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Maywood Academy High School graduates entered the auditorium at East Los Angeles College, processing and shining to record the situation.
The crowd pledged loyalty to the flag. The names of each student participating in the US military were read aloud to send applause. Cheers exploded as the anthemed students hit extra high notes for “Rockets Red Glare” and “Free Land.”
Senior Maria Lamas, a vocalist who co-hosted the ceremony, spoke in Spanish, while her counterpart spoke in English. Noisemakers and shouts welcomed the announcement of the names of each graduate. And they cheered for over 10 seconds after the LA Schools Supt. Alberto Carvalho explained the tableau before him:
“From where I stand, you’re the perfect pixelation of America.
The start of Maywood Academy was held at a university that has long been the centre of Latino community activities. Like the academy, immigration agents attack workplaces and public spaces, grabbing suspected people living in the United States without legal approval, and catching people undergoing immigration checks.
Valedictorian Abella Gutierrez captured the duality of so many graduates that have been taking place over a week in the second largest school district in the nation.
“Many of our classes are very optimistic and humorous and I feel proud to know that I know that I’m making history here,” said Abela, who attended UCLA and intended to major in architecture. “So, yeah, I’m grateful. I’m happy.”
At the same time, she said, “I’m very upset about the situation that’s happening at the moment.”
“It’s a scar for our community and we know that many of our parents and families have to worry about whether they can participate in this event as their safety is at risk.”
“That’s difficult,” Saltatrian Maya Flores said. “I feel like I should feel guilty for being so happy during these attempted times for people.”
The concern is not theoretical. Two teachers at the school confirmed the time that immigration agents arrested their 10th graders, their sister and mother and took them to a Texas detention facility.
No arrests were made at schools – no cases were reported up to the date of an agent entering the Los Angeles County campus – there were two unsuccessful attempts in April. Instead, the mother was seized while reporting to authorities as part of the family’s asylum application, according to advocates from Guatemalan.
“Johanna is a top 10th grade student at Maywood Academy High School, a swimming team athlete and is part of the hiking club,” according to the GoFundMe page, set for families. “She is a valuable member of the school community. We ask her and her family to reunite with her sister and return to our community.”
The auditorium had a capacity of about 2,000 people, but was almost full to encourage 230 alumni, but some relatives were at home.
After graduating, a senior said in an interview that his father was not present on fears that he could be detained by immigration agents.
Social Studies teacher Cherie McKernan said, “We’ve said we’ll receive messages from students who are very afraid of their parents being deported. One of the students on this line sent us a message that the ice is literally down two stores from where her parents work.
“Apologise,” Carvalho told the alumni. “The world you inherit is not a perfect world. The society we are burdening on you is not a perfect society. My generation and previous generations do not erase poverty, racism, oppression, depression. We are not dealing with climate change.
Carvalho appeared to be talking about Trump. “For those who criticize and demonize immigrants, I want him to know what immigrants look like. I want him to know what an undocumented immigrant looks like.”
“They’re looking at me,” he said. He mentioned that he arrived in the United States as an unauthorized teenager from Portugal.
However, despite the ominous foundation, people were determined to be cheerful in celebration.
“I feel that I have achieved – there is effort and dedication on this, and I am now taking it to the next level,” Adrian Abril said. “I’m going to Cal State Fullerton and majoring in Computer Engineering.”
There was also a more traditional kind of tension.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m scared,” Sadipadira said. “You lived from elementary school to high school for the rest of your life, so everything was done for you.
“No matter what’s going on,” said McCernan, a social studies teacher.
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