My name is Antonio Gallo and I am part of the Chicano Studies Faculty here at Cal State Northridge. I was pleasantly surprised and excited to hear that Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle may be one of the books selected for the 2011-12 Freshman Reading. Fr Greg Boyle is one of the main reasons why I was able to attend CSUN as a student and am now here as a faculty member, writing this letter of support and endorsement for Tattoos in the Heart. I grew up in the Aliso Village Housing Projects, where most of his early work began with youth at risk in Los Angeles. That’s where I first met Fr. Greg. My story is not one of a gang member who turned his life around—I was one of the fortunate ones, thanks to him. Rather, he gave me the hope and option not to join a gang. Fr Greg showed me what a true hero should be. When I was a young teenager, 13 or 14 years of age, in Aliso Village, Fr Greg was out riding on his beach cruiser bicycle that he always used. He stopped me and some friends and asked us if we had any heroes and we responded, ya of course: Rocky. He smiled at us and said, Any real ones?” And we said in our naïve and innocent way, “He is real”; but we understood the point and yet we couldn’t name any real heroes. Well, today I can name many; and Fr. Greg is on top of that list. And Rocky is, too. Fr Greg has shown me how to be compassionate and giving to others who have been less fortunate or unlucky in life. But the most important lesson, the one that I will forever be grateful to have learned from him, is not to be imprisoned by our anger but to use that anger for positive change. Tattoos on the Heart will engage freshmen, draw them into reading and reflecting, and encourage freshmen to grow intellectually. Tattoos on the Heart will also encourage thought and discussion in a variety of courses and it values diverse cultural perspectives and addresses contemporary social issues. Fr Greg has had a huge impact on my life and for these and many other reasons, I am confident Tattoos on the Heart will have the same effect on our incoming freshman class. Antonio Gallo, Esq. Chicano/a Studies Department
(This opinion is one of two posts quoted in the online Freshman Year Reading Catalog for 2011-2012 published by Free Press.)
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