I Remember

by Genaro Jr. Arana, Program Manager

At America SCORES Bay Area we serve schools with youth of all ethnicities, but there is one school which I share a very special story with.  At Mission Education Center, all of the students are migrants from Central America countries — it is a school which captures an experience myself and many other citizens in this country have gone through. These students all share common stories of their great journey of how they came to arrive in the United States of America.  What many people do not know is that these kids have experienced days, weeks, and even months of agonizing stress on a journey to make their dreams come true.  Millions like them can only imagine having the "American Dream".

In October I attended a Mission Education Center poetry class led by site supervisor Maria Picazo.  The lesson of the day was to write a poem with the title “Yo recuerdo (I remember)” about things they remember most. After listening to all the memories these students had of their foreign countries, I was inspired to write a poem about my migration story — the same migration story these special students have all experienced. I wrote my “Yo recuerdo” poem and shared it with the class.

Yo Recuerdo

Noche negra, yo recuerdo

Corimos asi al tunel, el sabor de mi sudor sabia a agua sal del mar

“Todos guarden silencio” dijo el cojote.

WUWUWUWUWU paso el alicoptero

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah volvimos acorer

Llegamos a la fenza grande como la gran pader de China

Asi parecia, yo consolo seis anos de adad

Llegamos! ala altura de la Montana yo vi luces brillantes

Paracian estrellas.

LLegamos, estoy aqui

Comiensa mi sueno Americano

I Remember

Black night, I remember

We ran toward a tunnel, the sweat in my mouth tasted like the oceans salty water

“Everyone remain quiet” the smuggler said.

WUWUWUWUWUWU the helicopter passed by

Ah ah ah ah  ah ah we began to run

We arrived to the big fence that looked like the Great Wall of China

It seemed like that, me with only six years of age

We arrived! At the top of the mountain I saw bright lights

They looked like stars

I’m here, we have arrived

My American Dream begins.

June of 1993, I was six years old living in poverty in Mexico when my father decided that my mother, older brother, and I should migrate to California so that we could live better lives and have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream.  My family and I went through the same hardships crossing the border as these Mission Ed students.  Ever since I shared my poem with these students, they see me as an example of what they can be if they work hard in this land of great opportunities.