Young and Homeless (Part III): Risking It All, For an Education
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was produced with support from a New America Media fellowship to report on children in poverty in California, and is part three of a three-part series on youth homelessness and education.
FRESNO -- When he was just 14 years old, Antonio Magaña made the toughest decision of his young life. Antonio, who was born in Visalia, Calif., decided to leave his mother and two younger siblings in Colima, México, and return to the United States -- alone -- to enroll in high school.
The choice, he said, was motivated by one goal: To earn an education, so he, his Mexican mother and his U.S.-born siblings could have a future in California.
"I came here just for that -- so I could offer me and her and my siblings a better future," said Antonio, now 17, as he sat on a tree-shaded bench on the Roosevelt High School campus one Thursday afternoon in March.
The decision, though, placed Antonio on a trajectory toward youth homelessness. Since arriving in California three years ago, Antonio has bounced through the homes of five relatives, and attended three high schools.
"I have been around a lot," he said, as he listed the various places he has lived.
"There were times when I thought I should just go back to México, but I didn't. Thank God, I didn't... I'm really this close to graduating."
As he couch-surfed from one relative's home to another, Antonio became one of the approximately 2,400 homeless students in Fresno Unified School District who lack a fixed, regular, stable, and adequate nighttime residence. In Fresno Unified -- the district with the second highest number of homeless students in the state -- about 60 percent of homeless youth are Latino.
Antonio initially might not seem to fit the traditional definition of homeless: He was not sleeping on the streets, in shelters, or in motels, like some other homeless students.
Still, he qualifies for support through the school district's Project ACCESS -- which assists homeless students with enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school -- because he does not have a stable residence. For more than three years, he has not had a home to call his own, a family to depend on, or a mother to encourage him to do his homework each night.
Yet hardly any of that has held Antonio back, or diminished his dream of achieving an education and providing a brighter future for his family.
"I'm always optimistic," he said. "I never like looking at the negatives. I've always been like that -- that's what keeps me motivated."
Growing up, Antonio attended elementary school in Tulare and Fresno. When he was 11, his mother, who was undocumented, moved Antonio and his two younger siblings back to Colima, México, so she could care for her ill father.
Antonio attended middle school in México, but knew his mother, who worked in the fields, could not afford to send him to high school there. The cost of attending high school in México, plus purchasing books, would be cost-prohibitive for his family, he said.
"I had seen the life we had [in Mexico], and it was hard," he said. "There were points where I wanted to drop out of school and work in the fields, too, to help her."
Antonio, who proudly calls himself a "mama's boy," decided to leave his mother and siblings behind in México and return alone to the U.S. to pursue his high school diploma.
"I told her, either I drop [out of school] and I work, or I go to the United States where I could go [to school] for free. The money you're going to spend on me you don't have to, and I can just be over there on my own."
"I didn't want to leave my mom," said Antonio. "It was hard, but I also did it for her."
So Antonio returned to California at age 14.
He lived with multiple relatives upon arriving first in Los Angeles, before moving to Tulare where he lived with his aunt. He eventually came to Fresno to live with another aunt, but now lives with yet another aunt and uncle in Fresno.
During that time, he attended high school for two months in Los Angeles, two months in Fresno, and a handful of months in Tulare. He has now been at Roosevelt High School, back in Fresno, for two years.
He only sees his mother and two siblings, now ages 9 and 14, when he returns to Mexico during summer vacations. On his visits, he is careful not to discuss his unstable living situation too often.
"I didn't even know this," responded Antonio's new girlfriend, 17-year-old Monse Talamante, as she heard him describe the various places he has lived.
Despite the instability of constantly changing schools and homes, and the emotional pain of speaking with his mother via telephone just once a week, Antonio has managed to achieve a 3.3 GPA at Roosevelt.
He is enrolled in the school's IRS Academy, a business education program, and through the academy, he secured a part-time job at the Internal Revenue Service this spring. He is vice president of the senior class of the IRS Academy, and is also involved in the school's Californians for Justice club and the Youth Leadership Academy.
He expects to graduate from Roosevelt High School this spring, wearing a cap, gown and class ring purchased for him by Project ACCESS.
Already having been accepted for admission to California State University, Fresno, Antonio is still waiting to hear back from Fresno Pacific University. He hopes to double major in business and accounting, and criminal justice.
Antonio’s drive to be successful in school, he said, comes straight from his mother. "I'm shaped by my mom," he said. "She always cared about me going to school."
Academic accomplishments will mean little to Antonio, though, if he cannot bring his siblings, and eventually his mother, back to California. He hopes his younger brother returns to California next year, and when he is 21, said Antonio, he intends to help his mother return to the U.S. legally.
"I just need to fix my mom's papers, and then we will be reunited," he said.
"I came to get a good education here, for a better future. I have more [of a] future here than I do in México."
To read a first-person account written by Rebecca Plevin, about her experiences reporting on youth homelessness in Fresno, please visit her blog, Harvesting Health.
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Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
He is a citizen, it is his tax money too.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
All on our tax money.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Good job!We need hard working americans like you in this country! Good luck! and god bless you!
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Oh please spare us the illegal alien sob stories.
Even if it's true for ONE of them, there are millions more of them that just come to soak up food stamps, free healthcare from our Emergency Departments and free schooling for their never-ending spawn. All the while destroying our neighborhoods with filth, violence and crime.
Kick 'em all out; including the "amnestied" as they all broke the law too.
Join www.numbersusa.com to send faxes to your government reps about illegal immigration for free.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
He's paid taxes?
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Way go Antonio, never, never, never give up
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
"Oh please spare us the illegal alien sob story"
Wow, your an idiot, preach your ignorance elswhere. Please and Thank You.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Methinks the "good job Antonio" posts are all coming from the same anonymous person :)
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Congratulations Antonio! Your story will inspire other young and adult people too.
