A young man who has come a long way since he has been in the U.S

By: Edith Melendez

This is a story about a young man named Osmar Chavez, Who is 15 years old. He is a student at San Francisco International High school (SFIHS). He really like to play soccer. His favorite soccer player is Leonel Messi. He admires him because he comes from a poor family and he never gave up his goal and now he is the best soccer player in the world. Osmar is a very smart boy. He  always has a mischious look in his face. He is tall, with spikey hair. He has a cute smiled. He immigrated from Mexico to U.S in 2005, when he was 9 years old. Since he arrived in the U.S nine years ago, he has come a long way.

 At the end of April 2010, he was arrested. His friends and him got in a fight. He tried to defend one of his friends when the police come and they arrested him. He felt nerviuos  and scared because he was going to jail. However, there was nothing else he could do. His family was worried. When his mother went to visit him, he knew she was sad. However his family supported him by attending his courts, visits and staying strong for him. His family always was telling him to think positive, never give up and you are going to get out from this place soon.

Osmar's experience  in jail was very difficult because he needed to think positive, get to used it and think in the next day. In prision, they have a system that all the teens  have to follow. Osmar had to follow. First, he woke up by 6 to take shower for 5 to 10 minutes. Second, he had to go back to his unit (room) to clean it and then have breakfast. Next, he he went to school from 8 am to 1:30 pm, where he was learning English and making up his grades. After that he went back to his unit. From 2 pm to 4pm, he got break, where he was able to Watch Tv, write letters,  and play in the small yard that the prision has. Then, from 4pm to 5pm was time for visits. His mother went to visited him many times, his lawyer and Ms. Jacki his English and advisory teacher at SFIHS also came to see him. So from 5pm to 30pm was dinner. Finally he was able to go to his room or watch Tv and then sleep. The rooms are made of rocks, there is just a small light. The beds are made of rocks and the bunkbey was not solf.

Inside of jail Mr. Chavez felt proud because he was representing his hood and he was with his hommies. His favorite time was when he went to sleep where he forget everything, like being in jail.

Osmar's family could visit him from Monday to Sunday, however his mother couldn't go every time because she has to work. Osmar understood that because he knew she loves him with  all her heart. His family and especially his mother was his inspiration to get out from jail because he knew her mother was working to give him  the best future. She always kept him. Even more becasue she was struggling  a lot to take him out of jail. Also his little sisters inspired him because he doesn't wanted to see them to go in the same way he went, he wanted to be a good model of brother. 

Mr. Chavez miss some important events with his family that made him feel angry and sad, like his birthday, his mother's birthday, the Carnival and 5 de Mayo. People inside of the prison knew about his birthday because they have a calendar where everybody write the date of their birthday. However they don't celebrate them. They just celebrate it if their families brought Pizza, Soda, but sometime is difficult because the security could say no. It's depended only on their behavior.

The word gangster for Osmar has a connection to his life because he is a member of a gang. He does not understand why people called them "gangster" if they are humans like everyone else with normal feelings. He believe people should not called someone gangster just because their actions, the way they dress and if they have tattoos. Osmar says that being in a part of a gang is like having a whole different family he has out from his house because when he is with them, he has a new family, people who support him in his decisions and give him whatever he needs.

The big influence of why Osmar went to jail was because of gangs. He says, “That when people join gangs they know that there are just 3 things can happen to them;” hospital, jail, or death. He feels that if he dies his mother would feel so hurtful because she will not see him again alive. If he goes to the hospital or to jail his mother  could still kiss, hug and support him.

Some reasons that why people join gangs are because they don't have a father figure that guides them in the right way. They are looking  for something they don't have in their house.  They look  for money, love and somebody to be there for them when they need it. Some people don't join gangs because they got everything they want. They got a lot of support in their families. The one's like like him join gangs because he did not grow up with his dad and when he came to U.S, he just spent 4 years with him. Then he got away from him. He doesn't has his dad to tell him what is wrong and right.

Osmar would says to a 12 years old boy who is thinking of joining a gang, to stay at school, do the right things, even though you go through a lot of hard times. You can try to look for support in the community, look for guys are not in gangs that can support you and do the best thing for your future and stay safe.

Now he is out of jail, he is in probation. He has to be very careful and not do bad stuff because he knows he will get in trouble for a small reason. Osmar thinks that it’s difficult to stay out of the trouble and to do the right thing because he still has those  friends that got him in trouble; he still talk to them, but not so much, not like before.

Mr. Chavez is really happy about school because now he think that school is the best thing he can do. He compares school with jail, he says that school is the wonderful because in jail, they gave him tiny pencils, he could not even write with them. At school he has   a lot support. Osmar knows that life is giving him a second opportunity of changing his life for the better benefit.

Osmar says that when he finally gets out of his probation, maybe he will be doing the same things he just did before. However, he says it is not going be the same because he is going to reflect before he does something stupid. However he is really thinking on getting out of the gang. He is thinking about being successful because he wants to finish High School, goes to college and then get a job with which he can support his family.