> 01:26:37,450 community because you know it's a. 1645 01:26:38,040 --> 01:26:41,400 We need it you know we need it and and then you know the young 1646 01:26:41,400 --> 01:26:47,920 man need us come in and I have I have a lot of hope you know and 1647 01:26:48,440 --> 01:26:55,360 and likewise man like I think yeah I I

I mean one day you know 1648 01:26:55,400 --> 01:27:02,840 kick it and be like. I just like kicking, you know? 1649 01:27:02,840 --> 01:27:05,680 And then then you know maybe hey, you never know, you know, 1650 01:27:05,680 --> 01:27:07,120 we work on some projects together. 1651 01:27:07,120 --> 01:27:10,160 It puts just share, share each other's like experiences and 1652 01:27:10,160 --> 01:27:12,000 knowledge. Because you know that's 1653 01:27:12,000 --> 01:27:14,120 something that I feel like we never stopped learning. 1654 01:27:14,160 --> 01:27:17,480 You know, we can decide, we can decide to like you know what, 1655 01:27:17,480 --> 01:27:18,720 I'm done. I don't want to learn no more, 1656 01:27:18,720 --> 01:27:21,600 you know? But not me, you know, And I I I 1657 01:27:21,640 --> 01:27:24,040 also see it in you, you know, you love to like, learn and 1658 01:27:24,040 --> 01:27:26,880 listen and grow. And it was just the, I'm sure 1659 01:27:26,880 --> 01:27:29,280 there's things that and you know, there's more things that 1660 01:27:29,280 --> 01:27:30,940 you. You're gonna learn and you're 1661 01:27:31,180 --> 01:27:34,260 gonna share that with me and and help me become a better, you 1662 01:27:34,260 --> 01:27:37,020 know, educator become a better, you know, father, become a 1663 01:27:37,020 --> 01:27:39,420 better, you know, a friend, you know. 1664 01:27:39,420 --> 01:27:44,100 So, so, yeah, I appreciate that. No, thank you for that. 1665 01:27:44,460 --> 01:27:45,180 Yeah. And I'm excited. 1666 01:27:45,220 --> 01:27:47,580 I'm looking forward to, like, I'm looking forward to, like, 1667 01:27:47,580 --> 01:27:51,580 you know, a long life, you know, friendship with you. 1668 01:27:51,990 --> 01:27:53,990 Oh, yeah, definitely. Mark my words, definitely. 1669 01:27:54,310 --> 01:27:56,910 But yeah, this pretty much, you know, concludes this episode. 1670 01:27:57,150 --> 01:27:58,870 If. I mean I guess you know if 1671 01:27:58,870 --> 01:28:00,830 anything I want to give a you know, I just want to give a 1672 01:28:00,830 --> 01:28:05,110 little shout out to like all my you know, wapeno wapenyas you 1673 01:28:05,430 --> 01:28:07,390 know all my, you know beautiful people out there. 1674 01:28:07,390 --> 01:28:10,630 You know the educators who are like doing their thing in the 1675 01:28:10,630 --> 01:28:13,190 classroom. You know, shout out to the the 1676 01:28:13,190 --> 01:28:16,350 students who like done such a kick ass job. 1677 01:28:16,350 --> 01:28:18,270 Like you know, throughout the couple years of life. 1678 01:28:18,270 --> 01:28:21,660 You know, dealing with the online school like it's 1679 01:28:21,660 --> 01:28:24,820 stressful. I can't imagine all my property, 1680 01:28:24,980 --> 01:28:26,380 all of you. You know it's. 1681 01:28:26,380 --> 01:28:30,660 The, you know, I shout out to like our, you know, our people, 1682 01:28:30,660 --> 01:28:32,660

you know, are are beautiful, beautiful people who are like 1683 01:28:32,660 --> 01:28:35,860 everything, man. They wake up and do their thing. 01:28:37,500 Whatever they doing and they do 1685 01:28:37,500 --> 01:28:39,340 it with pride, they do with pride. 1686 01:28:39,340 --> 01:28:40,740 It's so much pride, so much love. 1687 01:28:40,780 --> 01:28:45,940 And you know, I appreciate that. I appreciate it, you know and I 1688 01:28:45,940 --> 01:28:48,810 think. Yeah, all the people that have 1689 01:28:48,810 --> 01:28:50,850 like, yeah, I I shout out. I guess I shout out to all the 1690 01:28:50,890 --> 01:28:54,690 people that have, like have allowed me to be in space with 1691 01:28:54,690 --> 01:28:58,330 them, you know, either like through the low riding scene, 1692 01:28:58,330 --> 01:29:02,690 you know, the music scene, like, you know, the art scene or the 1693 01:29:02,690 --> 01:29:05,450 classroom, like all of them, You know, I appreciate, you know, 1694 01:29:05,930 --> 01:29:08,370 allowing, you know, to me be be, you know, being in space with 1695 01:29:08,370 --> 01:29:11,570 them because that's being really beautiful and I appreciate that. 01:29:12,850 You know, I don't take that for 1697 01:29:12,850 --> 01:29:13,730 granted, you know. Yeah. 1698 01:29:13,930 --> 01:29:17,100 Ceremony that's like. Every single every single. 