4/25 Shah

The experiences presented in this article reminded me of the programs I outreach to in the Bay Area. As a BRIDGE: Pilipinx Outreach and Retention intern, focusing on Community Youth Development, I visit two programs similar to APEN, Pilipino Youth Coalition and Little Manila Afterschool Program. Like APEN, these programs give a space for marginalized individuals to be a part of a community in which they could foster a sense of unity and identity through gaining awareness of their social positions, advocating for social and political change, and cultivating their culture. Understanding the importance of these programs are essential as the media does portray “…young people ‘at risk,’ as involved in gangs and drugs and prone to teenage pregnancies.” However, as seen in this article and through my own experience, this is not always the case. Instead, I have found passionate and driven youth who strive to better themselves, their community, and care to understand the issues around them DESPITE the socioeconomic positions in which they stand. This form of action found in these communities ultimately revert to the idea that people of color use these spaces as a form of resistance and re-identifying themselves.