Los Angeles: Mateo Backs the Blue

Before we start this episode, here's a quick preview of what's coming. Take an animated trip around the world and see what it's like for teens living in other countries. Explore global issues and learn how unique America really is. Enjoy the rest of our free videos for all ages when you subscribe at PragerU.com. Welcome to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the USA and the heart of sunny Southern California. Its residents, known as Angelenos, enjoy the city's beaches, hiking trails, museums, theme parks, sports venues, and acclaimed universities. In 1848, gold was discovered in California and thousands of people moved West across the United States to try to strike it rich. At the time, the remote village of Los Angeles was just a rugged frontier town with very few people. But like the rest of the state, it quickly expanded to accommodate the wave of newcomers. Over the last 150 years, Los Angeles, or L.A. for short, has been a beacon of growth, offering opportunity for millions of residents. But this rapid expansion of people and culture has also come with some growing pains. And when tensions turn to violence, Angelenos must rely on a strained police force for protection. This is Mateo, the 13-year-old son of Mexican immigrants living in Los Angeles. Mateo's parents, Juan and Lucy, moved here just a few years before he was born. They operate a small convenience store that serves a largely Hispanic neighborhood. Mateo attends the local public school where his favorite subjects are math and P.E. After school, he helps at his parents' store, restocking shelves and sweeping the floors. On Sundays, he attends mass with his family at the nearby Catholic church. In his free time, Mateo enjoys playing baseball, hanging out with his friends and playing video games. Before immigrating to Los Angeles, Juan and Lucy run a small general store in Mexico. They worked hard to make their business successful, but cartel members began harassing Juan, demanding money for protection. The threats got so bad that Juan and Lucy decided to embark on the long and expensive process of applying for a U.S. green card. When their application was finally accepted, they moved to Los Angeles and found a large welcoming community of fellow Latinos. After even more hard work, they were able to open a new grocery store. Soon, Mateo was born, followed by his two sisters, and the family was very thankful for their life in L.A. Then, in May 2020, George Floyd, a Black man who resisted arrest and was held under the knee of a police officer, died while in custody. Although this happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, fiery protests and riots erupted in cities all around the United States. Activists claimed that the police were targeting the Black community and purposefully killing unarmed Black men. As the false claims of racial targeting spread, so did the anger and violence. Throughout the summer, Mateo and his family were shocked and worried as they watched on the news where neighborhoods around L.A. were being burned and looted. Politicians, activists, celebrities, and even major corporations began to demand reform or complete abolition of the police force. Mateo wondered, who would keep his neighborhood safe if there were less police? And what about his family's store? After all, he had just watched protesters smash store windows, steal all the merchandise, and even set the buildings on fire. He also saw videos of angry protesters blocking traffic on freeways, threatening police, and intimidating restaurant patrons. How would fewer cops be able to stop this type of behavior? The only cop that Mateo knows personally is his middle school's resource officer, Officer Suarez. Tall and smiling, Officer Suarez has a high five, a handshake, or a fist bump for each student as he walks down the hallway. Mateo quickly discovered that Officer Suarez is, like him, a fan of L.A.'s professional baseball team, the Dodgers. When Mateo revealed that he enjoys playing baseball, too, the resource officer remarked that someday he'd hope to see him on deck to bat with the Blue Crew at Dodgers Stadium, which made him smile. Officer Suarez takes time to be friendly, but also has an important job to do. Mateo has observed him doing daily book bag checks and escorting strangers off of school property. Last year, when tempers flared and punches were thrown in the cafeteria, Officer Suarez sprang into action and quickly diffused the situation. Mateo understands that a resource officer is there to keep the students safe so that they can focus on their schoolwork without fear. He views Officer Suarez as a guide, a mentor, and a protector, not how he has seen police characterized in the news as mean, spirited bullies. Mateo has heard his parents talking about the news, and he agrees with them. They believe that improving police tactics will be beneficial, but they don't want to eliminate the police in their schools or in their communities. In the past, Juan and Lucy would encounter occasional shoplifters in their store, but they were usually kids sneaking candy. Lately, however, adults have begun brazenly walking out with armfuls of goods, disappearing before police even have time to arrive. With crime erupting everywhere, Mateo wondered if Officer Suarez could help him understand what was going on in his neighborhood. One day after school, Mateo managed to catch the resource officer and get all of his thoughts out. He told Officer Suarez about what he had seen on the news and what had happened in his family store. His parents were worried that the crimes would continue, and Mateo wanted to know what he could do to help. When Officer Suarez asked Mateo how he felt about what he had seen on TV, Mateo admitted that he felt sorry for Mr. Floyd's family, but he couldn't understand why rioters seemed to think that destroying other people's property helped the family feel better. He knew that his parents had come to Los Angeles to escape the threat of violence and destruction in Mexico, but now the criminals in L.A. were almost as bad as the cartels had been. Officer Suarez asked Mateo what he thought the purpose of the police truly was. Mateo responded that he felt it was to protect others, like resource officers protect the students at school. To his surprise, Officer Suarez revealed that he also served the community in big and small ways that Mateo had never even realized, including making time for helpful chats with concerned kids just like him. Officer Suarez then revealed something even more surprising. To protect and serve was not only the police's job, but Mateo's as well. First, he needed to protect himself by doing the things he knew he should, like doing his best on schoolwork and keeping out of trouble. Next, he needed to serve his community by helping his neighbors. Officer Suarez even revealed that there are programs in Los Angeles and all around America, like Neighborhood Watch, which help neighbors look out for one another and connect citizens with their local police departments. Mateo's mind began to spin. He could protect and serve his community. During the riots, he and his father had helped board up windows. In fact, his father knew every shop owner on the street where their store was located. Maybe the adults could be block captains with the Neighborhood Watch. But was there even more he could do as a kid? The easiest thing he could do would be to say thank you to the police officers that worked in his neighborhood, and he started right then and there with Officer Suarez. Now, when Mateo kneels during mass beside his sisters and parents, he prays for wisdom to know how to protect himself and serve his neighborhood. He smiles as he thinks about the new blue crew that he's chosen to support and how good cops like Officer Suarez can teach other kids like him how to truly make a difference.