By Bobby Rivera

Staff Writer

After leaving school 13 years ago, I returned as a student in 2012. I was caught in signing up for courses late, so I had to do what everyone on campus is familiar with and crash classes. Since I planned on majoring in sociology, I began talking to students I met and asked them what professor they recommended for classes. As I gathered names, Professor Xuan Santos was reiterated the most by students. This prompted me to stop by his office and see if it was possible to get into one of his classes.

As I roamed the fourth floor of the Social Behavioral Science Building, I got lost looking for Professor Santos. I asked an unknown man if he knew where Professor Santos’ office was located. He responded, “What’s it to you?” I looked at him and saw him wearing Stacy Adams shoes, as well as a pressed Pendleton shirt and a brim hat.

From my life experiences, I thought I was talking to someone either on parole or probation. I told the unknown man that I just wanted to see if I could get into one of Professor Santos’ classes. I turned around, and as I was walking away, the male turned to me and said, “I’m Xuan Santos and I’m just messing with you.”

Messing with me was unheard of from a professor. But as I reflect on our initial meeting, I realize that I had walked into the biased world that plagued Professor Santos and I was sure he had stories to share that I wanted to hear.

Professor Santos was polite and asked me what subjects I was interested in studying. He then asked me to walk with him outside the first floor of the building where we could chat. For the next 40 minutes, I was educated in theories and concepts that could be reviewed in future social research I attempted.

The more Professor Santos spoke, the more I was embarrassed. I had done what I never thought that I could do, stereotyping this man who was now giving me his time and teaching me on the walkway of the Social Science building near a bridge.  He shared his past of growing up in the Los Angeles area known as Boyle Heights, the same area I remember visiting years ago, seeing many gang members and poverty.

The bridge we sat by was a metaphor for his entry into the scholarly world of sociology. He told me about his move to North County and how he wanted to see if he would be racially stereotyped as he had been in the past.

“So I shaved my head and let my tattoos be exposed when I went out. It was pretty surprising the looks I got and how I was treated differently when I went into a store. I realized that San Diego North County was like other places that I’ve visited and bias is all along southern California,” Professor Santos said.

As the conversation continued, I realized he was far superior to me in intellectual thought, and I felt like I was sitting in his classroom. He spoke to me not as a professor, but as a new friend. I also noticed something else unusual. Students were walking up to him and shaking his hand when saying hello. Within the time he allotted me in conversation, he had at least 25 students approach us and greet Professor Santos. It was as if I was momentarily with a rock star that was sharing with me the gift of music. The music Santos was sharing was critical thought within criminology and I was quickly becoming a fan.

After the recent success of Father Boyle’s visit to our campus last month, I wanted to talk to Professor Santos about the event and his connection to youth gang issues. Professor Santos considers Father Boyle his mentor as well as his friend. In addition to this, he told me how he went to UC Santa Barbara and CSU Los Angeles, where he majored in sociology before graduating from UCSB, One of his biggest motivations to succeed was a teacher that he had in high school.

“I was a smart ass and thought I was funny and trying to be cool. Mr. Peter LaFarga talked to me about going to college. He was the first to sit me down and talk seriously about what my future could hold. I had many friends I grew up with that were dying on the streets. What separates myself from many of my friends was that I would always finish my homework before I went out to hang out with them and the street credit I developed living in Boyle Heights.  Homework was a priority for me and friends who were closest to me respected that and understood,” Professor Santos said.

As he spoke, it was evident how much he loves the area of Boyle Heights and how much he missed many of the people he grew up.

“When I got to college, I was amazed at how bright the students were. It was uncomfortable for me to speak, because I spoke differently. I also dressed differently and felt out of place. One day a professor called me out in class to answer the three forms of government. Everyone looked at me and I felt embarrassed that I couldn’t answer him. He thought I was being disrespectful and taking up space in his class so he threw me out. I left the classroom and was upset because I knew the answer, but felt it didn’t matter to anyone in that class. I stood outside the door and didn’t want to walk away from school. I came back in and yelled out Judicial, Executive, and Legislative. Everyone stood up in class and started clapping for me. The professor apologized and had me take a seat back in class. I then knew that I could actually be a college grad someday. I also had a stronger focus to finish my studies and possibly inspire others to learn,” Professor Santos said.

When asked about Santos’ role on campus and his involvement in the Father Boyle event, Adam Shapiro, Dean of the college of humanities, arts, behavioral and social sciences, had nothing but positive things to say.

“Dr. Santos has made significant contributions to our campus in his short time here. He brings light to marginalized communities and peoples, and engages our students in critical self-reflection and meaningful dialogue about human potential and social justice. His efforts to bring Father Boyle to CSUSM were extraordinary, especially for someone so early in their academic career, Shapiro said.

“I was really inspired by Professor Santos in his youth gang class, him having so much knowledge as he shares his experience reference racial profiling and stereotyping,” Professor Santos’ former student Erica Dawson said.

“The students see Professor Santos as someone who cares about them and wants them to succeed, not just in the classroom but out in the world.  He’s a role model that the students see as being real and someone who is creating positive change for our local communities,” Professor Santos’ current student Jose Martinez said.

“Xuan Santos has an incredible connection to students that is profound. His gut level of experiences in life and his reaching out to community through his teaching and understanding is unmatched. He sits in many group sessions with our students and is part of the process of change,” Director of the Hannity Foundation in Vista, Dwain Rogers said.

“My instruction is to connect students and understanding the difference from people that struggle every day. I speak on spoken word as a means of education in bringing in the invisible, the voiceless, and the oppressed. In every day instruction and use my platform in bringing in the voices that aren’t mainstream,” Professor Santos said.

“I’m seeking out a career in law enforcement and have been on numerous rides along with police officers. Xuan Santos has the ability to dispel the stereotype and return respect and dignity to a group of people whose only violation is that they are part of a lower socioeconomic level,” Dawson said.

From my own experiences with Professor Santos, I can agree with Dawson and the many others who speak so highly of him. While I have tried for three semesters to take Professor Santos’ course on youth gangs, the class always fills up within a few days. This semester was no exception, the course becoming full before I could even register. I’m now realizing that with one semester left, I might not be able to take any of his courses before I graduate. Is it unlucky on my part that I can’t get into his class, or is he still messing with me?