On Thursday, April 27, 2017 the Spanish Three Honors class visited the Day Worker Center in Mountain View to learn about immigration and the lives of local day workers. In order to gain a better understanding about the daily experiences of a day worker, the students travelled by light rail. After arriving at the center, the students played cultural games with the center’s clients and conducted interviews in Spanish. The class will use this information to create “Stories of Hope,” a bilingual book about the day workers. The ultimate goal of the project is to bridge cultural divides and educate the community about the lives, struggles and joys of the day worker community.

By participating in this project, Notre Dame students were able to gain a new perspective and expand their knowledge about the lives of day workers. Our call to serve and participate in our community encourages Notre Dame students to take this knowledge and apply it to the service they give in neighboring communities. This trip to the Day Worker Center enabled the students to recognize their own spiritual growth as a social justice advocate, and education of the whole person by connecting with their day worker on a spiritual and personal level.