a compilation of poems capturing the essence and complexities of youth identities
This book was written by the students of Dr. Bamotra’s 10th grade English Class at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Spring 2023.
The views expressed in this book are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of 826LA. We support student publishing and are thrilled you picked up this book.
Las opiniones expresadas en este libro son las de los autores y no reflejan necesariamente las de 826LA. Apoyamos la publicación de jóvenes autores y estamos felices que haya recogido este libro.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Editors: Angelica
Butiu-Coronado
Cover & Book Design: Puicón-Pérez for 826LA
Icon Illustration: BÖCK from the Noun Project
Echo Park 1714 W. Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026
Mar Vista 12515 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066
Grown With Love
a compilation of poems capturing the essence and complexities of youth identities
written by the students of DR. BAMOTRA’S 10TH GRADE ENGLISH CLASS at Theodore Roosevelt High School SPRING 2023
To Dr. Lakhbir “Lucky” Bamotra:
For challenging your students to expand their perspectives of the world around them in order to deepen their sense of self and, in turn, produce their best work (so far!). Your advocacy for this publication embodies 826LA’s goal for students’ voices to be heard, and their stories to be shared.
To Ms. Amy Araiza:
For modeling to these students, what it means to grow with love. You have provided guidance and compassion for them as they navigate towards their future. These poems are reflections of your impact.
To Aldo:
For providing an infinite space, amidst a never-ending flow of projects, for students’ stories to be born into fruition. Thank you for bringing color and bold artistic expression into each of our publications.
7 Recognitions
With all my gratitude, Angelica Butiu In-Schools Program Coordinator, Writers’ Room at Roosevelt High School
I Am From Amy A.
I am from water
From the sunlight that peers through windows
I am from the lemon seeds the blossoming root
I am from day-off birthdays and good vibes
From my dad and my siblings
Los Arias
I am from communication and boundaries
From, “stay safe” and, “be careful”
I am from having no thoughts of a divine being
I’m from Cali with family members all the way in Oaxaca
From the scary stories my Papa used to tell me when I was younger About witches, the duendes, and La Llorona who would take me if I was acting bad
I am from that house in the projects and four leaf clovers grown with love
I Still Remember Brenda Jose
I am from toys
From shopping at the malls and riding scooters around the park
I am from
The loud noises
At a place that makes me feel safe
Sometimes messy, Other times, it’s quiet and feels empty
I am from the roses
The stems of which are usually armed with prickles of various shapes and sizes
Having dark brown hair from my mom and my dad and all my siblings who also have brown hair
I am from the tendency of attending college in the future and the tendency of knowing how to speak Spanish
From, “You should be proud of yourself” and, “Don’t be doing that!”
I am from Considering Jesus who had sacrificed himself and died for others’ sins
I am from lively, loud, grasoso tamales y caldo.
I enjoy going on car rides on Christmas night
Seeing all the lights in the neighborhood
One late night, on the 24th of December
I remember both of my parents not being home, but in the hospital because my mom was giving birth to my youngest sister
The next day we visited my mom and I got to see my little sister
That day my little brother became a big brother
I am from Keeping old pictures
Taken with a little green camera and are now kept in a book in the closet
When I look back at them, I still remember the day they were taken
If My Life Was a Poem
Damaris M.
I am from red lipstick and the smell of food
I am from the white flower that blooms at night
I am from a warm, loving house
Where all my brothers grew up
To the noisy and delicious smells of food
From the time my brother broke his arm playing around
To memories in an album in the closet
I am from opening Christmas gifts at midnight and loud music from Tía Eli
I am from movie nights on Fridays and 12 grapes on New Year
I am from the scary stories they would tell at night
From, “¡Haz tu tarea!” y, “¡No hagas un cochinero!”
I am from Holy water
I’m from LA and Mexico
From the mole and tortillas
To eating pan y cafe at night
Together, as a family
The Creativity and the Reality
Emely M.
