Roni Lezama
Roni Lezama is a junior at Middlebury College studying International Politics and Economics. He previously interned at the Asia Society, where Heather Singmaster helped edit this essay.
My father is an immigrant from Mexico who decided to sacrifice his home to give me a better life. He grew up with the notion that the United States had one of the best education systems in the world and he saw that education as my ticket to participate in the pursuit of happiness.
When he moved to America, he chose Flushing, Queens, in New York City which this year became an epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis because the public elementary school was highly regarded for its academics and safety. But navigating the public school system was extremely difficult, marked with constant reminders that the system was not designed for students like me. These difficulties and inequities have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis and will continue to impact students if they remain unaddress