OUR NEXT GUEST IS SOMEONE WHOSE

AMBITION TURNED HIM AWAY FROM

HIS TOP JOB AT THE CENTER OF

POWER AND MONEY.

CHRIS ANARDI WORKED AS A TRADE

OR WALL STREET FOR ALMOST 20

YEARS.

IN HIS FREE TIME HE EXPLORED

NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE THE SOUTH

BRONX IN NEW YORK.

ARMED WITH HIS CAMERA, HE MET

WITH THE PEOPLE OF THOSE STREETS

AND USED THEIR PHOTOS TO TELL

THEIR STORY.

INSPIRED, HE LEFT WALL STREET

AND WENT ON THE ROAD.

HE SPENT FOUR YEARS CROSSING THE

COUNTRY TO DOCUMENT WHAT HE

CALLED BACK ROW AMERICA.

HIS NEW BOOK, "DIGNITY" IS THE

CULMINATION OF THAT JOURNEY AND

OUR MICHELLE MARTIN TALKED ABOUT

STEPPING OUT OF THE RAT RACE AND

INTO THE HUMAN RACE AS PART OF

OUR ONGOING INITIATIVE ABOUT

POVERTY, JOBS AND ECONOMIC

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA.

IT IS CALLED "CHASING THE

DREAM."

>> CHRIS ARNAUTI, THANK YOU VERY

MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> WHY WALL STREET?

WHAT DREW YOU THERE?

>> THERE WEREN'T MANY JOBS AT

THE TIME.

I HAD A PH.D --

>> YOU SAY THAT LIKE EVERYBODY'S

GOT ONE.

EVERYBODY HAS THAT.

I WOULD HAVE STARTED WITH A PH.D

IN PHYSICS AND MAYBE YOU COULD

HAVE HAD A LOT OF OPTIONS.

>> AT THE TIME IT CAME DOWN TO

TWO OPTIONS AND ONE WAS

METEOROLOGY AND WALL STREET.

I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT BANKING --

>> WHAT DID YOU DO ON WALL

STREET?

>> I WAS A TRADER.

>> PRESUMABLY, YOU MADE A PRETTY

GOOD LIVING.

>> I DID.

I MADE A VERY GOOD LIVING.

>> YOU STARTED TAKING LONG WALKS

AND WHAT DREW YOU TO HUNT'S

POINT IN THE BRONX?

>> PART OF IT I WAS TOLD NOT TO

GO.

>> TOLD BY WHOM?

>> OTHER BANKERS.

WHEN I HEARD ABOUT HUNT'S POINT

IT WAS ALWAYS IN A NEGATIVE

LIGHT.

>> WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE

GOING TO FIND THERE AND WHAT DID

YOU ACTUALLY FIND THERE?

>> I DON'T WANT TO FURTHER THE

STIGMA BY SAYING WHAT I THOUGHT

I WOULD FIND, AND I WILL SAY IT

WAS DRUGS AND PROSTITUTION, THE

NEGATIVE.

DECAY, VIOLENCE AND ALL OF THOSE

THINGS AND UGLY STIGMAS AND WHAT

I FOUND WAS A COMMUNITY THAT

WAS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD

BEAUTIFUL AND ALSO VERY

WELCOMING.

>> WHEN YOU SAY BEAUTIFUL, TELL

ME WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?

>> PHYSICALLY, IT FACES SOUTH

WITH NOT A LOT OF LARGE

BUILDINGS SO YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL

LIGHT.

ADDITIONALLY, I LOVE WHAT I CALL

ALMOST INDUSTRIAL ART, HOW

PEOPLE MAKE ART OUT OF NOTHING,

AND HUNTS POINT HAS A LOT OF

AUTO BODY SHOPS AND HAS A LOT OF

JUNKYARDS AND THE WAY THEY

DISPLAY THE JUNK IS ARTISTIC AND

WHAT DREW ME IN WERE THE

PIGEONS.

I SEE FLOCKS OF BIRDS ABOVE

THE -- AND I KEPT LOOKING AT

THEM AND THEY LOOKED

CHOREOGRAPHED AND THE WAY THEY

WERE FLYING AND THEY ACTUALLY

WERE CHOREOGRAPHED AND THEY WERE

KEPT BY PEOPLE ON ROOFS.

>> HOW DID YOU START

PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE THERE?

YOU KNOW, HOW DID THAT START?

>> PEOPLE WOULD WANT ME TO

PHOTOGRAPH THEM.

