reality check

When I agreed to a year service as a Lasallian Volunteer in Racine, Wisconsin, I imagined flat land, cows, and a population of Caucasians. What problems could there possibly be in this small, Middle America town? What service could I possibly provide to people who were probably living pretty comfortably already?

Upon moving to Racine, I realized that I could not have been father from the truth. I live along a river, among many hills, have yet to see a cow in my neighborhood, and spend most of my time working with students and parents of Hispanic heritage. There are a countless number of families who struggle on a daily basis in a variety of areas, for a variety of reasons. And while there are families who live comfortably in my neighborhood, the majority do not.

Each day, I spend my time working with students from the impoverished areas of Racine at John XXIII Educational Center, an after school tutoring and mentoring program. John XXIII provides supervised study hall time, one-on-one homework assistance, college preparation opportunities, and safe social activities for the students that we work with.

At first glance, many would label our students. These are the kids who become statistics by being teenage parents, will spend their whole lives working minimum wage jobs, and will ultimately spend the majority of the lives fighting to make it. Some of them will get involved with drugs. Others will be arrested. And the majority of them are “trouble makers”.

Despite the judgment that is passed on these students, I am convinced that these “trouble makers” are actually some of the most creative, hard working, and entertaining students I will ever encounter. Lucy and Marcos have an incredible talent for drawing. Fabian can always make me laugh. Althena has questions about everything. And Edwin can build or fix anything you ask him to.

    The sad truth is that these students will face judgment and social injustices more regularly throughout their lifetime than I will. My time working with each of them has exposed me to many social injustices and has given me a new knowledge and perspective about the reality of their lives.

Many of our students face the challenge of being undocumented. This means that they have difficulty getting jobs, using government funded programs, accessing basic social services, and receiving education benefits at the collegiate level. Their families will often neglect to follow through on everyday tasks for the fear of being kicked out of their homes or, in the worst situations, out of the country. This also means that many of our families face the struggle of being separated from their loved ones, who are often in Mexico, without the ability to visit them on a regular basis.      

Our neighborhood isn’t necessarily safe. There have been instances of violence and crime right within the surrounding area of John XXIII. Many of our students live in the same area as John XXIII and, because of this, our students must always keep in mind that where they live forces them to be extra aware of their surroundings all the time. 

Most of our students come from homes where Spanish is spoken all the time. The children in the family are bilingual because of their enrollment in school, but often struggle to read and write at grade level because of their lack of exposure to the English language at home. Parents are literally unable to help their children with homework because of their inability to read, write, and understand the English language.

Additionally, many of our students are faced with extra responsibilities and pressures at home. A large number of our families own their own businesses and stores. This means that most of their days are spent working or managing others. These businesses are their livelihoods and many of our parents are forced to spend the majority of their time focusing on being successful at work so that they can be successful at home. Often times, this forces the children in the family to take on extra responsibilities in addition to their school work, which may include working, babysitting younger siblings, or serving as a translator to assist their families.

The long and short of it is that our students take on responsibilities that many adults would shy away from. They sacrifice living a “normal” childhood because of the social injustices that they face each and every day. They are unable to apply to have their first job because they don’t have a social security number. They can’t play outside because it is not safe. They don’t like to read because it is a difficult task. And they often have to sacrifice spending time with their friends because they have extra responsibilities at home.

As someone who had no first hand experience with these difficulties before my time as a volunteer in Racine, I feel lucky to have the opportunity to live among my students, share in their difficulties, and better understand social injustices that many people face on a daily basis. As I move forward on my journey, I know that the best thing I can do for these students is give them the consistency, love, and guidance that they often lack at home. It may not seem like a lot, but I know that even a little bit can make all the difference to these students!