Craft in America

We returned from Oaxaca and I returned to Los Angeles city schools. I found my way to a new program called the Newcomers Center. It was designed for 400 or more students, immigrant students would arrive. It was only a two-year program I believe and then they had to assimilate into the regular school program. Los Angeles School District chose Crenshaw High School to house this program. I taught health and social studies and art and English to these students. Two of them happen to be with us today. Oh my god Miss Bassler she's a sweetie pie. She was my high school teacher at the Newcomer Center, Crenshaw High School and that is the first moment that I walked into a classroom and I saw this beautiful lady surprisedly speaking Spanish and I was so happy to hear somebody speaking to me in Spanish and especially when I said I'm from Oaxaca, she start jumping up and down, singing oh my god from Oaxaca, this is my magical place and that's when I felt home. When I came to the U.S., I had the opportunity to enroll at the Newcomer Center at Crenshaw High School at the time and that's where I met Mrs. Bassler. It's difficult for me to call by her first name at this point because to me she's Mrs. Bassler because that's the person that I remember. When I came to L.A., I was 16 years old. Riding on the truck with my dad, the impression that I have about the U.S. is seeing those freeway and the divider, in the lines. Those lights to me was like magic. Looking at those reflectors on the freeway so that's the thing that I remember the most and then from there it was like magic. Magical things began to happen. Like for example at school getting certificates for being there every single day. To me that was like wait a minute, I'm getting recognized for just being here today. They arrived from Oaxaca competent, self-confident, respectful, educated, cultured people and I of course took to them immediately. I'm a high school math teacher currently and I always teach a little bit of culture because I think this is very important to teach the kids the new generations about the importance of the community, how to give back to the community and also be loved, who you are from inside and share who you are with other people as well. The support of Mrs. Bassler and the other teachers that was key in order for me to continue with my college education so I owe my success to a lot of people and when I talk about success, I'm not talking about money. I'm not talking about fame. I'm talking about being able to be a human being that now is able to think about other people and see how I could help that community. That's how I measure success. I treasure these people. There's just a very few but they are exemplary of all of my wonderful students I've had through the years and they epitomize them for me.