I STUCK OUT OFTEN LIKE A SORE

THUMB.

I WAS A WHITE GUY WITH A CAMERA

IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS

ALMOST 100% AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR

HISPANIC AND SO PEOPLE WOULD

OFTEN COME TO ME AND ASK ME

QUESTIONS AND ON.

>> LIKE WHAT?

LIKE WHAT?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

>> SIMPLY.

YO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

AS BLUNT AS THAT.

>> WHAT DID YOU SAY?

>> I AM HERE TO PHOTOGRAPH

THINGS AND I'M HERE TO LOOK AT

P

PIGEONS AND I'M JUST HERE TO

LEARN AND THEN THAT WOULD BEGIN

A DIALOGUE AND SAY, I WANT TO

SHOW YOU SOMETHING.

GO OVER THERE ON LAFAYETTE.

THERE'S A GUY ON NUMBER 9D OR 95

AND YOU'LL SEE IT.

SO I WOULD FOLLOW THE

INSTRUCTIONS AND I WOULD WALK

OVER TO WHERE THEY TOLD ME.

I'D LOOK UP AND IF I SAW PIGEONS

I WOULD JUST YELL UP TO THE ROOF

AND SOMETIMES I WOULD JUST OPEN

THE DOOR AND WALK UP.

>> WHAT WAS YOUR INTENTION?

DID YOU HAVE ONE?

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WERE ON SOME

SORT OF A VAGUE QUEST THAT YOU

DIDN'T REALLY KNOW SOME OF WHAT

IT WAS.

SOME OF --

>> SOME OF IT WAS DRIVEN BY

SIMPLY THE PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT

AGAIN, IT WAS VERY MUCH -- WHAT

IT BECAME WAS THE PEOPLE BECAME

THE IMPORTANT THING AND WHAT I

WAS MENTALLY GOING THROUGH AT

THE TIME TRANCINGING AND I CAN

LOOK BACK AND THINK ABOUT IT

NOW.

THE WAY I HAD SPENT MY ENTIRE

LIFE LEARNING AND THEN MAKING

JUDGMENTS BASED ON THAT LEARNING

WITH SOME DATA, BUT I DIDN'T

REALLY KNOW THE PEOPLE IMPACTED

BY THOSE DECISIONS, AND SO I WAS

GOING THROUGH A PROCESS OF

TALKING TO PEOPLE AND THEM

LEARNING FROM THEM AND JUST

HEARING, YOU KNOW -- IT WAS A

DIFFERENT WAY OF LEARNING.

>> TELL ME ABOUT MAYBE ONE OR

TWO OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU MET

AT HUNTS POINT.

>> THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE I THINK

ABOUT.

ONE OF THEM -- HER NAME IS

MILLIE.

SHE'S PASSED AWAY, AND SO

EVENTUALLY MY PROJECT IN HUNT'S

POINT BECAME SPENDING TIME WITH

THE HOMELESS AND ADDICTED AND

MILLIE WAS -- SHE WAS A SEX

WORKER AND A LIFETIME HEROIN

ADDICT AND I MUST HAVE MET HER

12 TIME 30 AT NIGHT.

SHE WAS WORKING THE STREETS AND

I ASKED HER HER STORY, AND SHE

TOLD ME HER STORY.

IT WAS A PRETTY ROUGH STORY.

HEROIN, INTRODUCED INTO DRUGS AT

13 AND 14 AFTER ABUSE.

IN AND OUT OF JAIL, IN AND OUT

OF REHAB, LIVING ON THE STREETS

FOREST MO OF HER 30 YEARS, AND

THEN SHE TOLD ME ABOUT HOW SHE'D

JUST RELAPSED AGAIN AND SHE'D

BEEN CLEAN FOR A YEAR AND A HALF

BECAUSE SHE HAD GOTTEN PREGNANT

AND WANTED FOR HER CHILD TO STAY

CLEAN.

SHE DID A SPEED BALL, A

COMBINATION OF HEROIN AND CRACK.

THE BABY WAS BORN EARLY.

THE BABY WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM HER

AND HERE SHE WAS BACK ON THE

STREETS.

