By: Sofia Gonzalez, Latinx Teachers Fellowship Alum

Just days after last year’s election, many school buildings were turning into spaces that were catching stories of terror, concerns of deportation, and pure worry for those of us who already felt at the end of education’s priority list. We could all just feel the impending doom of being pushed out altogether. I’d be dishonest if I said I wasn’t feeling it too.

Kids are starting to pour open their hearts to us as the educator, the practitioner, school admin, and it’s gut-wrenching.

“Mrs. G., is my mom gonna get deported? I have nowhere to go. I guess I can get a job and try to keep paying the apartment,” says a 16-year-old child who dared to stay after class to break open angst, terror, and helplessness. “They’re gonna come for her, they’re gonna come for her.”

I closed the door, as my heart started beating wildly in my chest, knowing there was little I could do for my school child at the moment but hold space, offer comfort, and express my care and deep concern. My eyes studied her as the tears glided down her gorgeous face, full of youth and promise. She’s one of my hardest workers–she’s got grit, sass, and heart. Before she left, I hugged her tight and assured her that I see her and I’m with her.

I started making moves after she left with school leadership, counseling, and social work as I batted off the numbness that was starting to fill my cheeks and the knot in my throat that was threatening to burst forth with an avalanche of sobs and melancholy. “Ay, mi Dios,” I whispered, “Ayúdanos.”

“God, help us.”

This is going to be one of the many stories that will continue to surface in the days ahead. Heavily populated school districts with communities of color will be experiencing copious amounts of stress and anxiety due to policy changes and what that means for their communities.

The Latino community, whose US student population makes up close to 30% and climbing, according to Unidos US, is going to be facing major disruptions in learning, mental health, and home life. There are too many unknowns and variables, but the mass media doesn’t help any of this for us. With rhetoric like “mass deportations,” “mobilizing ICE and military forces,” and immigrants being called “criminals,” “aliens,” and “rapists,” the anxiety at the epicenter of our communities has deepened.

The current flux of newcomers from places like Venezuela and Guatemala has families reeling and grappling with the implications of their status and pathway to citizenship.

Most of us agree that education is important and is the cornerstone of our communities and a reflection of democracy. Yet, we need to pause and take a good look at what is happening, and what might happen, and assume collective responsibility if we are going to find a path forward with human decency. The problem is we all don’t agree on what is deemed sacred, worth saving and protecting.

As a result of the presidential administration’s immigration policies, the emotional and mental strain that it is being put on the educator and education activist is enormous. Now more than ever, we must band together, take good care, and lean on our affinity spaces and networks for healing and next steps. 

To all my advocates, leaders, and lovers of education spaces and what goes on in here: You can’t forget us. You can’t forget that many of our kids of color are and will be struggling to find meaning and their place in this society that is communicating the tearing down of their worth and value. Stakes are especially high among the Latino community. 

Don’t forget the teacher of color, those of us who are fighting every day and remain proximate to the issues. Remember the work you promised to make our spaces more equitable, safe, just, and transformative. Remember our faces, our stories, and our lived experiences in a system that doesn’t seem designed to see us flourish.

I’m imploring you to use your sphere of influence, resources, and networks to protect and honor the civil rights of our largest student population…Latino students and their communities.  

I’m asking you to grab my hand because I’m not going anywhere. Find me in room 240 wiping tears, ripping off labels, crushing stereotypes, and finding resources both for myself, as a Latina daughter of immigrants, and my school babies. Por favor y gracias. 

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Sofia Gonzalez is the 2019 Educator of the Year with the National Society of High School Scholars and an education activist from the Chicagoland area. A proud Latina and Vice President of LULAC Council 5238, she is a sought-after speaker on education equity and trauma-informed practices. Known for her spoken word, storytelling, and dynamic presentations, Sofia is a high school teacher leader, culture keeper, and disruptor. An alum of Fulbright, Latinos for Education, Latinx Education Collaborative, and Urban Leaders Fellowship DC, she brings passion and urgency to transform classrooms and systems for the 21st century and beyond. Her most recent endeavor will be as Youth Ambassador Mentor with World Learning & US Department of State to Argentina summer 2025.