As a young kid growing up in Denver, Colorado in the 1970s, I didn’t see a lot of people who looked like me on television. Sure, there was the sitcom Chico and the Man, but most TV programs seemed to feature families who were white with worries like whether they would agree on where to go for vacation or who would tell dad about the fender bender to the family sedan.
My family had bigger things to worry about, things like racism, discrimination, lack of opportunity, and work safety.
The Chicano Movement was born in Denver, and my parents, as a young couple with a growing family, proudly supported The Crusaders for Justice, as the activists of the movement were known. However, my parents drew the line at the more militant actions of the time. They believed in the power of education and the strength of reason. I must have done a lot of eavesdropping of their conversations around the kitchen table because their values were instilled in me, as were those of my maternal grandfather, who for years worked the mines in Colorado and spoke to me about why unions were crucial to workplace safety and financial security. He made a point of trying to buy only union products. Heck, he wouldn’t even go to a barber that wasn’t part of a union.
Today, after 28 years of teaching, I proudly continue to serve as a “footsoldier” for the Colorado Education Association and my local, District Twelve Educators’ Association. Whether it’s organizing new bargaining units, serving on a PAC committee, agreeing to be a building representative, helping to negotiate contracts, or just providing refreshments and other support to unions who are on the line, I will always find the time to say “yes” to what’s asked of me. After spending all day at school teaching eighth graders math, I may be exhausted, but I know the value of taking a stand. I guess you could call it a family tradition.
