American Dreams: How Our Teachers Pay it Forward

Mr. Navarette and Mr. Noori on the immigrant experience

Staff Writer

“I think education is the equalizer. It is the one opportunity that has given me a chance to be things I couldn’t otherwise be.”

Mr. Noori immigrated to escape the Afghan-Soviet war when he was seven years old. Coming from a middle-class family, he had to adjust to depending on government assistance and grew up to face discrimination in a post-9/11 world.

He moved to Fremont as a sophomore and enrolled at American High, where he was inspired by a former teacher named Mr. Johnson. “For the first time, I started to enjoy history. It made me envision a career where I could do the same thing, and bring that joy of a subject to other people the way he had for me.” This helped him understand the importance of inspiration in a student’s life, and he later attended UC Berkeley to pursue his passion for teaching. He continued, “I was a student at one point who didn’t speak a word of English, so I represent the potential of what you can be, going from zero English, an EL student, the refugee at the back of the class, to suddenly teaching students in the front of the class.”

When asked if he had a message for immigrant students, he said, “Keep showing up. Don’t give up. It’s a long struggle, but you can do it. I was able to achieve my dreams through constant struggle.” He continued, “You may have started behind in the race, because of the barriers of language and culture shock, but this country makes it very possible for you to advance. If you put enough effort and are willing to endure the pain of the struggles, the payout can be good. Keep showing up, keep trying, use your resources.”

“The biggest thing I love to see about teaching is to see the ‘aha’ moments in students. To see that lightbulb go on when they get it.” said Spanish teacher Mr. Navarette.

Mr. Navarette immigrated from Mexico when he was eight years old. He could not speak English at the time. “I grew up undocumented in the US and that in itself brought a lot of challenges in terms of the access that I had, or lack thereof, to be able to access higher education, financial aid, work, employment.”

Once he graduated, he was able to go to San Jose State through the AB 540 pass. He continued to be involved in the immigrant rights movement and advocated for immigration reform.

When asked if he had a message for immigrant students, he said, “You’re not alone. We are all in this together and whatever experiences you have or your family has, it’s something that you can take with you and help you build that future that you want for yourself. It’s something that will make you a unique and strong person even when it doesn’t seem like it.”

“When we enter that space of perhaps desperation or just anxiety or fear, whatever those emotions are, it’s important to focus also on the positives, and the hope that even if things are not the way that we want them to be, or our situation is not ideal, we can work to change that. If anybody wants to come and chat with me in room 314, my door’s open. There’s people around who are willing to help to hear you and to point you in the right direction.” Mr. Navarette said, highlighting that his story is just one of thousands in a staff and student body of people willing to share and listen.

Resources for undocumented students: https://tinyurl.com/Resourcesforimmigrantstudents

Financial Aid: https://tinyurl.com/financialaidAHS