School Days

A new school year opened this week, and so did the San Felipe de Jesus after-school tutorial program. All last week, mothers came by the parish office to pick up school supplies—pencils, notebooks, backpacks. A lovely group from the Catholic Daughters of Texas drove all the way from Roundrock, Texas with a van packed with things to share. Nearly thirty-five children pack our two classrooms, where they have a place to do their homework—and someone to check it for them. Most have parents who are not home until late in the day (everyone works down here); all of the children are proud of their work, excited to be back to school, and give us the gift of youth—unbridled cheer and boundless hope.

(Photo by Michael Seifert)

What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?

I have known Angel since he was seven years old. Even as a boy, he wanted to be an engineer. He loved thinking about how to design things.

He is now 19 years old, the oldest of seven children. His mother is a true hero, raising her family the best way she can, working at what she can, fighting, scraping by, doing the right thing by her kids. Her children adore her.

Angel is bright, and a good student. He managed to get into a magnet high school for science. In May he got his engineering degree at the local university. He would love to design cities. "Civil engineer! That would be me!" he says.

He came by the parish office the other day, as he needed internet access to make an online application. I thought, “What a great thing. Angel is going to begin his career.” I felt like a proud, but elderly uncle.

Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. He was applying to the US Border Patrol. I asked him why, and he told me that it was the only secure job in town. And that the government offered health insurance as part of its benefits. I said, “But you always wanted to be an engineer!” He looked down and said, “I still do, but I have to support my mom.”

He then looked up and said, “You know, I have already had three interviews with the Border Patrol. The last time I went, I had to meet with four agents. They told me that they wanted to see what I was made of. So they said, ‘We are going to give you a scenario. Pretend that you are out on patrol with your partner, and you are loading up some immigrants, and one of them gets your partner’s gun and holds it to his head. What would you do?’

Angel continued, “Well, I thought for a moment and then told them, ‘I would pull my gun and then try and negotiate with the guy so that no one gets hurt.’ And then the captain shouted at me, “No! You will take out your gun and shoot that illegal five times! We are Border Patrol. We don’t negotiate with anyone.’

Angel finished, “Now I see how they really are. It is not a very attractive job, but it is all that there is.”

Angel’s mother was brought to the USA by her husband, a legal resident who refused to help her straighten out her immigration status. While she has now applied to "regularize" her immigration status through her son Tony, a US citizen, she still remains in the limbo of awating approval from the United States government.

She could be one of those people that the Border Patrol would not want Angel to negotiate with.