Sometimes we pay even if there was no mistake, just for being who we are. I don't mind paying for my mistakes. But it seems that we also pay for the mistakes of others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay - Luis Rodriguez Although injustices such as racial oppression are present in everyday life, it is often difficult to understand how a crime of such magnitude can be resolved through individual resistance alone. In his graphic memoir Always Running, Luis Rodriguez recounts his methods of fighting against societal oppression and racial prejudice, ranging from conformist to transformative resistance. As Rodriguez finds himself completely locked into a drug-filled gang life, his mentor, Chente, inspires him to take a stand against addiction to heroin culture through conformist resistance. Soon after, Rodriguez's efforts evolve into what Daniel Solórzano and Dolores Bernal describe as transformative resistance, as he turns to targeting the oppression of Hispanic minorities at Keppel High School. Because Luis grows up in a ruthless world dominated by Anglo-Saxons, he believes that the only power he possesses is to fulfill his stereotype: the role of criminal or gang member. Deeply conflicted about his commitments to the Lomas gang, Luis takes a step toward breaking up. the barriers of his own personal oppression with a categorical refusal to take drugs. At twelve years old, Rodriguez was already well versed in hardcore street life culture. Once settled in Reseda, Rodriguez was introduced to the John Fabela Youth Center, where he met Chente, the man who played a crucial role in getting him out of gang life. “Chente played the role of administrator, father figure, advisor, and judge” (Rodriguez 146). For Luis, Chente is the influential mentor who offers him a better life, free of street drugs and violence, and is the inspiration that allows him to engage in conformist resistance in his personal life. “Today's students often identify transformational role models and mentors as influential people who inspire and inspire them to care about and fight for social justice issues in their school and community” (Solórzano and Bernal 6). Chente actively demonstrates his commitment to social justice with his progressive work in programs for disadvantaged youth, which ultimately commits Luis to greater involvement at the center. Luis gradually finds himself broadening his experiences and realizing that there is more to this world than surrounding himself with gang violence. By passing up the opportunity to use heroin, Luis demonstrates that he is motivated to create a better life for himself (a life with social justice), but that can only begin with personal change. It does not challenge existing systems of oppression (primarily the major disadvantages faced by minorities stuck in their gang-infested neighborhoods). Thus, Luis does not address the root of the problem: that heroin and other drugs are easy to obtain in such crime-ridden neighborhoods. Luis is not seeking to change institutional oppression here, but rather to raise awareness of better opportunities for himself and his fellow gang members. Luis's resistance techniques soon evolve into a much more effective weapon in his quest for recognition of his underrepresented minority culture. Arriving at Keppel High School and seeing the.