Editor's Note: Moaseni Leasiolagi and his fiancée Christina have two children, Muzik (5) and Kay (3) and currently live in a 10x10 studio with his father and younger brother in San Jose, Calif. They have been out of work and on welfare since their son was born. Moaseni was recently convicted of a felony and had to turn himself in to authorities to do nine months in prison, leaving his fiancée and kids to fend for themselves.
Jean Melesaine is a content producer at Silicon Valley DeBug. This video was produced for Growing up Poor in the Bay Area a community forum held by New America Media, the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health and kidsdata.org.
When the Family is Sentenced -- Growing Up Poor in the Bay Area
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Anonymous
Posted Sep 22 2011
You never know how lucky you might be. Take time and help out each other. It's the giving that brings joy and changes to a persons life...no matter how little the help might be ity's more than the person had before....give and be free.
Anonymous
Posted Sep 24 2011
Somehow "poor" looks far worse than it did when I was a child growing up poor in the Bay Area. We've regressed as a people. Empathy and compassion have been replaced by something sinister and far more devastating to those who live in such need. I recall a childhood of great poverty but, surprisingly, "poor" was an alien concept -- maybe because everyone around me was living at the same level and finding richness in other ways.
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