The deportation of his mother to El Salvador with him in her arms at eight months old, his return to Los Angeles at the age of five in an area full of gangs and culturally adverse, taught him that from a young age he had to fight to survive and avoid injustices.
What’s more, we could say that his first personal social struggle was the complaint he made to a school in Minnesota for not selecting him for a scholarship, but by expressing his disagreement and making them understand that what they were doing was an injustice, the Junior boy High was accepted.
Today, that student who has become a writer not only raises his voice as he did for 10 years as an activist at the head of the El Centro organization in Pasadena, or as he does daily before his students at Central HS school, the area where he grew up; But Randy Jurado Ertll through his book “The Last Activist” raises his voice through lyrics to inspire a new generation of young people to fight for his community.
“What we seek is to give tools to young people who try to make a difference in their neighborhoods,” Jurado explained. “But mainly, we want to inspire and raise awareness in new generations of the importance of getting involved in the challenges of the communities where they live.”
In addition to making references and capturing examples and experiences of great social fighters such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Monsignor Oscar Romero and César Chávez, Jurado shows us in his new book in Spanish, those sacrifices that on many occasions have led many leaders to risk everything, but thanks to their work and dedication, the situation has been improving for thousands or millions of people, particularly for communities of color in the United States; However, he emphasizes that much needs to be done.
Jurado also explains to us that the life of an activist is not easy at all, it is an endless struggle where not all battles are always won, but if not, there are setbacks and moments of darkness that lead societies to very complicated situations.
“I think we are currently experiencing somewhat hopeless times, with a lack of leaders not only at the local level, but nationally and that ends up affecting everyone,” explains Jurado. “If Trump takes office, the migrant community would have very difficult times and we need to be [comunidad latina] more united and better organized.”
He says that in the last 10 years life for minorities has worsened in the United States, and he does not see many activists focused on civil rights.
“We need new leaders,” he emphasizes.
“Today there are more people living on the streets, there are more drugs and more poorly paid jobs,” he explains. “Although there are trends that indicate that violence is not very high, I have seen an uptick with gangs in South Los Angeles. Before, the majority of these groups were African-Americans, today they are Latinos.’
In the book “The Last Activist” we can read articles about how to raise financial funds for social causes, how to mobilize the community in the streets, how to deal with government boards and bureaucracies, the importance of the media in the efforts of change and one of the main ones, how not to give up in the attempt and continue until you see the change you are looking for.
“We need young people to get involved, to continue the fight started in the past,” he says. “Activists come in all sizes, colors and ideologies, but they all have something in common and that is the need to fight for social justice.”
Jurado explains to us in his book the importance of knowing oneself, knowing one’s weaknesses and talents to exploit them to the fullest, reading history and other social struggles that have been the winds of change in the past, understanding that this path will not be easy. , but in the end, it is very satisfying to see the changes made that are being fought for.
“The Last Activist” is a book that inspires any immigrant who wants to understand the efforts and work that social changes in the United States require; But it also lets us see the importance of participating and not being victims of our own apathy and inaction in the problems that affect us as a community.
Randy Jurado Ertll graduated in Political Science with a specialization in Spanish from Occidental College and obtained his master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University, is an activist and is currently a teacher in the Los Angeles school district. “The Last Activist” is his thirteenth bilingual book.
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