Always Running

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Always running is the powerful, vivid, and brutal autobiography of Luis J. Rodriguez. In his book he talks about the hardships he faced growing up as adolescent in the mid 1950's and 60's, which includes migrating to a new and foreign land (Mexico to the U.S.), gang life, losing loved ones to senseless acts of violence, and eventually breaking free from it all.

Although I wasn't too interested in the book at first, it actually ended up touching me quite deeply. First of all I think Luis Rodriguez chose a great title for this book. Sometimes in life when you're scared or afraid you feel like all you can do is run. The problem with running is that once you begin it becomes a habit, and is very hard to break; and therefore you are "Always Running". Secondly, I begin to see how difficult we, as Americans, make it very difficult for immigrants to 'make it' once they get out here. People come here to the U.S. to provide better a better life for their families, and we make it almost impossible. We put their kids in special education classes, or put them a year behind simply because they don't speak english properly. Or we make them take second-hand jobs for the same reasons. We shouldn't be discouraging them but encouraging them, and admiring their courage for being able to leave their homes and come here in hope for a new and brighter future. Third, sadly society doesn't do much to lead our youth astay from gangs and doing wrong. We make false accusations against our youth and treat them like criminals even when they're not (The cops chasing him and his friend Tino because they were playing basketball at the schoolyard). Sometimes, kids think to themselves "Well, if all people see me as is a thug, when I'm not, then maybe I might as well become one--at least this way now they'll be right!" We have to help out our childreen. We have to nurture our children. Not just as parents, but as a community. We need to do like the Africans. They believe it takes a whole entire village to raise a child, and I believe so too. Finally, being that he was able to come out of that lifestyle, shows others that it's not impossible to do. Sometimes, all we need is an example of someone making it to give us renewed hope and faith; and hopefully people will begin to use this book as inspiration to do right and turn from wrong and eventually stop running!