An inspiration...[and] testament to the power of an individual to overcome obstacles and make a difference. -- Rampa R. Hormel, environmentalist and president of Enlyst Fund
The book speaks to a hope for a different world and finds even in the most dispiriting of experiences the seeds of change and social justice. This should be required reading... -- Warren Montag, chair of the English and Comparative Literary Studies Department at Occidental College
This is a story that young people everywhere should read as it demonstrates how much every one of them could contribute to a better future for themselves and their communities. -- Margaret E. Crahan, director, Kozmetsky Center, distinguished professor at St. Edward's University
A heart-felt and heart-warming story...while it is one man's story, it is also the story of so many who build new lives with perseverance, determination, and compassion. -- Henrik Rehbinder, editorial page editor of La Opinion
Hope in Times of Darkness: A Salvadoran American Experience by Randy Jurado Ertll is a slim and pithy memoir by a Pasadena resident who overcame the kinds of obstacles that are common to recent immigrants from Central America....In his gritty littlememoir, Ertll chronicles the trajectory of his life in Los Angeles and Pasadena. Living first in South Los Angeles, he struggled to survive elementary school because he didn't speak English. Eventually, a love of learning and a few caring teachers helpedhim turn away from the lure of drugs and gang violence that permeated his neighborhood. Many of his friends weren't so fortunate, ending up dead or in prison. Ertll writes: Poor minorities went on being innocent victims of drive-bys, armed robberies, beatings and murder. Those who suffered the most were beaten by both the police and gang members. They were scared to report crimes because they feared they would be deported or accused of the crimes. Unable to speak English, they had no way to defend themselves. Ertll found ways to defend himself - first, on the streets and eventually, through education. He graduated from Occidental College and worked for Congresswoman (now U.S. Secretary of Labor) Hilda Solis. Then he worked for Pasadena (now LAUSD) Supe * Pasadena Star News, June 2010 *
Vivid, urgent, original, Randy Jurado Ertll's story compels us to grapple with some of the most urgent issues of our times. -- Matt Rothschild, editor of The Progressive Magazine
Hope in Times of Darkness: A Salvadoran American Experience by Randy Jurado Ertll is a slim and pithy memoir by a Pasadena resident who overcame the kinds of obstacles that are common to recent immigrants from Central America....In his gritty little memoir, Ertll chronicles the trajectory of his life in Los Angeles and Pasadena. Living first in South Los Angeles, he struggled to survive elementary school because he didn't speak English. Eventually, a love of learning and a few caring teachers helped him turn away from the lure of drugs and gang violence that permeated his neighborhood. Many of his friends weren't so fortunate, ending up dead or in prison. Ertll writes: Poor minorities went on being innocent victims of drive-bys, armed robberies, beatings and murder. Those who suffered the most were beaten by both the police and gang members. They were scared to report crimes because they feared they would be deported or accused of the crimes. Unable to speak English, they had no way to defend themselves. Ertll found ways to defend himself - first, on the streets and eventually, through education. He graduated from Occidental College and worked for Congresswoman (now U.S. Secretary of Labor) Hilda Solis. Then he worked for Pasadena (now LAUSD) Superintendent Ray Cortines and eventually became executive director of Pasadena's nonprofit El Centro de Accion Social. He is now devoted to helping other immigrants overcome the obstacles in their way to becoming productive, contributing Americans. * Pasadena Star News, June 2010 *
In his gritty little memoir, Ertll chronicles the trajectory of his life in Los Angeles and Pasadena. * Daily News, 6/19/2010 *