I am from a paint brush
From a canvas and a picture
I am from pastel green
I am from the oil, the fig tree
I am from parties And strong women
From Grandma Hilda and Grandma Marina and the Mendez
I am from war and disagreements
From my parents saying, “You’re gonna get kidnapped!” and, “You’re gonna get killed!”
I am from God
I’m from the city of Los Angeles
Tamales and tacos
I am from the CD’s and albums
From the lacking of her knowledge
The realization and the success
This is Where I Come From Hailey R.
I am from my mother’s prom dress
From my father’s high school basketball jersey and the necklace my aunt gave me
I am from the house that my great grandfather built and the time I saw my grandfather riding a horse for the first time
I am from the flowers
The waterfalls
From baking and cooking and tacos and quesadillas
From, “You can be anything you want to be” And
“Whatever you choose to do, we will always be here for you”
I am from opening Christmas presents at 12 AM
Going to Knotts Berry Farm as a baby and going to Disneyland for the first time
I am Catholic
From Los Angeles, Michoacán, and Zaccatecas
From the time my mother had told my father she might be pregnant
The moment my father was tense about the fact that my mother might be carrying
With dark, curly hair from Nicholas and Sandra, Ruiz and Samaniego
When in Life
Hannah A.
I am from books
From Barnes & Noble, and Noble & Barnes
I am from the peach pink apartments
In a small and warm neighborhood
I am from the palm trees and cherry blossoms during the spring And the sweet smell of mandarins
The beautiful pink flowers And green leaves
I am from Christmas at 12 AM And bushy eyebrows
From Melissa And Marcos
The Anayas
From never showing up on time And cracking funny jokes
I am from “Échale ganas” and “Shoot for the moon”
“Even if you miss, you may land on a star”
I am from a Catholic family
Baptisms, First Communions, and quinceañeras
I’m from fireworks, red, white, and blue
The United States
But by blood I am verde, blanco, y rojo
From chocolate caliente de Abuelita, y de conchitas
Cielito lindo de México
From being resilient and strong
To never giving up
And working hard
“Degrees don’t just fall off trees!” My mother cries out for all to agree
Just like my brother who is away pursuing his dreams
I am from camping and boat trips at Kern River
To Viva Las Vegas and walking around the city that never sleeps
With my family
When I reminisce on the old times
Strings Attached Jose R.
I am from my phone, from my clothes, and my shoes
I am from East LA, down the street from the Commerce Center with the loud and noisy music and the dirt in the yard
I am from going to Mexico every year
I am from my mom (Alina) and my grandma (Lupe) and my brother (Angel)
I am from the tamales and enchiladas that my family makes From, “Te calmas o te calmo”
I am from Catholicism
I am from White Memorial in the City of Los Angeles From the weekends of staying home And the outings
I am from pictures on the fridge and picture books in the closet
I Am From Daisha M.
I am from comfortableness
From listening to music on my airpods
I am from the loudness in a small place
The green nature in the front
The cats roaming around
I am from the understanding of “Never give up” and, “Try your best”
I am from not being able to go out
I am from being Catholic
I am from Guatemala
Drinking horchata and eating tamales
From the indecisiveness the hard working and the understanding ones
From always being together
And the respectfulness
From Natalia and Edgar
My Past, My Present, My Life
Karen S. M.
I am from wooden spoons
From cards and tarts
I am filled with various memories of shopping carts and delicious fresh fruit
I am from The dainty lights dangling on the white snowy roof
I am from the bright purple morning glories engulfing the metal fence
that greeted me every morning when I was a child
I am from the epazote growing outside on the dry dirt
Waiting to be used for the next delicious meal
I am from the quinceañeras and unique face moles
Passed down from older generations
To send a reminder of whose blood is flowing through our veins
I am from Lourdes, Natalia and Sanchez Morales
I am from the do-it-laters and do-it-yourselves
From the, Te quiero muchos and the Llámames
I am from the Bible verses
The colorful murals of Boyle Heights
From the tamales and birria
From the dent in my sister’s foot when my grandfather tripped on her
From the scar on my brother’s lip when he hit the bed
I am from the old photographs hiding in a bag in the closet
For the reminiscing of good times
I Am From Tanisha H.
