He mentions the possibility of El Break doing something similar.
"You guys have fun," Sandoval says, only half-joking.
Brad Garner
Luis Avila
Brad Garner
The members of El Break: From left, Gabby Arias, Laura Suarez, Diali Avila, Obed Hurtado, Sayra Sandoval, Tony Arias, and their leader, Luis Avila.
Related Content
More About
Avila lets the idea rest for the night, but he's clearly still thinking about it, and, a few days later, El Break's biggest social awareness campaign — Paro Juvenile (Youth Strike) is born.
A week later, everyone — including Sandoval — has committed to the strike. Starting July 30, they intend to give up food for one full week. This is no sissy sunup to sundown fast, either; it's the real deal. Nothing but water until August 5.
Still, in tune with the way most Americans work, they aren't asking supporters to join them in their total hunger strike. Instead, El Break's tactic to raise awareness is to ask people to give up one thing they truly love, à la Lent.
Radio ads for the strike ask participants to "Join our youth strike and give up something you like in support of the DREAM Act. Don't eat chocolate, don't drink beer, don't go to the movies, don't play Xbox."
Two weeks before the strike begins, Avila, the Arias, Hurtado, Diali, and Suarez head out to University of Phoenix Stadium to pass out fliers and rally support outside the Copa Panamericana soccer tournament.
None of them is sure how they're going to last a week without food. Suarez has been to the doctor, who warned her to be careful.
"As soon as I'm hungry, I'm going to throw up," she says from the backseat of Avila's car.
Gabby is nervous too, but determined.
"It's a challenge. A way to see how powerful I am," she says. "If I can fast for a whole week, I can do anything."
Even Avila, the fearless leader, is worried, though he's also excited. He wishes it was time for the strike and is already wearing the green ribbon they will pass out to supporters during the strike, which ends on the first anniversary of Anaya's death.
El Break is going to set up shop at the hair salon where Avila's mom works, New Imagen, where they will spend the week bringing attention to their strike and to the cause.
Avila is holding Anaya's memory close as he prepares for the fast. He's nervous about going seven days without food, especially because he's in a play on the fourth day of the fast, but when he remembers his mission, he is less concerned.
"Isaac wouldn't have died if he could have gone to school," he says. "It's ironic. He's undocumented and wasn't allowed to go to school and he's buried here in Arizona. Not in Mexico, where they said he should be sent back to."
