Behind The Mask

Hiding my feelings is a daily task
I pretend I'm okay throughout the smiles
The tears are the real deal
I don't let anybody see them
So I put on my mask that disguises them
I'm scared to expose them
I may look like a strong girl
But there's times were I might feel like the weakest girl around
Yes it's true appearances can lie
But what can I do ?
Am I just supposed to sit there and let people judge me
by who they think I am and feel ?
No I'm done with it it's time for me to expose my real feelings and the real me
It scares me to think that I'm finally going to expose myself
But probably that way I'll find new things in me that will make me a better person

Liberation

My group's area of study was gangs. Many people have a different definition or understanding of gangs but let me tell you mine. To me gangs are a group of people who can use colors or territories to affiliate themselves to a different gang or group. These different groups of people don't get along and even if they wanted too they can't get along. For example here in Oakland gangs often use the colors black,red,or blue to affiliate themselves to a different gang or territory to represent where they are from.

Here there are many teens and even adults who are being oppressed by these different gangs. Many of them are trying their best to liberate themselves from this. One of the people that I know who are trying to liberate themselves from gangs is my cousin who got jumped in a gang and who is trying to get out. What my cousin is doing to liberate himself is that he is going to school and stays away from the streets more. He also stopped hanging out with the people he use to hang out with that are in a gang. I think what my cousin is doing somehow is helping him liberate himself since he is doing a good thing of staying away from them since he won't be risking his life by haniging out with the gang.

The groups that are being oppressed by this are the gangsters in gangs. I feel like they are oppressing themselves by joing a gang. I don't think they are doing something to liberate themselves since they jump in a gang and don't do anything to get away from them. Their families are also being oppressed by this since the decision the "gangsters" are making have nothing to do with liberation and their freedom. This oppresses their family because they might feel like it's their fault their child is messing up. By liberating yourself from this oppression can really help you.

I can connect to this because I used t live in a place where there was alot of gang violence. There I saw people getting shot due to gangs , arguments , and fights between them. I also experienced death due to gangs. While living there it made me feel oppressed and I even thought of joing a gang. To liberate myself from this I told my parents what was going on and we immediatley moved away from there. Thanks to my parents support and my determination to stay away from gangs I got through it and now I'm proud to say I'm gang free.

Gang Oppression

My area of study is gangs. Gangs can be defined as a group of people who can use colors or territories to affiliate themselves to a different gang or group. These different groups of people don't get along and even if they wanted too they can't get along. Many of us have a different understanding of gangs but this is mine. As you can see we are surrounded by alot of oppression.
The gangs in Oakland like Nortenos , Border brothers , and surenos can become eachother's oppressors. For example , a Border brother might try to harm a sureno or norteno and that's how they become eachother's oppresors. Most of the time they oppress one another by jumping eachother and sadly their oppression can go to knew extremes such as killing and causing their victim's death. Gangsters oppress eachother but in my opinion I think this opression really has to end.
Gang oppression doesn't just oppress people in a gang it also oppresses youngsters out in the streets since some of them might feel preassured to join a gang too. It also affects people in our communnity because they don't feel free to wear whatever color they want since if you wear red or blue or black you'll be classified as one of their members and that can put your life in danger. As you can see everyone in our communninty might feel oppressed.
In the other hand the system can oppress gangsters. One example is that the police might arrest a gang banger and once they let them go the police takes them and leaves them in their rival's territory. This isn't fair because that's putting their life in danger. I can realte to this because my brother's friend got arrested and the police took him and left him in the rival's territorry and he got jumped. I don't agree with the police doing this because if the person who got arrested dies it's  the police's fault.
I can connect to all this gang oppression because me personally I feel oppressed by gangs. I feel oppressed by gangs because living in a place with alot of gang activity can really mess you up unless you stay focused on your goals and stay away from the negative things in the communitty. I also feel oppressed because as other teenagers here I also don't feel free to wear certain colors due to gangs. Hopefully gang oppression comes to an end very soon.

College For All

College For All

I come from a Mexican family,that’s very supportive. They always help me accomplish

the goals I set for myself and they always tell me to persevere. The bad things that are

going on in my community have caused me to stay away from them since it might affect my

future in a negative way that’s going to disappoint my family. Gangs,violence,drugs,and

dropping out of school are daily things in my community. These things interfere with our

learning environment since they can distract us from our school work and it might cause us

to want to be like the people around us. Fortunately, my school has given us an opportunity

to visit colleges so we could start thinking about where we want to go when we grow up so

we can accomplish the goals we have set ourselves in life. With this opportunity they are

offering us in school they have helped me to think about what I want to do with my life. I

can really say that the opportunities they are offering us in school have really shaped all my

dreams.

There are many obstacles that my family and I are facing together. The major issue

that I think is affecting us the worst is our legal status since I wasn't born here in the

United States. This is affecting us since we don’t have papers and I need them in order to

accomplish my dreams. This is affecting my parents because they are undocumented and

they can’t work in a good job as other people who can because of ICE. Another way it’s

affecting my family and me is because my parents want me to accomplish my dreams since

they weren’t able to accomplish theirs. What we decided to do to address this problem was

that we decided to do things that show that we are supporting the dream act. If the dream

act gets approved I’ll be able to accomplish all the goals I have set for myself. If I

accomplish all my dreams I’ll be successful in life and I’ll be the person my family wants me

to be. All I really want is a good successful future that way I’ll set a good example to my

little brother and he’ll see me as a role model.

When I was little I always dreamed to have my own house,have money,become a nurse,

and help my parents and my brothers , until this day my dreams still remain the same

except that I don’t want to be a nurse now I want to be a lawyer or crime investigator. “I’m

going to have a good future” and “I’m going to be the first one to go to college from my

family” those are the words I have always said ever since I was little and those are the

main things I’m focusing on. My parents always tell me to persevere and get over the

obstacles I face because everything is possible. Due to the advice my parents give me I’m

determined to do whatever it takes for me to reach my dreams.

Freedom Poem

Everyone is treated the same
Quality education for every race
United people out in the streets together
like a big family
And everyone respecting one another
Loving communnity members caring for eachother
Individuals growing up to become someone important
Today , tomorrow , and always we'll be treated equally because
You , me , and everyone else around us are all human beings
who are the same no matter where we come from

I am poem

I am from the 510 ,
East Oakland to be exact,
I am from a city where all you hear is pop pop,
& people crying out for help
I am from the dubbz where everywhere you turn there's tagging all around
From the 20's to the hunnits people be reppin' it with pride
Yeah,I'm from Oakland where the youngsters have dreams & are ready to succeed
When you think about the town don't judge it by the things you see or hear,
Just think of it as the city of hopes & dreams

El Dia De Los Muertos Poem

Joshua,
I'm waiting for the moment you come back
I know you looking down at us with your beautiful smile
Yeah,that one smile of yours that use to make my day
When you come back I'm sure you'll be wearing your hoodie,saggy jeans,& your rosary
Ha ha,remember how I always use to try to take your rosary away ?
Yeah those were the times
I miss you so much !
If tears would bring you back I would cry a river for you,
just to see you again
I'll never regret meeting you matter of fact
I consider myself lucky for getting a chance to know you
May 24th was the last day I talked to you
May 25th was the day they pronounced you dead in the news
I broke out crying I couldn't believe it & I still can't believe it
But I guess god needed another angel
"Everything is going to be OK"
That's what you would always tell me to make me feel better
Now all that makes me feel good is remembering those unforgettable crazy moments we spent together
Everyone misses you & loves you
We'll never forget about you
Save us a spot in heaven we'll soon be up there with you