Emilie Frank Sánchez is 10 years old and is the granddaughter of our colleague Humberto Sánchez Assef. She was born and lives in the United States. With her writings -translated into Spanish- we open the space to our grandchildren, as an invitation and a challenge for others of them to jump into the water. In this way, the blog that is already read in 55 countries, will have a greater generational and thematic richness.
“Step up!” Amanda Gorman, a black and beautiful young poet, recited this poem (aka) “The Hill We Climb” for Madame and Mr. president Biden and Harris. Amanda Gorman was raised with only her mother by her side. Her mother descending form slavery. Amanda always dreamed of being president, but even better ended up reciting for one, at Joe Biden’s and Kamala Harris’ inauguration for presidential office. Amanda explains that being diverse and different is not a bad thing and that us fellow Americans, yes you heard me correctly: “US”, we could not just accept that they are just the same as us, just by the color of their skin.
For the past year things have been rough with COVID and all of that. But is not just COVID, it also had a huge impact on racial unjust. The whole Black Lives Matter movement had to do with a police officer thinking that George Floyd had a fake 20-dollar bill and suffocated him for that, a white American police officer killed a black man for a fake dollar bill. I know that fake money is against the law but is it really worth killing somebody? Is it? No! This poem makes me feel that some adults are leaving us kids to take care of the world and sew back the community that they have torn repetitively.
Just like Amanda, I have a story to tell. One of my best friends and I were playing on the playground, she went to use the bathroom, and someone told me that I shouldn’t play with her just because se was a different color skin thank I was. I was disgusted and disappointed, I had to experience and hear racism to my face. I was only in kindergarten, but I knew that was racist, unjust and rude. Amanda says, “there is always light if you are brave enough to see it, but you need to be brave enough to be it”. This means to me that we need to be brave and compassionate to others, and most importantly treat everyone with respect even if they are perhaps a different race. So, when you see racism… “Step up!”.
Emilie Frank-Sánchez
May, 2021
Social Media
Social media. Where the influencers post and show off their talents. But, do we need social media? Can´t we just have a live in-person conversation? Well since COVID, social media has gotten a lot more popular. Perhaps because we have been quarantined for the past year or so, with not much to do.
My opinion for social media is that it is okay, but too much is not. I think you should spend your time wisely, because you have only one life to live your best, and I think that your life shouldn´t be spent having your eyes glued to the screen. My parents do exactly that! They look on the screen for a few minutes, and then spend time together and do fun activities. Here is a reason social media can be good: You can get inspired to try new things! Like learning how to cook or make crafts. But here is a reason that social media is bad. There is something called cyberbullying, when you get cyberbullied it can lead to depression or even death!
Scary right?! But when this happens don´t ignore it, go talk to someone you can trust like your parents, and they will tell you the best way to solve it. But now here is a question I feel I need to answer, “should kids be in social media?”. In my opinion, I say no. I just feel there are things that children don´t have to see or view in any way. Also, children should play outside, color and draw, spend time with friends and family or learn a new hobby.
I am guilty of spending a lot of time on the screen, so my goal for 2021 is to not spend a lot of time on the screen and focus on important things like friends, family, and pets. Another goal for myself which was hard to accomplish was spending more time in nature than sitting down on my bottom, watching tv when it is sunny and 70 degrees outside. So I hope you get my advice and make goals for yourself to not spend a lot of time on the screen, and spend a lot of time enjoying your life to the fullest that it can be. Thank you.
Emilie Frank-Sanchez
May, 2021
1 Comentario
Emily, Your reflection strikes at the heart of the misuse of the term “race”. You make it plain that when we use that word to discriminate against another based on the color of their skin, the word is totally incorrect. There is only one race, the human race. We all participate in it. We all belong to it. There is no ‘black race”, “white race”, “yellow race”, “brown race” or any other color race. There is only one race, the human race with a richness of expression of its physical exterior that reinforces the beauty of our diversity. If we use the word to discriminate, to segregate, to distance ourselves from others, let us consciously stop using it in this manner. Let us accept who we really are; members of the human race that is present in every continent, showing off its multiplicity of external diversity. It is time we see ourselves as one human race living in our only one country, the world.
——————————————————- Emily, Tu reflexión toca el corazón del mal uso de la palabra “raza'”. Pones en evidencia que, cuando usamos esa palabra para discriminar a alguien en base al color de su piel , la palabras es totalmente incorrecta. Solo hay una raza, la raza humana. Todos participamos en ella. Todos pertenecemos a ella. No hay una “una raza negra”, “una raza blanca”, “una raza amarilla”, “una raza cobriza” o una raza de cualquier otro color. Solo hay una raza, la raza humana cuya riqueza es la expresión variada del color de su piel que tan solo refuerza la belleza de nuestra diversidad. Si usamos la palabra para discriminar, segregar, o distanciarnos del otro, debemos conscientemente parar de usarla así. Aceptémonos por quienes somos realmente: miembros de la raza humana presente en todos los continentes, mostrando su multiplicidad reflejada en su diversidad externa. Ya es hora de que nos veamos como una sola raza humana viviendo en un solo país, nuestro unico mundo.