Do I wear the mask or does it wears me ?
I wear the mask to protect what remains ,
The tears and sadness remains in the mask , 
No one knows ,
They expect that I am okay always happy ,
What no one knows is what's behind the mask,
    The pain , 
                   The trouble ,
                                       The stress ,
That was never shown to the world , but the mask ,
I wear the mask to block my emotions , 
To make people think that I'm okay ,
But truth i do not say !
Do I wear the mask or does it wears me ?
I must show myself to let them know the real me
Of what I struggled,
Ain't no easy way out but I made it this far 
Many days I slip back , Frustrated cuz its hard
But I'ma show the real me
And I'ma show them that I can take control in my destiny 
And break myself free,
Now who wears the mask ?

PWA ESSAY

Did you know the freedom that you have is very important ? People around the world, from the past , and present time, they have been fighting for their rights and it would take years for them to achieve the goal. Some of the people had died for freedom, Octavia Butler’s message was to tell the readers to live the life how you want it to be & appreciate the freedom & rights that you have.

“Don’t tell them no, don’t let them see you mad, just say yes, sir ... go head and do, might have to take a whippn’ for it later.” Page 96 . This quote from the book KINDRED, explains that the slaves are scared to fight back and some of them just respect their masters so that they could free them. A connection I have with this quote is I used to be nice to my mom and my little sister to let her buy me anything that I want at the mall. This quote connects to my topic because they’re fighting by respecting the masters, so they could get their masters into freeing them.

    An evidence that shows why you should appreciate your freedom because people died for it, is when Frederick Douglass and other abolitionist try their best to learn things by themselves, to escape and abolish slavery . Most of the abolitionist and slaves have been oppressed in many violent ways and they were killed. No matter what happens to them, they’re still trying to free themselves and help other slaves to be able to have the some rights and freedom. Now, you know who, what and why you should appreciate your freedom reading my second evidence in the past. Now , I’ll give an evidence from our present time.

    An evidence that proves my theme of this prompt correct is from our present time. Immigrants from our present time are still fighting for their freedom rights. This situation have been going on for years now, some immigrants were born here in the United Sates and then deported back to their Parents or Grandparents homeland. Some immigrants were brought to the United States and now deported back because they say there’s no more room for anymore people. Then , they are also being deported back to they homeland. Also immigrants are crossing the border and  sometimes shot or killed by the guards. Immigrants don’t just fight for their own freedom rights, but also for other immigrants and people in the world. Sometimes immigrants try very hard to get freedom rights and then end up with stress, killed, diseases and etc.

    Now that you heard all three of my evidence and example of why you should appreciate what you have, especially your freedom because people died for it. There were people from the past and present time and in books, there are stories and true stories that people have and still is fighting for their freedom rights. Thank you for taking your time to read my essay, I appreciate you for that !

My Poem ;

Hi
Girl you just caught my eye
thought I should give it try
and get your name & your number
go grab some lunch & eat cucumbers
WHY, DID I SAY THAT?
I don't know why.
But you're smilin' & it's something' i like
on your face, yeah it suits you
girl we connect like we have bluetooth

i don't know why
I'm drawn to you
Could you be the other one so we'd equal two?
and this is all based on a lucky chance
that you would rather add then subtract

You & I
could be like sonny & cher
honey & bears
You & I
could be like aladdin & jasmine
lets make it happen

Hey
How've you been?
I know that it's been awhile.
Are you tired cause you've been on my mind
runnin' thousand & thousands of miles
Sorry, I know that line's outta style
but you
you look so beautiful on this starry night
loving the way the moonlight catches your eyes & your smile
i'm captivated
your beauty is timeless never outdated

College For All Reflection

College for All was fun, humorous, crazy, tiring, and awesome. College for all was tiring and crazy because when we were on our way to the hotels, we were so loud, singing in the bus and getting Mr. Triplett mad. I had a fun time there because we get to see which colleges fits us best and what we are interested in at the colleges.

What I liked at UC Santa Barbara as that they had a Beach there and it's like being in your own community but on campus around different majors. UC Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was the University that stood out to me because they had lots of different major's and all different type of sports like Kick-Boxing, Marine thing and they had a Multi-Center for a diverse of people. UC Santa Cruz was weird and creepy because their Mascot is a Banana Slug because after the rain stops there would be banana slugs on the ground. UC Santa Cruz have a Buffet and in the Library, when someone screams you could barely hear them.

What I would want from a College that I will apply for will have Diversity of cultures, lots of Majors, less riots or Protests, and safe. I will most definitely apply for a college that will help me reach my dreams, in the future being a Doctor

Expo Reflection

The 8th grade Expo was the Best expo I had at UPA. Expo was actually very fun because I felt like I was teaching the parents around. That was the first time that I wasn't that scared to present to the parents and tell them about my EXPO project. I had an awesome time at Expo, and I hope the new 8th graders for next year will have fun and enjoy Expo also.

Where I'm From

I am from the 510

The city f the Raiders

Where everybody goes dumb !

