Lais Martinez has had two sons attend Fairpark’s fated Mary W. Jackson Elementary School. For her kids, it was a place where they could be themselves and a school where the community was representative and inclusive of who they are.
“Our youngest is graduating this year, so he spent all his years here,” said Martinez, whose oldest is now a high school junior at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education. “The fact that teachers call you ‘mijo’, that means something for us — where it’s an extension of your home, where they’re invested in you.”
‘Mijo’ is a Spanish portmanteau of “mi hijo,” or “my son.” It’s a common way for parents, family members and other adults to endearingly refer to boys in their life.
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