Ok, so our trip has come and gone, and we've been home for a little over a week now. So the whole idea of blogging about our experiences as they happen didn't quite work for me. If you were glued to our group blog, waiting for the updates while we were gone, my apologies for not making a more timely contribution. To tell you the truth, I don't blog and I don't know what to blog, I think generally people share too many (boring) things online. Of course, our trip to New Orleans was anything but boring as you know if you've read my classmates' posts. But as is the nature of online blogging, I don't even know who "you" are, so what do I share?

Well, I chose to spend my spring break working for Southeast Louisiana Legal Services in New Orleans because I saw this as an opportunity to do what I wished I had done since 2005. After Katrina hit I wanted to help. I was envious of my friends who were down there helping the Red Cross distribute food and supplies. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time or money to go. This trip made me realize that the window of opportunity to help Katrina victims isn't closed. Many of the clients we worked with were Katrina victims and are still struggling with housing issues. The residents of New Orleans still face a whole host of problems from the floods and the damage done to the homes. Many homes that are being rented through the Section 8 subsidized housing program are not up to code. (Although inspectors are supposed to make sure they are). I heard frequent complaints about leaking roofs and drafty apartments. One lady told me she could see the sunlight through the crack in her wall. Several people told me their electricity bills were between $300-$700 a month! I saw the proof. And that's for a small apartment!

The Federal Government is subsidizing housing for these people who can't afford to pay full price rent, but what we're subsidizing is housing that perhaps ends up costing them more in the long run. The landlords are able to charge a premium price for their shoddy apartments because the majority of the rent is coming from the housing authority. If the tenant can get an inspector to issue a notice to the landlord that their apartment/home is not up to code they may be able to get the problem fixed, but if not, the housing authority stops paying rent and the tenant gets 'evicted.' I was mostly helping these people in their disputes with the landlords who often refuse to return the rent deposit claiming a breach of the lease. (Although they weren't providing habitable housing).

I know that my one week volunteering probably didn't have a huge impact on too many people. But my individual contribution plus that of my classmates, and the countless other students who volunteer their time at SLLS throughout the year, is sure to lighten the load of the overworked attorneys and we hope that collectively we do have a huge impact. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of the attorneys as well as the clients I spoke with and I know my one week volunteering did have a huge impact on me.

In addition to the volunteer work, the people who came on the trip really made it awesome. I didn't know many of the group participants before the week began, but I wasn't worried. You know that the people who want to work for a legal aid clinic over spring break will be some pretty cool people. And that turned out to be true. I feel thankful to everyone who made this a wonderful spring break- SLLS, my SCU classmates and Professor Abriel. And thanks Wayne for sharing your story and showing us around the Lower Ninth Ward, what an experience.

I know that this was one of those trips that stays with you long after it's over. Just in this past week I've found myself thinking about the trip almost daily and I know that my experiences will continue to develop meaning and will stay with me for life.

A Reflection

I can still recall where I was and what I was doing on August 28, 2005 when I turned on the television and watched images of Hurricane Katrina. I stayed tuned everyday, hoping and praying lives had not been lost and that the damages were not as severe as the images seemingly portrayed. And then Rita developed, canceling the reopening of New Orleans and initiating the re-evacuation of the city. Rita slammed into Louisiana on September 24, 2005.

Katrina and Rita were the second and third Category 5 hurricanes of the 2005 hurricane season. They were deadly and costly to communities throughout the Gulf and particularly destructive to Louisiana. More than 1,800 people lost their lives in Louisiana; approximately 18,000 businesses were destroyed; roads, schools and public facilities were washed away; and many thousands of people were forced to relocate.

More than four years later, SCU's Alternative Spring Break gave me a real life glimpse of those images I had once seen splattered across the news. Though much progress has been made, much progress still remains. For instance, we toured the Make-It Right building grounds, a project aimed to building green affordable housing on a large sale to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. Each home is evaluated based on strict Cradle to Cradle criteria for human and environmental health, recyclability, durability and performance. Needless to say, a great idea with a praiseworthy mission. Yet, touring the Lower 9th Ward we also readily noticed the many uninhabitable homes that remain, boarded up with ominous X's on the doors and gigantic holes on the rooftops.

On Bourbon Street, we spoke to a waitress we had just returned to New Orleans. Granted, she smiled, seemingly happy to have finally returned to the city after being forced to relocate. At the same time, however, her eyes spoke the truth, filling up with tears as she reminisced about those months of despair.