MILLIE ENDED UP -- WHENEVER I

SAW HER SHE HAD A BANDANNA THAT

WAS WRAPPED AROUND HER ARM AND

THE REASON SHE HAD A BANDANNA

WRAPPED AROUND HER ARM BECAUSE

SHE HAD AN ABSCESS THAT HAD

TAKEN OVER THE LENGTH OF HER

FOREARM WHERE SHE WOULD SHOOT

HEROIN INTO AND IT WENT SEPTIC

EVENTUALLY AND SHE ENDED UP IN

THE HOSPITAL AND DIED FROM --

THE RUMOR ON THE STREET THAT SHE

DISAPPEARED WAS THAT SHE'D BEEN

KILLED.

I PUT THE LEG WORK IN AND I WENT

TO THE HOSPITALS AND I FOUND

HER.

THAT SHE HAD DIED, UNCLAIMED

BODY AND IF YOU DIE IN NEW YORK

CITY UNCLAIMED YOU GO TO HEART'S

ISLAND.

I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE KNOW.

>> IT'S WHERE PEOPLE GO WHEN

THEY HAVE NO ONE TO BURY THEM.

>> IT IS IN A LARGE TRENCH AND I

LOCATED HER BODY AND I WENT

THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HAVING

HER EXHUMED SO SHE COULD HAVE A

PROPER BURIAL AND DURING THE

PROCESS OF ACTUALLY FINDING

OUT -- I FOUND OUT HER RELATIVES

AND I FOUND OUT HER STORY, AND

EVERYTHING SHE'D TOLD ME THE

INITIAL NIGHT, A COMPLETE

STRANGER AT 12:30 IN THE MORNING

WAS TRUE.

IT ALWAYS STRUCK ME, BEYOND

BEING AN AWFUL, TRAGIC TALE,

IT'S ALSO THIS PERSON HAD NO

REASON TO TELL ME THE TRUTH BUT

DID.

>> EVENTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT

YOU WOULD CALL IT, THIS HOBBY OF

YOURS, THIS PASSION OF YOURS

REALLY CHANGED YOUR LIFE.

YOU QUIT YOUR JOB AND YOU --

WHAT?

SET OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY,

RIGHT?

NOT JUST FOCUSING ON HUNT'S

POINT, BUT KIND OF GOING ACROSS

THE COUNTRY.

>> RIGHT.

>> WHY?

>> FIRST OF ALL, WAS THERE A

SELFISH PART.

I PERSONALLY ENJOYED THIS JOB

PER THAN I DID BANKING.

I WAS SICK OF BANKING.

I DIDN'T LIKE THAT WAY OF

THINKING.

AGAIN, IT WAS A VERY LIMITED WAY

OF THINKING AND VERY

QUANTITATIVE, VERY COLD AND

SOULLESS AND THIS WAS A WAY OF

THINKING THAT WASN'T.

IT ALSO BECAME SOMETHING OF A

POLITICAL PROCESS BY WHICH I

WANTED OTHER PEOPLE IN SOME

SENSES TO SEE WHAT I WAS SEEING

OR TO KNOW WHAT I WAS KNOWING

BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THE WAY

THEY WERE -- THE WAY OUR

POLITICS WAS ALIGNED WAS NOT

HELPFUL AND FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS

CREATING THESE PROBLEMS AND

SECOND OF ALL, IT WAS IGNORING

THEM AND IT WAS IGNORING THE

DEPTH OF THE PROBLEMS AND WHEN

THEY CAME UP WITH SOLUTIONS I

FELT THE SOLUTIONS WERE WRONG

AND IT BECAME SOMETIMES LIKE A

POLITICAL PROCESS, YOU KNOW?

I DID HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND IN

THAT SENSE.

>> SO WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER

PLACES YOU WENT AND HOW DID YOU

PICK THEM?

>> I GENERALLY PICKED THEM BY

LOOKING AT STATISTICALLY WHAT

WAS THE WORST PLACE, THE PLACES

THAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED.

>> BY WHAT STANDARD?

HOMICIDE?

>> POVERTY.

>> HOMICIDE RATES AND OVERDOSES,

AND ECONOMIC DECLINE, YOU KNOW.

THERE WERE FOUR OR FIVE MAPS I

USED.

>> SO YOU WENT TO PLACES LIKE

MILWAUKEE.

>> MILWAUKEE.

>> AND WHEN I WENT INTO

MILWAUKEE I WENT INTO THE

AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD.

I WENT TO SELMA, ALABAMA, AND EL

PASO, THE FIRST WARD.

LEWISTON, MAIN.

