Ch 4: Warrior

Miguel had managed to secure an after-school job helping Santiago in his food truck. It was a welcome distraction from the lingering shadows of juvenile detention. Santiago's food truck, with its bright colors and mouth-watering aromas, had become a fixture in the neighborhood, a symbol of resilience and community spirit.

Working With Santiago

One sunny afternoon, Miguel was busy taking orders and preparing tacos when a group of familiar faces approached the truck. It was the same thugs who had vandalized Santiago’s truck before. A chill ran down Miguel's spine as he recognized Rico among them. He didn't even know Rico had been released from the juvenile detention center.

“Yo! Remember me?” Rico sneered, pulling out a gun. “Give us all that money y'all got in there.”

Miguel's heart pounded in his chest. Santiago, standing next to him, glared at the thugs with contempt. "You punks are scum," he spat. "You're nothing but cowards."

Rico’s face twisted in anger, and he punched Santiago, sending him sprawling to the ground, blood streaming from his nose. Rage filled Miguel. Without thinking, he kicked the gun out of Rico's hand, the weapon skidding across the pavement. In one swift motion, he punched Rico, sending him reeling backward. Miguel grabbed the gun and pointed it at the remaining thugs.

"Get away from the truck!" he shouted, his voice trembling with fury.

The thugs, eyes wide with fear, turned and ran just as the police arrived. The officers saw Miguel with the gun and immediately threw him against the food truck, cuffing his hands behind his back.

“Wait! He saved my life!” Santiago shouted, still on the ground, clutching his bleeding nose.

But the officers only saw a Mexican kid with a gun. They ignored Santiago's pleas and began to drag Miguel away. It wasn't until Santiago's desperate explanation finally broke through their tunnel vision that they listened and removed the handcuffs.

Maria arrived moments later, her face a mask of terror. She ran to Miguel, hugging him tightly. “Are you okay, mijo?” she whispered, tears in her eyes.

“I’m fine, Mom,” Miguel replied, his voice steady but his hands shaking.

Profiling

As they drove home, Maria spoke to Miguel about racial profiling. "You have to be careful, Miguel. There are people who will always see the color of your skin before they see your heart. It's not fair, but it's the reality we live in."

Later that evening, Santiago visited their house to check on Miguel. He sat down with him, his eyes serious. "Miguel, what made you respond to those guys with such rage?"

Miguel looked down, unsure of how to articulate the fire that had burned in him. Santiago placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have the spirit of your grandfather and father in you," he said. "You need to understand your ancestry, where that warrior instinct comes from."

Seminoles

Santiago began to tell Miguel the story of his great-grandfather, Luis Garcia. "Your great-grandfather lived in a town called Nacimiento de los Negros. It means 'Birth of the Blacks.' In 1852, Black Seminoles and Seminoles from Oklahoma came to Mexico. The Mexican people welcomed them because they helped guard the borders."

Black Seminoles were slaves who fled from Southern States to Florida to find freedom among a native tribe called the Seminoles. The Seminoles embraced the slaves and shared their land with them in exchange for their agriculture skills and their help protecting their villages against the US Military invasions and Slavemasters who sought to steal their land. Together, the Black Seminoles and the Native Seminoles never stopped fighting for their freedom until they were forced to move to Oklahoma after Spain sold the land of Florida to the US for $5M.

In Oklahoma, they were constantly attacked by United States Soldiers and many of the free Black Seminoles were forced back into slavery. So they fled to Mexico where Slavery was already abolished.

Santiago spoke of how the Black Seminoles were led by a man named Osceola and another man called John Horse, and how the Seminoles were led by a man named Wildcat. "When they got to Mexico, they had to fight to keep their freedom, and many of them were great warriors. Your great-grandfather, Luis Garcia, was among the Mexicans who lived there. Luis means 'great warrior.' He earned that name because, as a young man, he fought with the Seminole people to protect the border. He was fearless."

Legend has it that Luis helped to kill many enemies who threatened the safety of his family with the Seminole people. There were many Mexicans who fought alongside the Seminole people to protect the Mexico borders.

The Garcia Family Lineage

Miguel listened, captivated, as Santiago described how Luis was known for his skills in making weapons and sharpshooting. "Luis gained respect from the Seminole people and they embraced him like family. He married a Black Seminole woman named Flora.

In 1863, Slavery was officially abolished in the United States. However, slaves in nearby Texas were not informed. Those slaves in Texas were not even freed until June 19, 1865. A day that would later be nicknamed "Juneteenth". The village in Mexico still celebrates Juneteenth to this day. When slavery was abolished in the US, many freedmen in Mexcio migrated to Texas. Luis and Flora relocated to Houston."

"They had a son named Miguel," Santiago continued. "When Luis and Flora died, their son moved to Dallas and started a garage. He never went to college, but his father had taught him everything about mechanical work."

Channel Your Energy

Miguel's eyes widened as Santiago spoke. "Your grandfather, Miguel, married a Mexicano woman named Anita, and they had a daughter named Maria. Your mother."

Maria joined them, sitting beside Miguel. "Your great-grandfather Luis was a warrior, and so was your father, Nasir. They fought for their families and their freedom. You have that same spirit, Miguel. It's in your blood."

Miguel felt a deep sense of pride and connection to his heritage. "But how do I use it without getting into trouble?" he asked, his voice soft.

Maria and Santiago exchanged a look. "You channel it into something positive," Maria said. "Fight for your dreams, your ambitions. Use that warrior spirit to build a future for yourself and those you love."

Miguel nodded, understanding dawning on him. He felt the weight of his ancestors' legacy and the responsibility to honor it. He would find a way to turn his anger into strength, to fight for his future and his family, just as his great-grandfather and father had before him.

I Want To Fly

As the evening drew to a close, Maria went about her nightly routine, cleaning the kitchen and turning off the lights. The house was quiet, save for the gentle patter of rain against the windows. She headed to her room, but first, she stopped to check on Carlos. He was fast asleep, tucked snugly under his blanket.

Next, she knocked softly on Miguel's bedroom door.

"Come in," came his voice from inside.

She opened the door and stepped into the dark room. Miguel's bed was near a window, and the sound of rain was louder here. A faint glow from a streetlight outside barely illuminated the room. Miguel was lying in bed, a book open in front of him.

Maria noticed the title: a book about the Tuskegee Airmen. "What are you reading, mijo?" she asked, smiling.

Miguel looked up, his eyes shining with enthusiasm despite the dim light. "It's about the Tuskegee Airmen. I want to go to college, Mama. I want to learn about airplanes. Maybe even be a pilot someday."

Maria's heart swelled with pride. "You can be anything you put your mind to, Miguel," she said, walking over to him. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Just don't stay up too late. Make sure to turn off your lamp before you go to sleep."

Miguel nodded. "I will. Goodnight, Mama."

"Goodnight, my love," she replied, turning to leave the room. At the doorway, she paused and looked back at him, a smile spreading across her face as she saw him engrossed in his book again. She closed the door softly, leaving him to his dreams and aspirations.