Servando

Yesterday I was helping one of my students with an English project, “My Name”. Servando has been one of my favorite students to teach. I know, I shouldn’t have favorites, but he holds a special place in my heart. He is what I guess you could call the “classic” Mexican male. He fits it almost exactly to a t—on the outside. Once you get to know him, you can see he is both gentle and manly all at the same time. He does give respect easily, but once you’ve earned it, it isn’t easily revoked.

Back to the “My Name” project. Servando hates English—with his whole heart. As we answered questions like, who were you named after, do you like your name; he suddenly stopped talking. I saw tears in his eyes. Que te pasa, I asked. He silently pointed to question 6. Why are you proud of your last name? I still didn’t understand. He began to explain. See, the last name Salinas didn’t seem significant to me, but to Servando it is everything. He told me about his father; how he grew up with nothing, no shoes, no opportunities. As a young man, he moved his young family to the United States, searching for opportunities. He died last year. His legacy is wrapped-up in the name Salinas. It reminds a still young son of the life that was lost and the life that is hoped for.