At the Southwest Louisiana Legal Services, I was placed in the housing unit where I worked with low income tenants who had benefited from recovery public funds, such as the Small Rental Repair Program. This program aimed to provide financial assistance for the repair and/or reconstruction of small-scale rental properties. Before the disaster, a large portion of low income and other working families lived in these small scale rental properties. Many of the properties had been underinsured or uninsured and no longer available for occupancy. Thus, in order to enable the return of small rental properties to the market, the program provided financing to qualified owners who agreed to offer apartments/housing at affordable rents to be occupied by lower income households. Another great plan with a noteworthy purpose. However, in one of the cases I handled, a landlord under the program was charging our client above the proscribed capped amount, pocketing the extra amount (our client had no idea) and still refused to fix electrical problems. So, in essence, a program meant to serve the public, particularly lower income households, is being undermined by unscrupulous individuals.

Indeed, much progress has been made but, even after more than four years, much progress remains. Going to New Orleans last week further raised my awareness of the problems still faced by New Orleans and the Lower 9th Ward in particular. I loved the city and enjoyed the experience, and I hope to remain engaged in becoming part of the solution.

It's great to be back!

It's great to be back in Santa Clara after spending a week on bunk beds in a room of eleven, sharing one bathroom. It's the little things, like a soft bed and hot shower, that can mean the most, right?

I've listened to many Spring Break stories over the course of this first week being back to school. Most of them involve either vegging on the couch or laying on the beach soaking in the sun with margarita in hand. As nice as both of those sound, I'm glad to respond with my story of going to New Orleans to volunteer for a week with the legal aid office. I'll admit, it would have been nice to have some time to relax and catch up on some outlining, but I'm glad, in retrospect, that I had the experience of NOLA.

I hadn't realized until now how few people were actually aware of the continued struggle NOLA residents face since Hurricane Katrina. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, considering I, too, didn't realize the extent of the devastation until becoming involved with NOLA 2010. It would be nice to have a way to get word out so that more people could learn about ways to help. It seems as though tragedies have a way of dissipating in people's minds after it loses news coverage. I'm sure the same thing will happen soon with the devastation in Haiti - once the news stops covering it, people stop thinking about it and assume that everything is okay. Only those who are forced to deal with it on a daily basis are the people who are aware of the circumstances.

At the very least, being a part of this trip has taught me that the people of New Orleans are continuing to rebuild their community, and will likely continue their efforts for a considerable time in the future. I can only hope that our short trip to volunteer there made some difference, and that our stories will last in the minds of those with whom we share them.

moving past the hate

I've lived in the south before and after twenty five years on this earth, I've seen the ugliness of racism but never before has it been directed at me. Living in Kentucky, I got some curious looks, some ignorant but harmless questions such as "Oh you're a mixed child? Is that why you've got hair like that." but nothing like what I experienced in an isolated incident, at a jazz club one night.

Let me rewind. We were at The Maple Leaf Bar to see Rebirth, an amazing jazz band. Most of our group met up to have some drinks and let loose after a long day of advocating for the city's most desperate people, those that had been forgotten and left behind. New Orleans has an amazing music scene and Andrew's friend Clarence had introduced us to the real treasure of the city early on in the week, taking us to the Frenchman to hear some of his friends play at a local joint.

Tonight had already been special and random: we had met Mos Def early on in the night. (If you do not know who that is, please listen to Black on Both Sides or any of his work with Talib Kweli aka Blackstar) We talked about concerts I had seen of his at Ruby Skye, Rock the Bells and Coachella. He told me that it was good to meet a real fan, signed an autograph and would later invite me a couple friends to eat at the Camelia Grill. (we didn't end up going since we had literally eaten there a couple hours before but it was cool to be invited)

Rebirth came on and the music was incredible. The energy was electric and people started dancing and swaying. We started getting pushed but it was understandable since the crowd was so large and the venue so small. When you go to a lot of music events, you get used to this kind of thing and I thought nothing of it. But soon a few people were too drunk and started trying to make their way to the front and the shoving became more violent. Brunella and I moved to the side of the bar to let these people get by without being harmed. So far so good.

But there was a drunken straggler that wanted to get to his friends. It was a domino effect: he meant no harm but he was definitely inebriated. He hit Bru, she knocked into me and I got knocked into a tall, severe-looking caucasian woman. I apologized and explained that there was not much I could do. I asked if she was ok. She nodded and didn't respond much afterwards.

Her friend was a completely different story. She had seen her friend get knocked and despite my apology and explanation which she likely did not hear, she had become irate. She shoved me saying get out of here. I told her to respect my private space. She brought her face close to mine and yelled get the [insert expletive] out! I explained there was nowhere to go as I quickly searched for a solution: fight or flight? Obviously not a physical fight since this woman was the combined weight of Brunella and I but could I get her to calm down? Maybe.. I began again, "Maam,"

She cut me off with the following, "You slanty eyed [insert expletive]. Why don't you and your friend go back to your own damn country!"

