“The Presidential Election
Dear Editor,
Bill Clinton is a good president because Clinton supports gun control and [the] anti-smoking campaign. Bill Clinton was good as president for four years. If I could vote I would have voted for Bill Clinton.
—Roberto Altamirano,
Locke High School
Dear Editor,
I found the article on voting which discussed the candidates views to be very Clinton-biased. From an 18-year-old perspective Clinton seemed flawless and Dole seemed insensitive and apathetic towards today’s youth (i.e. “has downplayed the dangers of smoking…”) I didn’t find one positive thing said about Dole. Practically half of the nation is voting for him, so he must be doing something right!
—Alana Klein,
Washington University
[Editor’s note: The article presented the positions of Clinton and Dole on issues of interest to teens.]
Affirmative action
Dear Editor,
Your article “Why we need affirmative action?” in your September-October issue was great. Do the Republicans think we are all a bunch of morons?! Affirmative action is here to give the minorities a chance. White males are usually the ones who get into college but what about blacks and Latinos who without affirmative action have little chance of getting into college. Just because you get in by affirmative action doesn’t mean that you are stupid. Would they really try to help someone who got horrible grades and showed no interest in school? We have to work hard too, as hard as white people do and may be even harder, so that we get the chance that affirmative action gives us.
—Ana Maza,
Chatsworth High School
Racism
Dear Editor,
This pull-out section on racism was very impressive. I enjoyed the articles on people of several heritages. I too am mixed. I’m half black, half Mexican. I’ve always felt interracial people were an ignored minority. Other publications print articles on racial discrimination against blacks, Latinos, and whites, but I’ve always wondered about the struggle mixed people fight every day just to be accepted as they are.
—Candice Valenzuela,
Locke High School
Dear Editor,
Racism is a big issue. It has affected many people over the last years like me. One day I was walking home when a guy almost ran me over with his truck and yelled “You F’ing Mexican, go eat your beans wetback.” I ran home crying.
I treat people with respect because that’s what everyone deserves. Maybe if more people showed a little love to others, life would be good.
—Danny E. Castellanos, Chatsworth High School
Dear Editor,
Your article “What if I were just one race?” really disappointed me.
I can’t understand why someone who happens to be of mixed race would want to be only one race. I myself am mixed with black, white, Indian, and some Irish too. I have never had a day when I wished I were of one origin.
Some say that a mixed person doesn’t know his or her real roots. I look at it this way: instead of learning about one background, I get to learn about three different ones.
I’m glad my mother and my father made me the way I am.
—Olivia L. Williams,
Chatsworth High School
Immigrants
Dear Editor,
The letters the students wrote about “immigrants” were very interesting. I like the way a lot of students care for the immigrants because if we don’t care for each other, who will?
I like most of the opinions except for one. Most immigrants do not come to America just to sell oranges. A lot of people come well educated. [They] come to achieve the American dream because they say this is the land of opportunities. Even if they do sell oranges they are not stealing, or doing anything illegal are they now?
I hope you [continue to] publish more issues on immigrants because I am very interested in this issue.
—Ofelia Zapata,
Locke High School
Sports
Dear Editor,
Your articles in the sport section were great but I didn’t read anything about soccer. I hope to see a good report about soccer in your next edition.
—Jose Ochoa,
Locke High School
[Editor’s note: We know how popular soccer is these days. Hopefully we will get a writer who is into soccer as much as you are.]
Dear Editor,
I do not agree with your article [that predicts] that the Green Bay Packers will win the Superbowl this year. There are many teams that are off to a good start this season. The Packers aren’t going to the Super Bowl this year. This year the Super Bowl is for the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers.
—Victor Saravia,
Locke High School
Disneyland
Dear Editor,
In the last issue of LA Youth, Mr. Oscar Michel wrote a negative article entitled “You won’t believe what happened at Disneyland”. The article was entertaining and interesting, I’ll admit that; but wasn’t it ironic for it to be printed in LA Youth? For doesn’t LA Youth preach goodwill, “why can’t be all just get along,” and stuff like that? Well, practice what you preach, LA Youth! The values you preach don’t apply to individuals only—but to everyone and everything. Michel mentioned in his article that Disneyland strongly protects its image, which is why the incidents weren’t popular. Why did Michel want to destroy that? By writing that article (and by you printing it), he intentionally set out to ruin Disneyland’s image. And, no, I am not related to anyone who owns or runs Disneyland, nor am I friends with them. I just believe that Michel’s article was a strong contrast to LA Youth’s “image.”
—Miriam Scott,
Hawthorne, California
Dear Editor,
I was surprised by the article I read about Disneyland. It’s bad to hear about people dying at Disneyland. To me it sounded like the writer was badmouthing Disneyland.
—Mirella Hernandez, Chatsworth High School
Dear Editor,
When I read the article “You won’t believe what happened at Disneyland” in the September-October issue, I felt that most of the deaths in the amusement park were the peoples’ own fault. I don’t think people should blame these deaths on Disneyland because Disneyland can’t control every person there.
—Lucero Peniagua, Chatsworth High School
Does music have a color?
Dear Editor,
I think that your article “Does music has a color” was interesting. My opinion is that people should listen to their own music. Let’s take black music off hand. Everyone listens to black music. Mexicans and whites want to listen to our music but yet some of them do not like black people in general. I hope you get my drift. I don’t mind that they do but if they are going to still not like us they can stop listening to our music.
