Connecting Across Cultures to Solve the Latino Education Crisis

[Jzmackenzie]

I left NYC and the BookExpo America event in the morning - May 28- after my Columbian born hostess walked me to the right bus. On the first bus, I sat between two NYC native - black females - they were so thrilled to listen to me about my amazing visit in their city and the hostess I came to love like a sister. My comments really made their day they told me. We shared a few precious moments.

The NYC to Dallas plane arrived 35 minutes early so I had no problem making the second plane - the original schedule was very tight. On the Dallas flight,?I was seated next to a brilliant college student - 20 years old - Fernanda. She was returning to Leon from London with her brother (18), her sister (15) and her parents (both physicians in Leon). ?It was the celebration of the birthday of the 15 year old - her dream was to visit London.?

Fernanda and I talked about her joys and sorrows related to life and work as a Latina. She confided in me her fears about life, but she works hard to stay upbeat; she does not want her parents to worry. She stays on campus and studies a great deal to be a successful student. She is studying about how to increase food production. Plants and math are her interests. She would like to bring students here to study with me - to go to the distant villages that Jolene and I have visited while I was looking for disabilities in infants. The Mexican students would study what plants locals are eating and/or growing. Youth is our hope for a better tomorrow.?

By 8pm, I was back home safe in Central Mexico.?My family heard all about my hostess and my trip to both the 4 days of immigration conferences in Dallas and NYC where our book "Empowering Spanish Speakers" was presented. My family was so happy for me meeting such fine people. While I was gone, they worked on getting the guest apartments finished so that patrons have a place to stay while they verify and ask questions about the charity work we are doing here.?

My family rushed me home from the airport to a family fiesta two houses away from my own. In a few minutes I was eating rice, tortillas, Mexican sausage, drinking tequila, and dancing the salsa with my neighbors. The man of the house was celebrating his 48th birthday. He is a newspaper reporter and his wife is an educator. They live in town and this house is their retreat space. I was welcomed like a native.?I really do have it all.

My goal is to give Latino students in the USA or Mexico the same access to security and dignity.