Relatability, Shrematablity

Dear Joshua,

During this blog, I have been trying to find ways to get you to relate to the books I review. I have tried using your interests, your experiences (that you have had or will have eventually), or lessons you should probably learn. This time I have a book that caused quite a commotion in class, due to the subject of relatability.

“We Were Here” my Matt De La Pena is a book about a Mexican American teen, Miguel, who winds up in Juvenile Detention in California. He is sent to a house to work off his sentence with a Judges request that he write a journal. The journal is to help counselors help him. He meets Rondell, an African American teen, in Juvi who also ends up in the same house. At the house already is Mong, a Chinese American teen who just looks plain crazy to Miguel.

Miguel and his new acquaintances decide to run away to Mexico and find jobs. On the journey, we learn a lot about where the boys come from, what kind of family life they had, what their aspirations are. Miguel is the narrator, we have a limited perspective, but we can see the progression of an unlikely friendship between three kids brought together by actions deemed irresponsible.

“Throughout Missouri, the Division of Youth Services operates 32 residential programs serving 72 groups of 10-12 youth and 10 day-treatment programs. Division of Youth Services programs are located in both rural and urban/metropolitan areas throughout the state.” This was found at http://www.dss.mo.gov/dys/faq/genopt.htm. This means that, in the state of Missouri, there are 23,040 – 27,648 kids in the DYS database at a given time. The discussion raging in class was over how students could relate to a book about Juvi kids. I believe the numbers above deem relatability a moot point.

We know these kids. We see them on the street, in the grocery store, at the mall, cleaning trash on the side of the interstate. To not present a book like this would pretend that these kids don’t exist. I didn’t work at a non-profit crisis care center for abused and neglected children for 12 months to walk away thinking that I will always be surrounded by white, middle to upper class, privileged kids.

Joshua, I know that at your Super Nerd Tech School (just poking fun) probably doesn’t have a lot of Juvi kids, if any at all. But your school recently ended up having the largest Toledo Public High School, Scott, merge into your building. That school is riddled with gangs and violence like you wouldn’t believe. And you share a building with them, despite TTA’s best efforts to prevent that from happening. You are going to see Juvi kids. And you would be better off knowing that they come from a home life that you could only imagine. They need extra guidance and a hell of a lot of support. Read “We Were Here.” These kids are human and worth taking a look at. I don’t care if you can’t relate. Suck it up, boy.

Your sister,

Paige