"DAVID'S LITTLE BROTHERS'
small sobs,
the way they try to
swallow their
sadness quietly,
twist my insides.
When I walk through the
rickety stick fence
and meet Mama's sad eyes,
I almost shatter into a million pieces.
She knew it would happen,
but maybe, just maybe,
it would not.
Because who could imagine
they would turn us away
for the color of our skin
and the language we speak?"
This verse novel eloquently recounts the story of Roberto Alvarez and the 1931 Lemon Grove Incident. I had never heard of it, and I am guessing that I am not the only one. These are the stories that are rarely shared in history classes. It is very unsettling; then, ultimately hopeful even though it didn't stop such incidents in years that followed.
While students are on Christmas break, Roberto meets his friend Socorro's cousins. They have just moved to San Diego after being driven out of their Oklahoma home in the face of deportation raids on Mexican families. As break ends and the students eagerly return to their studies, the Mexican American students are told they can no longer attend Lemon Grove Grammar School. Now, they will have to attend the Olive Street School.
Their classes will be held in a renovated barn. It is not right, and residents of the barrio know that to be true. Roberto also knows it. As el Comite de Vecinos de Lemon Grove is organized to fight the transfer of their children, Roberto is made the young spokesperson for their legal action. The court case occasions change; it is the first successful desegregation case in the US. It does not go smoothly. Families are threatened; the community remains strong. Charges against the children for not attending their new school, deportation of some families, and a need for money to fight their case result.
When all is said and done, the people win their case. In spite of their many losses, they stand together to do what is best for their children. The text is beautifully written. Roberto, a 12-year-old boy is a compelling and courageous voice for all the tensions and fears between the two sides. There is reason to fear what will happen; there is also determination and perseverance to stand in solidarity.
An author's note provides readers with the history that led to the Lemon Grove Incident.
"THERE IS SO MUCH
I do not know about the world,
but I hope that people
learn about what happened
in the sea of lemon trees.
I make a wish that
children of every color
can go to school together
and never feel
like they do not
belong."
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