I am from Oakland,

the GHETTO full of Gangbangers

I am from Oakpark,

2600 Murder Dubbs,

Where many people have fun

and get along in the apartment.

I am from a family of 5,

Where there is many Laughters

Love, and DELICIOUS TRADITIONAL CAMBODIAN FOODS

I am from a family of Cambodians

who have overcome the Khmer Rouge

to the United States... and made me

what I am today... an intelligen, brave, fearless, and

Brilliant teenager ! :)

Liberation from Violence

Our school can gain liberation from these forms of oppression by making a conflict group with all mixed grades. Another way we can reach liberation is by getting each people in the United States to try and make people in the U.S. volunteer at places that they would like to help out at. One Way we can make them volunteer is have their schools try their best to ask the students and parents to have their kids volunteer so that their kids volunteer. So that they could get off the streets for good. One last form we can liberate ourselves is, as a resident in Oakland we should all come together and talk about the violence in Oakland.

Expo Oppression Journal

    Prescriptions that are commonly heard are, “Ima beat that him so hard that the he wouldn’t be able to catch his breathe”. Another prescription is , “Oakland is a very violent place, don’t live there you might get beat up, robbed, or killed”. But actually Oakland is not that violent, it’s just the ghetto, some part of Oakland that is violent. Everybody there are all humans, we’re not animals we’re just like you, we won’t bite. It just depends if you did something wrong, if you’re in the wrong place or if you’re wearing the wrong color. The system of violence is oppressive because people get hurt in any kinds of forms as I had said earlier. Violence restricts people’s lives because they might have 6 more years, a day, 6 weeks or hours to live because they might be caught up in violence.

College For All

“Jeff, when I past away, I want you to take care your grandma, aunts, uncles, mom & dad. I want you to have a good education and be something wealthy. I trust you, you’ll be something successful in the future, I lo...”, my grandfather said to me as he was struggling through death. Those were the last things he had said to me, he didn’t even get to finish the whole sentences. Since that night, I’ve been persevering to get a very good education, to fulfill everything my grandfather had told me. When he was alive, he always ells me the struggles about life, Oakland, but he mostly tells me things about education. I remembered one day when I was in the car with my dad, when taking me to school. He told me that when he was at Cambodia, he was good at being a doctor, but when he came down here in California, he never had the possibility to be a doctor because he had to finish college here too. But he didn’t have the time to because he needed money real quick for food, for himself, his mom, and his 2 brother.         

I love my family, my families are one of a kind. They’re caring, trustworthy, humorous, courteous,& just lovable. My families will no matter what, help you in any positions you’re in, it doesn’t to them who you are as long as you’re surviving or living in this world knowing that someone here cares about you. One time, we saw 2 homeless people on the streets with a sign for money and my uncle,dad,grandma,gave them $10 each, so it was $30 for each of the homeless peoples. My family all wants me to go to college, not a normal community college, a University college. My family are very caring for me and every other people, except for them ignorant ones.  Some opportunities that have been available for me in school are the Student Site Leadership Team(SSLT) and Peer Health Education(PHE). Student Site Leadership Team helps me to be a Leader, help other people in the communities that are in needs, and the students that need help at our school. Peer Health Education is helping me to get ready for High-School and College, so that I can be successful in the future.  One major issue confronting my family is the gang violence that was happening in my family, from my dad’s side. The gang violence was increasing even more, the gang they we’re in was a Crip gang, their gang was none as the Asian Street Walker, ASW. I never wanted my family to end life like this and I also had to keep my family safe, to live life with no situations that would make their lives miserable. So, as soon as I heard about the gang I immediately did what I was told to by my grandfather. I went up to them and I said that if they would join or make any gang at all, just get the F*** out of my life, because I don’t have any family member like you guys. So, I left and then they quickly was like okay that’s it the gang is over, but some of them we’re still in there and I don’t never seen them since that. I’ve changed from that day, I begin to get more serious about life and always making sure my families are very safe and is not doing anything wrong, AT ALL !     

The reason why I had decided to do what I had done was because of my grandfather, he’s the reason for this family, so I just wanted to take the place where he had stopped at and continue it. My grandfather just want the best in us, and just want us to live free and enjoy the happiness that you have for this time until you die. College right now is very important, I want to get a very education, not just because of my grandfather had said I also want to take the spot where my grandfather had stop, and only 2-3 people in my family went to college. So, I want to be the first to finish my education at a University college.       

College means a successful future, life, and a healthy family to me because if I get the opportunity to got to college I could be working in a job that I could earn a very huge profit and be able to feed my family. It will be the best of me and my family, and I know if my grandfather was still alive today, he’ll be very proud of me of what I’ve done.

Liberty is Mine ! By; Jeffrey Koeng

A fist in the air was seen

rising like the sun

the shackles are broken

so I am freed

I am alive and I believe

I believe there are words like freedom

sweet and wonderful to say

on my heartstrings freedom sing

all day

No more bars and no more darkness

full of joy and happiness

no one to control me

I am finally emancipated

A fist in the air was always seen

rising like the sun

beaming down on me

I am now independent

I believe in my own liberty

and that’s what I will receive !

 

I do believe !