This Stunning Video Shows the Obstacles Native Youth Face in Education

Seen an Indian student in the classroom sitting quietly at his desk,

filling out his application to Harvard with a pen;

Writing and dreaming big dreams of success.

Twelfth grade teacher stands in the back of the room, arms crossed, head down in distress.

Silence for half an hour before the professor began to profess.

Clear the throat, “Manny, Manuel, I’ve given this a lot of thought.

Are you sure you want to go through with this? You’re applying to a school with literally only a few spots

divided amongst hundreds of thousands of applicants. Do you really think you have a shot?”

Her question suggested her answer.

She thought that this was all for naught.

Plus, she wanted to leave the school before five o’clock.

She didn’t think that he could make it;

Despite the lessons that she herself taught;

Despite his work ethic and perseverance that she seems to have forgot.

Manny was familiar with the statistics, he’s heard them quite a lot.

People telling him no since he was little.

He was well aware that Harvard was a long shot.

Hell, he was a long shot.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. Public education was a crock.

But he was here. He thought again about her question, smiled at her, said,

“Can I make it? Sure, why not?”

She exhaled loudly, cut her eyes, “Fine, but please finish up soon.

I have a lot of students’ homework to grade this afternoon.

Manny, how would you even pay for such a school?

You weren’t born with a silver spoon.

Your mom makes minimum wage, your dad’s long gone;

He robbed a local greasy spoon.

Even if your personal statements and solid grades make the admission committees swoon,

would you even be able to go?”

Manny had a pretty good idea of what his teacher thought.

He grinned at her and answered her, “Thank you so much for this food for thought,

but I don’t worry about the school saying no.

My mom had nothing. Having less than nothing does not mean a whole lot.

She would have loved a rejection letter from an Ivy League school.

Some little sign that in the end people weren’t completely forgot.

That rejection letter is a sign of progress.

If that’s the worst prospect that I’ve got then I’m doing pretty good teacher.

Indian kids aren’t supposed to have squat.

Especially when we’re raised by single mothers.

We’re not even supposed to have a piss-filled pot

but I have my people, my mom and soon a diploma. I’d say that I have quite a lot.

Plus the audacity to expect more than just a menial job or 3 hots and a cot.

I demand more on behalf of all my people

who wanted to dream but simply could not.

They were starving, stolen from their parents, sick, and/or simply trying not to get shot.

My life isn’t ideal, but I don’t have any of those worries;

So even if I don’t get one of those coveted Harvard slots,

I promise I’ll be plotting how to make even more opportunity,

so I thank you for staying with me past five o’clock.”