Paul Lesoa是南奥克兰Mangere College的学生,他在公开信中表示反对那些将低收入郊区贴上“奥克兰的康普顿”标签的人,并称他这一代人将打破这种偏见。
康普顿市(Compton)是美国加利福尼亚州洛杉矶县的一座城市,然而却是个危险的城市——黑帮横行、治安混乱、毒贩横行、枪支泛滥。据说这个城市每天都会有命案发生,是个不折不扣的“迷惘”城市。
Paul表示,他非常愤慨人们将Mangere比作康普顿,“当和不同学校的朋友在一起时,我说我来自Mangere,他们都说自己听到了各种关于Mangere的坏话。有时候也许是玩笑话,但玩笑却会伤人。”
“很多人可能会称我们为‘逾期居留者’,如果我就是那样,那我将继续逾期居留,并将这个国家变得更好!我写这封信就是为了打破大家对我们学校的偏见。”
尽管出生在Mangere,但Paul居住在两地。他周末在Manurewa与父母一起,平时上学就与祖母住在Mangere。2014年到Mangere学校读书时,他靠入学奖学金为自己买了校服和文具。Paul现在11年级,正在修读NCEA一级,科目有英语、数学、历史、地理以及体育科学。他不仅是学生会成员,还是校橄榄球队球员。
他的四个哥哥姐姐也毕业于Mangere College,都已经在工作。其中一个姐姐是青少年工作者,Paul表示自己也想找一个“帮助年少年的工作”。
“我并没有想到这封信会得到如此多关注,我希望人们可以读一读,希望能影响到他们。”
下面是这封信全文:
My name is Paul Lesoa, aged 15, and a proud student of Mangere College. A lot of outsiders who are not from South Auckland look down on where we come from - Mangere 275.
Mangere is where most of us Islanders live. Mangere is home and I know a lot of people are afraid to tell people that they come from Mangere. Looking from the outside in people label us as the Compton of Auckland. There are people who may call us 'overstayers'. Well, if I'm that, then I'm going to overstay and change this country for the better. I'm going to change Mangere's reputation to a good one. I'm going to try my best to inspire other kids my age, younger and older, to dream big.
The schools in Mangere may not have the flashest facilities or have the luxuries that other schools have but we have a bond, we can relate to each other, we all have a common goal and that's to make our parents proud.
At Mangere College, last year's NCEA results were the best results our school has ever had. We don't need the nicest resources if we have a big heart and a big dream. Any brown kid can make it big. We can be the next SBW, the next doctor, the next principal or even the next Prime Minister. We just need to believe. We need to realise we are more than just the brown statistic.
Our school has produced school principals, police officers, barristers, nurses, doctors, sporting legends and music stars. They had to work hard to get where they are now so that inspires us to work hard and to believe.
We can be the generation that gives Mangere a good reputation for the rest of Auckland. We can be the generation that breaks the stereotype.
数字中的Mangere区: • 人口62,745 • 20岁以下人口38% (新西兰为27%) • 中等收入$20,300 (全国数据 $28,500) • 61%岛裔,20%欧裔,16%毛利,16%亚裔
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