My Parents Collect Bottles for a Living
Some names have been changed. My family collects bottles from sunup to sundown all year long. I started when I was 12, watching my parents glazed in sweat, as if it just rained on them. Despite the aches and the tireless nights, their smiles shined as they worked. My mother leaves at dawn to collect […]
Read MoreWe Work the Hardest and Suffer the Most
Living in a worldwide pandemic is not easy for anybody. For me, one of the harshest truths I’ve learned during this time is how our economic system underserves some communities, revealing unfair treatment toward those most in need. In recent months, I have gained a better understanding of how society attends to people of different […]
Read MoreThe City Canceled the Summer Youth Employment Program
In January, I received my first college acceptance letter from the New York Institute of Technology. When I turned the envelope over, there was designed lettering that read “Good News Inside.” My heart jumped. I opened the envelope carefully and inside was a decorated card with the giant colorful words, “YOU’RE IN!” and the acceptance […]
Read MoreTeen Advocates Fight to Save Summer Jobs
In early April, due to the uncertainty over how COVID-19 will continue to affect social distancing guidelines, worksite availability, and other circumstances, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio canceled the Summer Youth Employment Program. SYEP provides 75,000 young people—mostly low-income students of color—paid jobs and internships. In an effort to save the program, students at […]
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