There are people who need somebody to hate in order to unite. They hate blacks or the Irish or Jews or Catholics. Now they hate Hispanics.
Note to readers
The young man profiled here asked that certain details of his life not be divulged to protect his parent’s privacy. His parents are hoping there will be a path to citizenship or legal residency. For example, he asked that his high school remain unnamed but the Times Free Press was able to verify his GPA and other facts he shared in this story. His middle name was used rather than his first name.
David Rodriguez made excellent grades in eighth grade despite being bullied constantly. Being one of the few Latinos in his class in the Hamilton County as well as his love of playing the flute and piccolo made him a target.
“I would stay up until 2 a.m., working on math homework or essays because getting a score of 99 was not good enough; I wanted a perfect 100,” recalls David now 18. “I wanted to make straight A’s, win a college scholarship, earn a law degree, then come back to Chattanooga. I dreamed I could be America’s first Latino president.”
But when he turned 13, his parents told him a secret so deep and dark, friends and coworkers did not know it.