There wasn't much to do or say after that. I examined her face, angry and a red mass of seething fury. I looked at her friend's face, mortified and embarrassed. Just then the band took a break and the crowd began filing outside for air or making their way towards the bar. Brunella and I walked outside to breathe to understand what had just happened.

I refused to let it spoil the evening and more time passed. At the end of the night, we spotted her with the thin friend and another man standing across the street. I told her she was a racist. She pretended to ignore me but her face, tight lipped and strained told me that she knew that she had severely messed up. She did not apologize but her company's actions spoke loud and clear. Neither would look her in the face. Both of them turned away from her, their body language clearly denoting that they did not wish to be associated with her, be considered a part of her hatred.

I've thought about this a lot in the days since it has happened. What could I have done differently? Why did she decide to say what she said? In the end, I have no answers. But I do know this: this woman is not representative of every woman in the South or even just New Orleans. When the lawyer that I worked for this week found out through the grapevine what happened, I was told he was livid, and said that had he been there, he would have done much more than give her a piece of his mind. That he would stick his foot where the sun doesn't shine so to speak. Professor Abriel had much the same reaction, disgust for that woman and her hateful words.

It took me longer to figure out how I felt about what had happened. Having discussed it with family and friends, although I too feel disgust, I also feel sadness and pity. Sadness because I know now firsthand that racism in it's ugliest form is still alive. But more than that I feel pity for this woman that will never know the wealth of perspectives and the joys of learning from people different from ourselves. I think about the rainbow of friends I have, the myriad of experiences I would have lost out if I had never encountered people of different ethnic backgrounds and let them into my life. I cannot imagine a life without this kind of diversity. I also pity how trapped her mind is: to see color before the person behind the color. To have race influence your decision before you meet a person and prevent you from truly seeing a person for who they are not what they look like.

Of course I wasn't excited to have racial slurs yelled at me. But in the end, I walk away grateful. Grateful that I am not a victim of this social disease. Grateful that most people are also not afflicted. Grateful for how far this country has come and finally grateful that I grew up in a generation and place where I was free to see people beyond their race. I can only hope that this woman will also grow from this experience. I wish her good luck and thank her for reminding me of all that I have that she has not been able to experience.

great food, new friends, amazing experience...

Spending a week in New Orleans with fellow Santa Clara Law students was an outstanding experience. Not only did we get to do extensive and varying legal work for those who could not afford it, but we were able to make new friends and bond with our fellow students - not only from SCU but from other law schools which worked at SLLS with us. The experience was one that I enjoyed thoroughly - one that exposed students to solving client problems through innovative legal claims. Also, the legal work provided an opportunity which allowed students to immerse ourselves in a community with a rich culture and history, which was evident when we met with clients as well as visiting different areas of the city.

Before we started working at SLLS, we took a tour of the lower 9th ward and saw some of the lingering effects of the storm. It was an eye-opening experience that showed the plight of local residents many years after Katrina. Much of the area is still undeveloped - houses are still being built but many homes are boarded up and abandoned. However, residents moving to the area still face lack of amenities such as grocery stores, restaurants, and the like. Also, there is yet to be a school reopening in the area, which provides even more hardships for families looking to move back into the area.

The city still needs volunteers in many different areas - from addressing the legal complications arising from Katrina, to building houses, community organizing, as well as other social welfare aspects.

Mitesh

A beautiful, empty city

New Orleans is a beautiful city on the water and full of breathtaking houses. The downtown area where SLLS is located is minutes away from the French Quarter and the Garden District and yet the most striking thing about the area is how deserted it is. SLLS is in a downtown area though the walk around the building reveals empty offices and store fronts. I can't help but to imagine a time before the "storm" (as Louisianans euphemistically refer to Hurricane Katrina) where the area was full of life and daily hustle to be expected in a downtown office area. It's disheartening to know that more than 4 years after Hurricane Katrina the city is still deserted. The effects of the storm are definitely still felt and seen.

Hitting the ground running

It's Monday morning, 15 minutes after orientation, and I am already conducting my first client interview. As a 1L, this is my first contact with any client in a law related interview so I am a little nervous. The main attorney assigned to the case doesn't seem to be worried, however, and I suspect that my affiliation with Santa Clara University School of Law is the reason. The law school has previously sent students to Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS, formerly NOLAC) and the work of those students who have volunteered before has created a positive reputation for Santa Clarans at SLLS.

The sheer volume of work at SLLS also necessitates the need for students to hit the ground running. In addition to the pending cases that the attorneys are working on, they take walk-in clients everyday. The client interviews give a sense of the problems afflicting the city since Hurricane Katrina: hopelessness, tension, and uneasiness. I must admit that it was a little hard at first to talk to so many people and hear so many stories of desperation. It got easier, however, once I realized that the work at SLLS makes a difference in every client's life that walks through the door. I am very proud to have been a part of that, if only for a week.