Integration on Own Terms

"When you go to Jordan Matthews today, it's completely different. Those (Latino) kids are thriving and participating in all different kinds of things within that school. But in 1999 and 2000, they were just trying to survive. And by survive, I mean learn a new language because they were first generation immigrants; trying to understand the American education system, helping their families by working at least 20 hours a week; trying not to get into fights or get picked on by other kids because they were newcomers; trying not to seem menacing to the authorities, the police who were always on the lookout for gang activity; and trying to sort of figure out where they would fit in and always sort of feeling alienated and isolated and being angry about everything. So definitely not participating in school life. So not participating in clubs, not running for school offices, student body, you know, positions, not participate in plays, not participate in music, not participate in athletics. You know, they were a ghost population within that school. And the soccer team--The creation of the soccer blows that wide open because now they could put on the colors of the school and now they could represent the school and they could do it in their own way. You know the story of Los Jets is really about integration on your own terms. And that's what the boys wanted to do and that's why they wanted this team.