A couple of things happened this semester that restored my hope in the future. The first was to walk into a very noisy classroom. I missed them since cell phones killed casual conversations among students and made it difficult to create community when they didn't know each other's names.
But this time I had a section of Intro to Lit in Spanish that surprised me. Just on the second day of class I felt as if I had walked into a cage of parakeets: lots of simultaneous, animated and noisy conversations, right before class. And they were all smiling and having a jolly good time.
After recovering from this surprise, I learned that some local high-school students decided to walk out of their classes and protest the current immigration enforcement policies. I felt torn. On the one hand, I wish they had stayed in class and study. On the other, I admired their determination: they're disappointed because they were led to believe that education is a ticket to get a good job… and now there aren't many of them. Besides, they're concerned about their fellow classmates and the nation at large. Granted, some may have taken the day off, but then many appear in photos carrying signs that express their views.
These events made me hopeful. Between ditching their cells and picking up signs, young people are waking up.
I am Francisco Solares-Larrave, and this is my optimistic perspective.
