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LYRICS

Marlene Part 1

By Marlene Rangel

I was eight years old when I left my home.

I remember my parents waking me to leave,

but I didn’t know where we were going.

We had to walk for a long time

and cross a river.

That’s when I realized

that we were going somewhere far.

Dancing in Buses

By Javier Zamora*

Pretend a boom box

blasts over your shoulder. Raise

your hands in the air.

Twist them as if picking limes. Look

to the right as if crossing

streets. Look to the left,

slowly as if balancing orange

baskets. Bend as if picking

cotton. Do the rump. Straighten

up as if dropping firewood. Rake,

do the rake. Sweep,

do the sweep. Do the Pupusa-

Clap-finger dough clumps. Clap.

Do the Horchata-Scoop—

your hand's a ladle, scoop.

Reach and scoop. Now,

duck. They're shooting. Duck

under the seat, and

don't breathe.

Hands behind your head.

Drop down.

Look at the ground.

Roll over.

Face the mouth of the barrel.

Do the protect-face-with-hand.

Don't scream.

*"Dancing in Buses" from Unaccompanied. Copyright © 2017 by Javier Zamora. Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, Inc., on behalf of Copper Canyon Press www.coppercanyonpress.org. All rights reserved worldwide.

Marlene Part 2

By Marlene Rangel

My dad would come to school with me

for the first few weeks so I could get used to it.

It was so hard...

I had one classmate who was Hispanic.

He and I became good friends.

As the years passed, my English improved

and I adjusted to the American culture.

Everything had fallen into place

and I was comfortable.

More milk, more milk makes it better

By Janine Joseph

In 1986, when I was three and a half years old I won

 an award for sitting cute and biting into a slice

 of Kraft Cheddar Cheese. Then how my star blew up:

I was on the cover of calendars, in the Sunday section,

 stomping the runway, turning down small parts

 in movies. At seven, I promised my mom I would never

be chubby again. No way. I swirled a dress in the dressing

 room and was the daughter my brothers hated.

 Nothing could stop me, not even America with its rich

marshmallow cereals. But the milk, oh God the grade A,

 vitamin D milk. No one knew what it was doing to me.

 Little Miss Piggy drinking 8 oz. by the kidney-bean pool.

All my life it had been coconut juice, mango juice, and water. Little

 Miss Piggy mending her polka dot suit. It had been goat's milk

 and goat's milk. Little Miss Piggy clasping her knees to her chest

and winning the cannonball contest. I was small, indomitable,

 and could hide behind the couch with a stein. It was the drink

 of all the saints. It was worth all my work in the world.

Marlene Part 3

By Marlene Rangel

In my junior year of high school, reality hit me.

I found out I could not go to college because I was undocumented.

I wanted to be a nurse

my dream wasn’t going to be easy to achieve.

#UndocuJoy

By Julia Montejo

So today, remember that you are beautiful.

You are creators, you are laughers, you are lovers,

you are lights of hope and joy.

Take the time you need to feel the pain.

Know that even existing in the spaces you occupy is resistance.

Know that, as we fight this battle for our dignity,

you are souls of strength and power,

but you’re allowed to feel vulnerable at times.

Know that every moment of self-care you can find

is still part of fighting this fight.

Know that every time you paint your nails,

dance in your room, eat a treat,

laugh with your friends, run in the woods,

or do anything that gives you joy,

you are resisting a system

that thinks we’re not worthy of even smiling.

I believe in us.

Together, we will overcome.

Marlene Part 4

By Marlene Rangel

My parents have remained my motivation

to keep myself in school.

I now know that anything is possible.

I have the opportunity to be what I want and do what I want.

I have to take that opportunity and not waste it.

#UnitedWeDream

By Claudia D. Hernández

Aquí estamos. [we are here]

This is where we found our home away from home.

This is where we belong.

Mother Earth, who feeds us all,

takes our roots,

their roots,

no matter how long,

how short—

she’s whispering:

this is where you belong.

R E S I S T! R E S I S T!

Pelea con diente y madre! 

[Fight with tooth and nail]

This is where you belong, Dreamer!

LYRICS

TRANSLATION

Ngothando kuphela,

Sonqoba konke,

Izimo zonke,

Azinakusigwinya.

Sivul' iinhliziyo zethu,

Singesabi lutho,

Ngothando...

Only through love, 

can we conquer everything; 

There is no situation 

that can swallow us; 

Let us open our hearts 

and fear nothing!

Through love only…

LYRICS

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

LYRICS

1 We shall walk through the valley in peace;

We shall walk through the valley in peace;

If Jesus Himself shall be our Leader,

We shall walk through the valley in peace.

2 There will be no sorrow there;

There will be no sorrow there.

If Jesus Himself shall be our Leader,

We shall walk through the valley in peace.

3 There will be no dying there;

There will be no dying there.

If Jesus Himself shall be our Leader,

We shall walk through the valley in peace.

LYRICS

Sing!

When the seams burst,

and the traps ensnare,

and your body breaks,

and the light flees—

Sing then!

For then, your soul is song.