Mami Power

For my final project in the class, Education of Immigrant Youth, I had to interview at least two students and a mother. The mom I asked was very excited. She emailed me to make sure I hadn't forgotten and even said I could go to her house. I would have, except I had too much work/homework to do. She let me interview both her daughters. Jenn asked why she was trying to be so helpful. My first response was that she was just one of those moms that was super excited about helping and did everything for her kids. (We had a discussion about this, which I will spare you, but here's the gist: "Could you ever be a mom like that!?"; "I can't see myself ever being that kind of mom!"; "I might want to be that kind of mom, I have it in me, but not sure if I have the stamina."; etc.) But after having a long, one-one conversation with this mother, I have a different answer.

The moms I work with are immigrants, mostly undocumented. They left their countries because they felt trapped in poverty. They left knowing they could maybe never return. They left all their security of familiarity to come to a land that does not want them, but kind of does, just a little, if they are willing to work quietly for tiny pay. So this mom, she wants to feel useful, wants to be empowered and wants to make sure her school is a place that not only prepares her daughters for life, but all students. She fights for access and equity. Taking care of her daughters is her activisim- after all she is preparing her daughters, young Latinas, to believe in themselves, and speak up when they experience injustice. After all, they have many odds against them. This mother, she worries about how she will deliver the promises she's made to her daughters about going to college. There is no financial aid available for undocumented students- even if they attended American schools since preschool. "Pero si hay recursos, sí hay una manera. Sí hay."

If it is in my path to be a mother, I would want to be like her.