—James T.D. Brown, III, Locke High School
Dear Editor,
I recently read the article “Does music have a color?” in the September-October issue. I thought that what it said is true. It’s good that Leona Smith took a stand and didn’t care what other people thought of or said about her. I am Latino and I like listening to classical music.
—Moises Perez, Chatsworth High School
Dear Editor,
I was surprised to see the article by Meera Venkatesan. I was one of Meera’s friends in elementary school. I had no idea she felt like that. I remember her coming to class with the red dot on her forehead, and I thought it was neat. When she wore a yellow string around her neck, we asked her why, but she wouldn’t tell us. I had no idea she felt bad because her religion and culture were different from everybody else’s. I didn’t mind that her skin was darker than ours. I didn’t think it weird that her mother dressed in sari. We all knew her mom was really smart, and I didn’t stop to think about her outside appearance.
I remember a kid once calling her “Meera Diarrhea,” but she laughed it off… so I didn’t think much of it. I wish Meera would have said something to us. I certainly had no idea that she felt so bad. But I know that I used to feel out of place sometimes, being the only Latina in the group, and not having blond hair, blue eyes, and freckles like my best friend did. I thought that those three physical aspects were essential to being pretty. Maybe if Meera and I had talked about how we felt we could have been much closer. Thanks for that article, though. I’m glad Meera feels better about herself… I know that I do.
—Nicole Gonzalez, Beverly Hills High School
Dear Editor,
We really appreciate your paper and its discussion of “Real Issues.” Thanks for doing all the terrific things you do and giving the kids the chance to find their voices.
—Joanna Paul, Teacher, Porter Middle School
Dress Code
Dear Editor,
I read your article on “A new dress code” and I disagree with the writer who agrees with the dress code. She says that the students who follow a dress code feel better about themselves. How can they feel better about themselves when the school doesn’t even let them be themselves?
—Mari Olivas, Chatsworth High School
Depression in junior high
Dear Editor,
I think your article “Augh…” was great. It’s difficult to talk about these kinds of experiences and like me, there are millions of teens with similar problems. The worst part is not to tell anyone and not to know how to handle it. I think this article will teach us a lot and hopefully we will be more careful of the way we treat other people.
—Evelin De Leon, Chatsworth High School
Dear Editor,
Your article “Teens do not need their parents’ permission for an abortion” is very interesting in many ways but I disagree at the same time.
I too went through that problem at the age of 15. I got pregnant, which was not intentional. I was at the point where I didn’t know if I was going to keep my baby or not. It’s a hard decision to make, especially when you cannot count on your parents. Not all teenagers have a close relationship with their parents: in fact, it’s rare!
Therefore, I think that it’s a good if teenagers didn’t have to have their parents’ permission [to have an abortion].
I also have a piece of advice for those teenagers who are in this situation or plan to get pregnant.
I’m 16 years old with a 10-month old baby. If you are planning to get pregnant, think again. You don’t want to go through what I’m going through.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my baby very much. But if you are a teenager that can’t handle a lot of responsibilities don’t even think about getting pregnant.
Linda Zuniga,
Chatsworth High School
Dear Editor,
Every teen has the power to not get pregnant. Getting an abortion will always run through your mind but later you will regret it.
Norma Ladera,
Locke High School
Dear Editor,
I think teenagers should have to get their parent’s permission for an abortion. These days, some teens say sex is everything. If they think that, they have to suffer the consequences.
Sandra Reyes, Locke High School
Dear Editor,
I don’t think abortion is the answer for me. But if someone else wants to do that, then I think it’s up to that person not their parents. Pregnant teens should be able to make their own decisions.
Wendy Navarro,
Chatsworth High School
Dear Editor,
Having an abortion is something teens and women should be able to decide on their own. It shouldn’t be left to a judge or the parents.
To me it’s not always easy to have a conversation with my parents. I don’t think talking about abortions is any easier.
Adriana Vargas, 15,
Bassett High School
Dear Editor,
The article that really captured my attention was the one written by Ernesto Lopez, “Don’t just do it.” The article is real to life and it explains the majority male mentality. I belive that it is best to try to make a close relationship before you decide to go to bed. I hope it is a wake-up call to males and females that their partners do not always feel what they say. People have to learn to look at actions instead of movement of the lips. Anyone with a tongue can say “I love you” but you know it’s true when it is followed with action.
Marvin Avila,
Los Angeles High School
Dear Editor,
I’m glad to see that LA Youth is such a positive paper for teens and I also enjoyed reading your recent article about sex. Certainly, I have more information than before. I had not read about sex information until [I read] your article. This kind of information made me think more about AIDS, sex and sexually transmitted diseases. I got to know about different kinds of birth control and it is very new for me. I did not learn about sex information when I [lived] in my country, Korea.
Han-Rim Lee,
Los Angeles High School
Dear Editor,
Some parents don’t have as much communications about sex with their kids as they should. They also may be shy or just don’t know how to talk about it.
My parents used to cover my eyes when sex was on TV. This made me curious and wanted to know more about it. I asked my mom about it and she was honest.
Evelin Quintanilla,
Los Angeles High School
Dear Editor,
I read the article, “Protect yourself” by Siel Jun in the May-June issue. I thought it was great that you wrote about what young adults should know about birth control. Many young adults don’t know much about birth control or don’t know which [kind is better] for them.
I liked that you talked about clinics like the Planned Parenthood. Many young adults, especially students, are insecure about going to the hospital and asking questions.
Anna Navarrete,
Los Angeles High School”