1699 01:29:17,140 --> 01:29:19,500 You know that's what they're because honestly you know we 1700 01:29:19,500 --> 01:29:23,380 have this you know I think we have I really want to give shots 1701 01:29:23,380 --> 01:29:27,660 on my half life because man they they they they done so much you 1702 01:29:27,660 --> 01:29:31,140 know and they still wake up every single day go to work and 1703 01:29:31,140 --> 01:29:34,700 do the thing and and and you know they try their best to to 1704 01:29:34,700 --> 01:29:37,300 tell me and show me how much they love me and admire me and 1705 01:29:37,860 --> 01:29:42,900 and I appreciate that you know and I hope that you know they 1706 01:29:42,900 --> 01:29:45,100 that we can continue growing and. 1707 01:29:45,750 --> 01:29:47,030 Yeah, that's it. Yeah, that's it. 1708 01:29:47,030 --> 01:29:48,470 That's it. I'll stop because I can go on 1709 01:29:48,510 --> 01:29:50,710 and off. I I'll stop right here because. 1710 01:29:51,230 --> 01:29:52,510 Yeah, no, that's the stuff though. 1711 01:29:52,630 --> 01:29:54,030 Thanks. Thanks for inviting me be part 1712 01:29:54,030 --> 01:29:57,470 of this as did I know we tried to do the medical you know, but 1713 01:29:58,030 --> 01:30:01,230 you know things came up and here we are and I I appreciate you 1714 01:30:01,230 --> 01:30:03,710 for this space. I appreciate you know what 1715 01:30:03,710 --> 01:30:07,070 you're doing and and hopefully hopefully we we can come back 1716 01:30:07,070 --> 01:30:10,150 and do do something again and we'll talk about something else. 01:30:11,750 Yeah, no, I'm definitely looking 1718 01:30:11,750 --> 01:30:14,910 forward to maybe next time, you know, it can be something like 1719 01:30:15,830 --> 01:30:18,110 not through the phone or video chat, you know, it can be 1720 01:30:18,110 --> 01:30:20,830 something live. You know, like maybe I will see 1721 01:30:20,830 --> 01:30:24,190 much and I will tap or a hour or something, see if everything you 1722 01:30:24,190 --> 01:30:27,950 know goes well because you know, as right now, like I told you, I 1723 01:30:27,950 --> 01:30:30,630 can't complain about anything. And you know, we just got to 1724 01:30:30,630 --> 01:30:33,670 plan these things out and you know, I look forward to having 1725 01:30:33,670 --> 01:30:37,270 you on the podcast again and, you know, just continuing that 1726 01:30:37,270 --> 01:30:39,630 communication, you know, and just talking to each other 1727 01:30:39,630 --> 01:30:42,470 because, you know, it's it's really helpful out there when 1728 01:30:42,470 --> 01:30:44,780 you know, I think there's nobody else out there. 1729 01:30:44,780 --> 01:30:47,020 And then this spark comes out of nowhere like you and, you know, 1730 01:30:47,020 --> 01:30:50,100 I'm here, I am motivated again, like I tell you, you're like 1731 01:30:50,140 --> 01:30:51,500 you're like a role model to me, you know. 1732 01:30:51,500 --> 01:30:54,380 So I gotta continue to, you know, keep on the path. 1733 01:30:54,380 --> 01:30:57,380 But I really do appreciate that and everything you're doing for 1734 01:30:57,380 --> 01:31:02,740 for these young folks. I guess the last thing maybe we 1735 01:31:02,740 --> 01:31:04,500 can do a little podcast, no offensive around. 1736 01:31:04,970 --> 01:31:07,330 You know, after the first quarter of schools, you're like, 1737 01:31:07,330 --> 01:31:09,370 hey, how you doing? Yeah, exactly. 1738 01:31:11,090 --> 01:31:14,170 Maybe maybe do a? Little update. 1739 01:31:14,250 --> 01:31:15,770 I'm like how you know how the classroom going. 1740 01:31:16,210 --> 01:31:19,010 Yeah you never know maybe maybe hey maybe I'll have some of my 1741 01:31:19,010 --> 01:31:21,090 students be part of it. I'm going, hey, hell yeah, I'd 1742 01:31:21,090 --> 01:31:22,810 be down. Yeah, that. 1743 01:31:22,810 --> 01:31:25,450 That'd be actually kind of cool to have them on the podcast and 1744 01:31:25,450 --> 01:31:28,250 express their feelings and stuff like that, their thoughts and 1745 01:31:28,250 --> 01:31:30,330 everything. So hell yeah, we can definitely 1746 01:31:30,330 --> 01:31:32,770 plan something like that. This, this, this. 1747 01:31:36,220 --> 01:31:45,820 Like, who is this one?