“ And so, there in the penitentiary, Juan's education began. He didn't want to be a puto weakling, so he worked hard at learning to read. His earthly body was locked up, but his mind was set free as a y… Victor Villaseñor
“ You are the machos, the life, the future of our families. You are all that's left, so you must protect our mothers and grow and do good and have families of your own. I love you. I do. I do. Victor Villaseñor
“ And in that moment of sun and joy, Lupe knew why she loved and also hated Salvador. He gave her wings. He didn't try to lock her in, as had Jaime and the other boys she'd known. No, she could dream he… Victor Villaseñor
“ Oh, if only I could hurt with such misery once again, to feel the powers of love here inside my heart, the joys of heaven and the pains of hell! Victor Villaseñor
“ Inside, the midwife was trying to get Socorro to open her mouth wide and let the pain come out. Open your mouth, said Angelina, massaging Socorro's neck and shoulders, and let out what you feel. Don't… Victor Villaseñor
“ Rich is the cream of the fat cow's milk, she said. Rich is the love of God that we receive each new day! Rich isn't gold! Gold is only for people that are poor of heart! Victor Villaseñor
“ Let us pray, said Doña Guadalupe, and they all knelt down. And as they prayed and Lupe saw the eastern sky growing yellow and rose and pink, she felt herself fill with such power, with such a strength… Victor Villaseñor
“ We don’t have five senses as we were told by all that flat, world-thinking that came from Europe. The Mother Earth is Round, we were told, and the Universe is Alive and Whole and always Growing and Ch… Victor Villaseñor
“ We're all only passing stars who have come by to give each other a little light for our few short days here on earth. Victor Villaseñor
“ Because Spanish is a feeling-based language that comes first from the heart, just as English is a thinking-based language that comes first from the head. Victor Villaseñor
“ I don’t care about periods or commas or misspellings at this time, even though this is English class. What I want to do is to get you so excited about reading and writing that the love of learning wil… Victor Villaseñor
“ Because, you see, a bad teacher, like Moses, the abusive English teacher that I had in Carlsbad, kills kids, here in the heart, and not just with their tests, but with their superior attitude and thos… Victor Villaseñor
“ For this is God’s great plan, that people rise up beyond their personal hatreds, here, right now, in this new land where so many different people with so many different bloods have come to join togeth… Victor Villaseñor
“ Could it be we stifle our children's genius by languaging them too quickly away from their hearts and into the straight and narrow confines of linear thinking? Victor Villaseñor
“ And I thanked mi papa who'd always said to me that we, los Indios, the Indians, were like the weeds. That roses you had to water and giver fertilizer or they'd die. But weeds, indigenous plants, you g… Victor Villaseñor
“ The townspeople were proud of themselves. They saw that they could get things done if they united. Victor Villaseñor
“ Mi hijito, I've told you a thousand times, if you speak badly of people, God will punish you and make you just like them. Victor Villaseñor
“ Because, you see, real teaching isn’t just about teaching the brain up here, I said, hitting my forehead, but it’s also about inspiring your students to have heart…compassion, guts, understanding, and… Victor Villaseñor
“ Teachers are no accident! You study to become a teacher! You work at it for years. So I cannot, and will not forgive teachers who are abusive, mean, and torture kids with commas and periods and misspe… Victor Villaseñor
