She lived in a “beautiful, wonderful, big city, Guadalajara.” Spanish teacher Raquel Prado said with a wistful look in her eyes. “My school was around the corner. I would walk to school. I would talk to everyone.”

The idea of starting over was scary. Having to lose connections with her loved ones, her favorite places, her home, to that of an uncertain future seemed rather unpleasing. Prado described it as being uprooted and replanted on an alien planet.

She moved from Mexico, to a place known as Bacon Island, which is 30 minutes from Stockton.
Not knowing how to survive, not wanting to conform, she felt paralyzed.

As a 15 year old, going to a new school where her understanding of the foreign language was limited, made it hard for her to want to stay.

“I went to the school where I met other Mexicanos,” Prado said. “But they were mean and cruel. They would make fun of me because I came from Mexico.”

She didn’t identify as a Chicana or any other labels that were put on her. The transition from a big bustling city to a literal island was hard.

“There was a home and a mile later there was another home.” Prado said.

She had the idea that if she didn’t learn English and didn’t get an education, that she would be sent back to her homeland.

Except, years passed.

When she was 18, she got a job. Soon, more years passed and she began to grow new roots in this alien world.

In many ways, art teacher Chuzin Vang felt the same way. He came to the U.S as a refugee from Thailand with several other people.

When he went to school, he practically faced the same prejudice that Prado experienced.

Vang observed how other students learned. His aspirations was to be one of the top students, yet he “hated going to school of because of the cultural shock,” Vang said. “I didn’t know how to react or how to behave.”

He recalls being unable to understand inside jokes because everything was so new to him.

“They look at you like you’re weird because you can’t associate with a group of people,” Vang said. “They look down at you and think you’re stupid.”

His escape from this ostracization was art and he chased his new dream of becoming an art major.

Sometimes time allows us to ease obstacles.“You get used to being here after a while,” Prado said. “Even if you don’t speak English, you do.”

The thing that drove both Prado and Vang through the bullying, stereotypes and prejudice was their education. In both of their home countries, going to school was a luxury.

They appreciate that they were able to obtain an education here in the U.S. Yet Vang explains that “education makes you feel comfortable about yourself. But you may encounter barriers anywhere you go.”