ABSTRACT
Juan is a 16-year-old Latino whose parents migrated to the United States from Mexico before he was born. Recently, Juan has been struggling in school. His grades have been dropping over the past two years, his attendance has been poor, he often falls asleep or gets bored in class, and he fi ghts frequently with other students. Juan does not have many friends, but he does get along with several of his teachers. Juan’s home life has also been in turmoil over the past several years. His mother was diagnosed with cancer about a year ago, and his father, who was laid off from his job at a manufacturing plant, is still unemployed. Juan’s mother was not working, so the family lost their health care and other benefi ts when Juan’s father lost his job. Since then, Juan’s father has been drinking heavily, and when he is drunk, he gets violent with Juan.