>> LEWISTON, MAINE, AND ALL

DIFFERENT PREDOMINANTLY WHITE,

PREDOMINANTLY PLAQUE,

PREDOMINANTLY LATINO IN SOME

CASES AND I TRIED TO FIND TOWNS

THAT WERE UNIQUELY DIVERSE TO

SEE IF IT PLAYED OUT DIFFERENTLY

NG MOO DIFFERENT RACIAL GROUPS

AND I WENT TO LUMBER TOB AND IT

DIDN'T MAKE IT AS ONE OF MY

FAVORITE TOWNS AND IT WAS

ONE-THIRD AFRICAN-AMERICAN,

ONE-THIRD NATIVE AMERICAN AND

ONE-THIRD WHITE AND IT IS ALSO

IN THE POOREST COUNTY.

>> NORTH CAROLINA, ROBESON

COUNTY, AND I WENT THERE FOR A

WHILE.

>> SO YOU GOT A CHAPTER -- IT'S

ACTUALLY CHAPTER 1, IF YOU WANT

TO UNDERSTAND THE COUNTRY, VISIT

McDONALD'S.

WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?

>> I THINK THERE IS A REAL

MISCONCEPTION OF McDONALD'S

ABOUT MY CLASS AND AS THIS PLACE

OF PAYING EMPLOYEES POORLY AND

HAS UNHEALTHY FOOD.

IT'S THE REALITY FOR A LOT OF

PEOPLE.

McDONALD'S IS SOMETIMES THE ONLY

OPTION PEOPLE HAVE AND FOR THE

PEOPLE WHO ARE THE MOST MARGINAL

PEOPLE, THE MOST MOST

MARGINALIZED AND McDONALD'S IS

EXTRAORDINARILY WELCOMING AND IT

BECOMES A COMMUNITY CENTER AND

SIT FOR TWO OR THREE HOURS AND

GET OUT OF THE HEAT OR COLD AND

RECHARGE THEIR PHONE AND GO TO

THE BATHROOM AND NAME SHOOT UP

IN THE BATHROOM AND SOCIALIZE

AND RE-JOIN SOCIETY NEIN A WAY

THAT THEY'RE JUST NOT STARED AT.

I ALWAYS SAY IF THESE PEOPLE

WERE TO GO ON TO COLLEGE CAMPUS,

THE POLICE WOULD BE CALLED, BUT

BEING IN McDONALD'S WELCOMES

THEM.

IN GARY, INDIANA, IT'S

EFFECTIVELY THE COMMUNITY CENTER

AND THE ONE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE

PLAY CHECKERS AND THEY PLAY

DOMINOS AND HANG OUT AND READ

BOOKS.

>> YOU CAN HAVE A DOLLAR YOU CAN

HAVE A MEAL.

ONE OF THE THROUGH LINES FOR A

LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU

PHOTOGRAPHED AND SPENT TIME WITH

IS THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF

ADDICTION.

WHAT WAS THE CHICKEN AND WHAT

WAS THE EGG IN YOUR VIEW?

>> I FIRMLY BELIEVE ADDICTION IS

ABOUT -- NOT ABOUT SUPPLY.

IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT DRUGS ARE

AVAILABLE AND IT'S ABOUT DEMAND

AND THE DEMAND TO EASE A DEEP

PAIN IN PEOPLE AND THAT PAIN

GENERALLY COMES FROM BEING

STIGMATIZED OR REJECTED, AND

THERE ARE VERY CLASSIC FORMS OF

REJECTION THAT LEAD TO

ADDICTION, ONE OF THEM IS RACISM

AND I THINK YOU CAN GO INTO ANY

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN

UNECONOMITY THAT I WENT TO IN

SELMA IN MILWAUKEE OR IN BUFFALO

WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CONFINED

TO SECONDARY EVERYTHING BY THE

COLOR OF THEIR SKIN AND THAT'S A

WHOLE REJECTION BY SOCIETY THAT

I THINK IS VERY PAINFUL AND VERY

HUMILIATING AND OFTEN LEADS TO

DRUGS.

I THINK ONE OF THE FORMS OF

REJECTION THAT YOU FIND IN

COMMUNITIES IS EDUCATION.

TO BE UNEDUCATED IS A STIGMA.

WE VALUE EDUCATION SO MUCH THAT

I ACTUALLY -- ONE OF THE THINGS

I HEARD SO MANY TIMES WHEN I WAS

IN CRACK HOUSES OR WHEN I WAS IN

DRUG DENS IS PEOPLE SAID, YOU

KNOW, I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, WHERE

DID YOU GO TO COLLEGE AND I KNOW

THE ANSWER WAS I DIDN'T GO TO

COLLEGE AND I WOULD ASK OUT OF

POLITENESS.

