This work is dedicated to my mother, Maria Carmela Contreras de Solis, who walked to Humphreys Avenue Elementary School in unincorporated East Los Angeles, wearing a homemade dress. Her family spoke Spanish, which meant that when she arrived at school, she didn't speak at all. 

She was resilient and she persevered, despite experiences in school that cast children like her as "less than." She was not alone. In March 1968, she walked out of Garfield High School with her peers, in protest of unequal educational opportunities for Chicanos.

As an adult, she volunteered and advocated for immigrant students and their families. She was in schools every day, inspiring me, my brother, and my sister to grow up to be educators.

My work for social justice in education is her legacy. My voice is hers.