I am from body mists of Champagne Toast
And Thousand Wishes
I am from the fresh ocean
And the smell of roses
I am from the loud house
Full of laughter
From the dazzling quinceañeras
And the energetic surroundings
I am from the family get togethers and all the holidays
We’ll spend forever
I am from Sunday church and the joyful birth
The delicious mole
And the mouthwatering pozole
From Paula Hernandez and Barocio Dominguez
I am from the beautiful eyes and the look-alikes
From, “¡Échale ganas!”
And, “No olvides que te quiero mucho”
From the hardworking mother who did it all for her kids
The one who never gave up
And the one who always craved love
Where I Come From Janelle G.
I am from hand-me downs from my cousin and the thrift
I am from the gray apartments
I am from the big trees, the leaves
I am from the quince parties
And brown eyes
From Gabby, Diego, and Josephine
I am from amusement and hard work
From, ¨You need to do your best¨ and “It’s the consequences of your actions”
I am from the non-religious family
I’m from LA with Mexican roots
Tacos and burritos
From the hectic divorce of my parents
The, spending every weekend at my Grandma’s
And the scary stories that were told to me so I would behave
I am from the backyard cookouts on the weekends
And spending quality time together
I am from hand-me downs from my cousin and the thrift I am from the gray apartments
I am from the big trees, the leaves
I am from the quince parties
And brown eyes
From Gabby, Diego, and Josephine
I am from amusement and hard work
From, ¨You need to do your best¨ and “It’s the consequences of your actions”
I am from the non-religious family
I’m from LA with Mexican roots
Tacos and burritos
From the hectic divorce of my parents
The, spending every weekend at my Grandma’s And the scary stories that were told to me so I would behave I am from the backyard cookouts on the weekends And spending quality time together
Mi Familia Leslie C.
I am from earrings and rings from Kate Spade and Pandora
I am from the roses in the garden and the chile chilpitin plant
I am from a nice and simple home that smells fresh and feels soft and warm
From eating as a family
Watching movies as a family
Baking as a family
From the girls being short, in the family
From Sammy, Monse, and Maria
From working hard in school to get a good future and from always following the right path
I am from believing in God
I’m from America and my family is from Mexico
From tamales and pozole
From the one story my parents told me about my grandma selling tacos
I am from visiting Culiacán, Sinaloa
Where my parents were born
I Am From Alicia M.
I am from Victoria’s Secret perfume and vanilla flavored lip balms
I am from the warm blankets
I am from the peonies, and the bright green grass
I am from Catholicism
I’m from Los Angeles and my mom is from Mexico
From mole and pozole
I am from Felicita, Stephanie, Andrea, and Leo I remember visiting a waterfall with my family and getting wet from the freezing cold water
I am from going to IHop every Saturday
I am from the late night drives and going to the movies together
I am from my mom’s brown eyes
Saying, “I love you”
Reminding me that if I want something, I have to work hard to get it
Family Ties Lesly C.
I am from the park
From its slides and swings
I am from the good home
I am from the flowers and the big trees
I am from cookouts with all my family
From Melanie and Andrea and Gaby
Spending family time and watching movies together
From, “Always try your best” and, “Never give up”
I am from believing in God
I’m from Mexico, pozole, and tamales
From the shop my grandmother had The things she sold and the good times she had
I am from the stack of photos
And the memories of my family’s past
From Roses and Sunny Days
I am from porch seats
From wooden floors and green grass
I am from the downhill house with cats and plants
I am from the lemon trees
The purple flowers
From roses and sunny days
I am from music and hosting gatherings
From Jakie and Kim and Steph
I am from those brown eyes and brown hair
Katie M.
I am from Mexico
Strawberries ‘n cream and pozole
From the old swings I painted
The tall tree I climbed and my old play house
That my neighbors and I painted
I am from believing in God and VHS movies and learning that failure brings success
The Roots Attached Mya C.