For those who criticized you, tell them to ask theyre politicians to pay for theyre taxes...[the ignorant people that wrote bellow]
We need more people like you in america!!!!
Gio Earl
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Lest you forget your heritage, you must not dishonor the memory of your ancestors and their struggle to acheive a better way of life. Do not dishonor their dreams of freedom and opportunity.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Since 1885, the poetic inscription of the Statue of Liberty inspired immigrants from many lands. Upon their arrival, they soon learned that living in America was not easy. But they also learned be not judgemental of those seeking a life free from tyranny, corruption and oppression.
You take your life for granted. You are generations removed from those who sacrificed everything to get to America. You do not have the capacity to understand the plight of those wanting the same things that you take for granted.
Yes, you are "Anonymous", and your ancestors would prefer it that way. They would be ashamed of your conduct.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
He is an anchor baby and as such I do not recognize him as being an American. His mother came here illegaly, cranked him out at my expense and now he wants more. This is why we need "crocodiles in the moat" Obama.
.
BTW the #1 source of METH in the U.S. is through the border that Obama claims is secure.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
get out of here with this. GET BETTER.
www.getbetterfc.com
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
How was he born in the United States when his mother and siblings live in Mexico? Oh yea...his mother came here illegally, gave birth and poof...he's an American citizen. He sounds like a great kid but so are mine and unfortunately, he will have a better chance at going to college than my children have because the taxpayers will pay for it. and no...it's not his tax money because neither his mother nor himself ever paid taxes!
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
How was he born in the United States when his mother and siblings live in Mexico? Oh yea...his mother came here illegally, gave birth and poof...he's an American citizen. He sounds like a great kid but so are mine and unfortunately, he will have a better chance at going to college than my children have because the taxpayers will pay for it. and no...it's not his tax money because neither his mother nor himself ever paid taxes!
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
I am constantly asked to sponsor a foreign student, from China, or Europe, etc. but why don't we sponsor these kids that are our citizens and just need a little help to get a good education. How rewarding would it be to see our own citizens become successful? It's too bad there isn't a program like the foreign exchange student program.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
How was he born in the United States when his mother and siblings live in Mexico? Oh yea...his mother came here illegally, gave birth and poof...he's an American citizen. He sounds like a great kid but so are mine and unfortunately, he will have a better chance at going to college than my children have because the taxpayers will pay for it. and no...it's not his tax money because neither his mother nor himself ever paid taxes!
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Actually, a lot of the meth comes from right in southern California, in the Inland Empire.
I agree that it is deplorable that his mom used Antonio as an anchor baby. Yes, "used" is the right term. Even if she ends up loving the child its not just because she wanted one, but because it was convenient.
However, he isn't the one responsible for the circumstances he was born into. I commend Antonio for his commitment to bettering his life for both himself and his family, as well as making sure his mother can return LEGALLY.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Antonio is a great example! I'd rather have hardworking people from other countries than lazy asses like some of the kids at my high school. Hey, we should swap, like a high school exchange student program. The kids doing meth at my school, lots of them, can go THERE as you put it, and we can bring hard workers here. Yep.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
he is so commited... must be hard to leave his family and study to give his family a good life. Wonderful job! God bless you!
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Anonymous
How can this be a bad thing, he's done all he can to better himself. A solid accomplishment. If some of our own American "White Trash" had the where with all to make something of their own sad lives we'd hear more about them instead of the typically "He did it on my tax dollars" crap. Get a job, get a life and stop looking to blame everything on the goverment. It's so easy for some to kill the buzz of others.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
I'm amazed after reading some of the negative comments below at how heartless some people are. i feel sorry for them, they must be pretty miserable themselves.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
We need to sterlize people. We need a two or one child law like they have in China. No coutry on earth can sustain an unregulated immigration population. We will go bankrupt, and all of our children will have no future.Black.White. Brown. Noone has the right to have children they cant afford. I say round people up who have more than two children and deport them back to thei homeland. There are ove r4 billion people in the world, that would love to come to AMerica. Do you thin we should invite to America/ So they can destroy this country? People are living in a dream world. If you want to pay for their services out of your own pocket. Go for it!@ Dont be a hypocrite, and act like you care about these people. If you did, let some of them move into your house, and you can support them. Right? You go to work and support these people. Ok? Sacrifice your life for them, becasue their life is more important than yours? Right?
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Kind of tired of no one doing a story on how colleges are screwing students by offering obsolete educations (and I mean real colleges, not just fly-by-nights.) It's an overlooked issue and one that someone like this person could just as easily fall victim of as anyone in a less precarious position. San Jose State University both declared my major "obsolete" the semester before I graduated and denied me my certification in Technical Writing on a technicality. I've never been able to hold a job in my projected profession as a result (and have never worked for more than $10/hr after getting a so-called college degree.)
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
I wish this young man the best of luck!
Nothing is impossible, if you work hard enough and believe in your goals!
God bless you!
Don't ever give up on your dreams!
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Have you all noticed that many of the H1Bs are also cranking out babies for US citizenship ...
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Have you all noticed that many of the H1Bs are also cranking out babies for US citizenship ...
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
Inspirational story, i wish a lot of kids would commit to an education like this kid, no excuses. This is one is one of our own and is great to see him fight for a better future, he's going to do well in life and hopefully contribute to our society.
Anonymous
Posted May 23 2011
I'm glad he has the tenacity to pursue his education despite the hardships he faces. Other kids born into much better situations have less drive than this young man and piss their education away and expect handouts! I too am a Mexican American and am a business owner as well. I hope he succeeds in his post-secondary education and is able to bring his family back stateside (with papers...). As I was told when I was a child...and as the late Cesar Chavez used to say"Si se puede!"
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