For Campos, then 15, arriving in a majority-black city like Washington in 1988 was a culture shock. Race relations was the last thing on their minds, she said. Campos didn't talk to her neighbors, not even a hello, mostly because her poor English embarrassed her. It wasn't because I didn't like people. We couldn't defend ourselves.
Kids can be cruel.
Hope Embraced But kids, as Billy Paz shows, can also be a symbol of change. He is definitely not your average Washington Latino. He grew up in a black neighborhood and swears allegiance to his black friends. Billy stuck with his friends at the Martha's Table teen program, where he and LaTonya go for tutoring and college training, long after most Latinos his age leave for the nearby Latin American Youth, said Jennifer Thomas, the program's director. Leaving Martha's Table, Billy said, would be like leaving his family.