Humans of Downey - Kathy

"What makes me the same as other people is that I would like to be cared for and loved like most people in the world.

"My uniqueness comes from the fact that I never knew my biological father but I had a stepfather who came into my life early and he was Mexican. That was very unique when I was a little girl, that there would be an interracial marriage. But because of it, I was so much more diverse than my friends in my age group. So, I am very proud of the fact that my dad was a Mexican man. He was my stepfather but he was my father.

"He taught me so much. My dad helped me become the person I am today. He taught me that we are all connected and that we all do matter. A teacher told him in high school, after they had graduated, that he would never be anything more than a garbage truck driver because he was Mexican. One of only two in the school at that time. He enlisted in the army after high school. When he got out he became a Long Beach policeman. One night, when he was on patrol, he pulled over what appeared to be a drunk driver. When he got up to the window, he asked the occupant for their license and insurance card. He looked at the license and was shocked. The driver was the same teacher that had told him he would never amount to anything significant. He said, 'Do you remember me?' That was poetic justice."

~ Kathy