The teasing Hayle Perez faced in middle school over her Guatemalan culture still lingers.
“Most of the students were Mexican, and they’d tease me about how my family looked ‘different.’ That hurt,” said Perez, 17, a rising senior at Alliance Collins Family College Ready High School.“But instead of hiding it, it made me more proud of who I am. I started embracing my culture more and wanted to show it through my work.”
The work Perez was referring to was journalism, where she channels her cultural pride to promote literacy and celebrate her identities.
But at a school where all students were minorities, Perez noticed something was missing.
“I had never met someone who actually wrote stories about people from our backgrounds – whether Black or Hispanic. That lack of representation made me realize how important it is to have someone who understands and tells those stories,” she said.
As a sophomore, Perez set out to address the lack of books and literary resources at her school. She started a journalism club where students could pitch and discuss story ideas. They also set out to host more field trips and attend journalism events and conferences like J-Day.
“There were so many events happening, and nobody knew about them, not just in the school but in the neighborhood and the community,” she said. “Writing about a college trip or getting students informed through the newspaper, you could do that.”
Perez faced challenges leading the journalism club, especially in introducing students to reporting and storytelling, since many had never written a news article before.
But the setbacks didn’t stop Perez from launching literature-focused programs at Collins. She launched a book vending machine stocked with BIPOC authors to promote reading at a school without a library.
“She’d run the whole initiative; she’s a huge advocate for reading, promoting literacy in a community that doesn’t have many books,” said Melisa Alcala, who taught Perez ninth-grade English and ran ASB her junior year.
Daphnie Gutierrez, 17, who has been Perez’s friend since sixth grade, specifically admires Perez’s passion and dedication to writing and journalism. She said she sees Perez as someone who is able to “get stuff out there.”
“People wouldn’t assume she would voice her opinion because she’s more shy and timid. She’s really not,” said Gutierrez.
Perez’s Guatemalan identity is her main source of pride and the foundation of her voice. She has participated in cultural pride days at school, where she wears traditional Guatemalan attire. Every year, she takes a trip to Guatemala, which helps her stay connected to her roots and deepens her sense of purpose.
According to Perez, her parents’ journey to America is something she will “never forget.” Her father immigrated from Guatemala, and her mother came from El Salvador.
“My dad always reminds me of where we come from. He tells me about how hard he worked, and how far we’ve come,” she said. Perez attributed her main motivation in journalism to her own family’s story.
“I want to showcase every part of a person’s truth, no matter where they come from or who they are; I want to shed light during dark times and uplift voices that have been ignored. That’s always been my vision,” said Perez. “And I carry my mom’s Salvadoran roots and my Guatemalan identity with pride in every story I tell.”