I DROPPED OUT AFTER NINTH GRADE.

WHY?

PEOPLE CALLED ME DUMB, YOU KNOW.

AND I COULD TELL THAT THAT HURT,

YOU KNOW?

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF

PEOPLE THAT TOLD ME THAT WEREN'T

DUMB.

THERE WAS ONE GENTLEMAN WHO IS

IN THE BOOK GOT ADDICTED TO

HEROIN AND MANUAL LABOR AND

WHITE GUY IN WEST VIRGINIA, AND

I THINK HE SAID, I DON'T KNOW MY

ABCs, AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO TALK

TO ME INITIALLY BECAUSE HE WAS

WORRIED THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW

TO SPEAK WELL.

HE ACTUALLY WAS ONE OF THE MOST

ELOQUENT PEOPLE I'VE HEARD.

HE HAD A REAL WAY WITH LANGUAGE,

AND I KEPT TELLING HIM THAT, AND

HE DIDN'T BELIEVE IT BECAUSE HE

ALL HIS LIFE HAD BEEN TOLD HE

WAS DUMB.

BEEN TOLD YOU CAN'T READ AND

WRITE.

MORE AND MORE NOWADAYS BECAUSE

WE SORT BY EDUCATION, BECAUSE WE

REWARD EDUCATION SO MUCH

ECONOMICALLY, I THINK THAT WHEN

PEOPLE WHO DON'T NECESSARILY DO

WELL IN COLLEGE, IT'S JUST NOT

WHO THEY ARE --

>> OR SCHOOL, FORMALIZED

EDUCATION, RIGHT?

THAT'S JUST NOT THEIR

PERSONALITY AND THAT'S NOT THEIR

SKILL SET AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY

THEIR MIND IS WIRED OR THEY

DON'T HAVE THE FAMILY SUPPORT TO

BE THAT PERSON BECAUSE THEY

HAD -- TO BE AN EDUCATED ELITE

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SUPPORTIVE

FAMILY OFTEN AND YOU HAVE TO BE

WILLING TO LEAVE THAT FAMILY, TO

MOVE AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT

TO DO THAT.

>> I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO

SOMETHING THAT YOU TALK ABOUT IN

THE BOOK IS THAT AT A CERTAIN

POINT YOU DEVELOPED AN ADDICTION

YOURSELF.

>> IT WAS DURING THE PROCESS.

>> I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT

THAT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WAS ALL

ABOUT?

>> SELFISHNESS.

>> I -- I CAN TRY TO -- I CAN

TRY TO DRESS IT UP IN ALL SORTS

OF WAYS AND SAY I WAS SEEING

PAIN, BUT I LIKE TO DRINK AND I

WAS AROUND A LOT OF DRUGS AND I

STARTED DRINKING HEAVILY.

PARTIALLY TO DEAL IN SOME LEVELS

WITH THE CHAOS I WAS SEEING,

PARTIALLY TO FIT IN, TO BE

HONEST, AND I HAD TO STOP AND SO

I STOPPED.

>> WHAT MADE YOU STOP?

>> A RECOGNITION THAT IT WAS

ENTIRELY SELFISH AND I WAS

HARMING PEOPLE AROUND ME.

>> DID ANY OF YOUR FAMILY

MEMBERS SAY, CHRIS, YOU KNOW

WHAT?

>> PART OF REASON WHY I DON'T

WRITE ABOUT IT IN THE BOOK IS

MY -- I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THE

BOOK ABOUT ME.

I THINK IT SHOULD BE ABOUT THE

PEOPLE AND SO I TRIED TO PUT

THEM FIRST.

SECOND OF ALL, MY STORY HAS BEEN

TOLD MANY, MANY TIMES, A WEALTHY

PERSON FINDS A DRUG ADDICTION

AND GETS CLEAN.

>> YOU JUST STOPPED.

>> I DON'T WANT TO SAY I WAS AN

ADDICT BECAUSE I WASSAIB ABLE T

STOP.

I WAS COMPLETELY SOBER.

I HAVE A BEER EVERY NOW AND THEN

BECAUSE I AM ABLE TO GO THROUGH

THAT IN MY MIND.

>> IS IT BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE

TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS THAT IT

FITS INTO THE NARRATIVE.

IF THEY UWANTED TO FIX IT THEY

CAN.

>> WEALTHY PEOPLE CAN.