I am from my necklace that my nina gave me for my Baptism
From all the pictures I have of my family and friends and from my figurine of The Virgin Mary
I am from the eye-catching, red-thorned roses
The beautiful cherry blossoms
That move gracefully on a windy spring day
I am from the sweet champurrado during Christmas
Family, warmth, Catholicism
From Eva, Cesar and my great grandma Consuelo
I am from a truly loud, big family, I often hear of new cousins
From, “Yo quiero pozolito con espinazito”
When my grandmother made food
I’m from Los Angeles, and Jalisco, Mexico
I am from pozole and sopes
Memories of my grandma
selling food and playing with cousins and neighbors
Having dances with siblings
I am from the town next to Downtown LA
The Eastside of LA, Boyle Heights!
Where gang violence, shootings, and assault are common
I love my community’s traditions
The Mercadito is like Little Tokyo for Hispanics and air smells weird near Evergreen Cemetery
I have an attachment to Lincoln Heights
I’ll admit
The true place of my childhood
The Words That My Heart Needs
Milton X.
I am from Marimba
I am from tamales and chuchitos
I am from the loud and comfortable
I am from la monja blanca and la ceiba
I am from eating wet bread on Semana Santa
From Sonia Argueta and from Pedro
I am from the Xiloj family
I am from the diabetic disease, and straight hair and from having a lot of hair when I was born
From being a hero and being smart
I am from Christianity
I am from Guatemala
The place I where I was born and my ancestors were as well
From the sacrifice my grandpa did for my family
The death of my grandpa was hard for all of us and it had a great effect on my dad
I am from Guatemala and proud of it!
And to me, my family means everything
Dear Dr. Bamotra,
I am writing to express my gratitude for the impact you have had on my life and learning. I would like to thank you for your guidance, friendship, and for all the efforts you have made to help me grow. The challenges you encourage me to face have shaped me into the person I am today. I will always be grateful for your patience and guidance every step of the way. You were always there to listen, encourage, and support me in every decision I made. Being your TA has allowed me to see the dedication you put into your profession as an educator everyday.
Sincerely,
Ms. Amy Araiza
About 826LA
826LA opened our doors in 2005, as part of the 826 Network founded by writer Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari.
826LA is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 who attend Title I schools with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
We believe great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and strengthen each student’s power to express ideas creatively, confidently, and in their individual voice.
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826LA Staff
Jaime Balboa Executive Director
Diego Quevedo Chief of Staff
Shani Foster Director of Education
Shawn Silver Director of Advancement
Cheryl Klein Senior Communications Manager
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Mike Dunbar Programs & Operations Manager, Mar Vista
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Alma Carrillo Development Manager
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Angelica Butiu-Coronado
Program Coordinator, Writers’ Room Roosevelt High School
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Susan Ko
President
Sarah Rosenwald Varet Vice President
Nancy Yang Treasurer
Chad DePue Secretary
Andy Alcaraz
Ben Au
Adriana Centeno
Matthew Cherniss
Dave Eggers, Emeritus
Jodie Evans, Emeritus
Scott A. Ginsburg
Eileen Shields
Belinda Tan
Holly A. Thomas
David Ullendorff
Karen Van Kirk
William Trlak Program Coordinator, Writers’ Room at Manual Arts High School
Maricruz Pool-Chan Program Coordinator, Tutoring, Echo Park
Monica Arellano Program Coordinator, Tutoring, Mar Vista
Maddie Silva Program Coordinator, Field Trips, Mar Vista
Mari Zerbe Program Coordinator, Field Trips, Echo Park
Ariana Ponce Evening Tutoring Programs Associate
ADVISORY BOARD
J.J. Abrams
Judd Apatow
Miguel Arteta
Mac Barnett
Steve Barr
Joshuah Bearman
Amy Brooks
Father Greg Boyle, SJ
Stefan G. Bucher
Mark Flanagan
Ben Goldhirsh
Rebecca Goldman
Ellen Goldsmith-Vein
DeAnna Gravillis
Spike Jonze
Miranda July
Catherine Keener
Keith Knight
Erika Hernandez Burke In-Schools Program Volunteer Coordinator
