How California kids were impacted as pandemic laid bare existing inequalities
The blazing path COVID cut through deep East Oakland and similar neighborhoods around California before the virus began trickling out in 2020. Author: Jocelyn Wiener Updated: 5:47 PM PDT June 30, 2021
CALIFORNIA, USA This story was originally published by CalMatters.
On a breezy late May afternoon, members of Madison Park Academy’s senior class donned shimmery white gowns and tasseled caps decorated with fabric flowers and celebratory messages. For most, it was the first and last time in more than a year they had set foot on their East Oakland campus.
Among them stood Eduardo Mendoza Miguel, a Guatemalan immigrant who spent the past year practicing his English watching Youtube and TikTok videos, and struggled through a bout of COVID-19 in the fall.