YES, WEALTHY PEOPLE CAN FIX IT,

BUT THEY HAVE A MASSIVE SUPPORT

NETWORK.

I HAD A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY.

I HAD MONEY.

I HAD STABILITY.

OFTEN WHEN YOU'RE AN ADDICT AND

YOU'RE LIVING ON THE STREET.

WHEN I FIRST GOT TO HUNTS POINT

AND I WAS NAIVE ENOUGH TO SAY

THAT'S MY SISTER.

WHAT A COINCIDENCE YOUR SISTER

IS HERE.

IT'S YOUR STREET SISTER.

>> THEY'VE BEEN INEKJECTED BY

THEIR FAMILY AND THEY BUILD A

STRAT FAMILY AND IT'S AS

IMPORTANT AS THE BIOLOGICAL

FAMILY AND IT REPLACES THE

BIOLOGICAL FAMILY.

IT'S GREAT.

IT'S A LEGAL SYSTEM.

WHEN MILLIE DIES HER STREET

SISTER GOT HER POSSESSIONS, WHAT

POSSESSIONS SHE HAD.

THE NEGATIVE OF THAT IS WHEN YOU

GO TO REHAB, WHEN I GO TO REHAB

I CAN GO AND HAD I GONE OR A

WEALTHY PERSON GOES TO REHAB YOU

COME BACK TO YOUR FAMILY.

ALL OF YOUR FAMILY IS ADDICTS.

>> TELL US ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON

YOU MET.

SOMEBODY REALLY STUCK WITH YOU.

>> A YOUNG WOMAN PROBABLY 19 OR

20 WHO WAS IN A McDONALD'S IN

EAST L.A.

WHEN I WOULD GO INTO TOWN I

WOULD SPEND TIME IN THE SAME

McDONALD'S WRITING MY NOTES AND

THIS YOUNG WOMAN WAS THERE EVERY

NIGHT WITH HER COMPUTER DOING

HER HOMEWORK AND HER GAMEBOY AND

HER PHONE ALL THREE OF THEM

CHARGED.

EVENTUALLY SHE ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT ME AND SHE SAW ME TYPING

AND I SAID I'M FROM NEW YORK

CITY.

SHE SAID I'D LOVE TO GO TO NEW

YORK CITY AND I SAID YOU CAN.

THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT SCHOOLS

THERE.

SHE SAID I CAN'T, I'M GOING GO

TO A LOCAL EAST L.A. COMMUNITY

COLLEGE BECAUSE I'M MY MOTHER'S

TRANSLATOR.

MEXICAN-AMERICAN, OUR MOTHER

LIKE MOST FIRST JGENERATION

DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH AND SHE AS

THE OLDEST WAS TASKED WITH BEING

A TRANSLATOR AND THAT'S A CASE

WHERE WE UNDERVALUE THAT

DECISION.

I PERSONALLY THINK THAT SHE MADE

THE RIGHT DECISION.

SHE SHOULD STAY IN EAST L.A. AND

GO TO LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

BECAUSE SHE NEEDS HER MOTHER.

HER MOTHER NEEDS HER.

I'VE MET PEOPLE WHO HAD THE

OPPOSITE.

THEY NEEDED THEIR PARENTS AND

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE AGAIN, THAT

PATHWAY TO SUCCESS WE SO HIGHLY

TOUT OFTEN REQUIRES PEOPLE, IT

LIMITS WHO CAN DO IT AND IT

REQUIRES PEOPLE TO LEAVE THEIR

FAMILY.

>> GIVE ME A FINAL THOUGHT.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE US?

>> AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S

THE OLD NARRATIVE, BEFORE YOU

JUDGE SOMEONE WALK A MILE IN

THEIR SHOES.

IF YOU SEE SOMEONE WHO IS

HOMELESS OR YOU SEE SOMEONE WHO

IS ADDICTED AND YOU SEE SOMEONE

WHO DIDN'T VOTE THE WAY YOU

DON'T VOTE, BEFORE YOU SAY WHAT

A JERK OR WHAT A LAZY PERSON AND

THEY MIGHT HAVE MENTAL PROBLEMS

AND SPEND 15 MINUTES TALKING TO

THEM AND YOU MIGHT FIND THERE'S

CONTEXT TO THE STORY THAN YOU

REALIZE AND THE DECISION MIGHT

BE A LITTLE BIT LESS CRAZY THAN

YOU'D REALIZED.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING

TO ME.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.