BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Students across the Kern High School District walked out of their classrooms Tuesday, united in protest against ongoing ICE raids and federal crackdowns impacting immigrant communities. Their message was direct and urgent: \u201cWe just want to be seen. We just want to be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
The student-led walkouts spanned multiple campuses, including Miramonte High School, where students gathered early in the morning fog to organize and prepare for a seven-mile march to Bakersfield\u2019s Liberty Bell.<\/p>\n
Among them was Hector Hernandez, a former Miramonte student who returned to support his younger brother and fellow organizers. Hernandez is a co-founder of For Better Change, a youth-led group he started with six friends to address issues facing Kern County, including immigration enforcement and economic inequality.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur representatives don\u2019t care about us,\u201d Hernandez said. \u201cThey don\u2019t focus on us, and that\u2019s why we want to create change.\u201d<\/p>\n
As students began leaving campus, Hernandez emphasized that the walkout was more than symbolic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope it opens the eyes of politicians who are watching,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of people say we\u2019re just marching to march, but leaders are paying attention. Many of these students are registered, pre-registered, or will be voting soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Students from several high schools joined the march, walking together through city streets and stopping periodically to speak, chant, and reflect on the legacy of movements that came before them. Along the route, community members stopped to watch and show support.<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung people today have the power to make a difference and create real change,\u201d said Robert Mendoza, a Bakersfield resident who observed the march.<\/p>\n
After completing the seven-mile walk, students from different schools converged at the Liberty Bell, where they shared personal stories and spoke openly about fear, frustration, and hope.<\/p>\n
Amaya, one of the student speakers, said fear has become a daily reality for many young people.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have friends whose families have been taken from them,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I\u2019ve been followed home by police.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another student, Ariana, said the walkout gave students a platform they\u2019re often denied in school settings.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchools shut kids down and make it feel like we\u2019re not allowed to speak,\u201d she said. \u201cWe deserve to have a say.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fellow organizer Itzel said the message she wants leaders to hear is simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should all be together and not divided by race or the language we speak,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Student organizers say they hope their voices reach local and government officials, spark meaningful dialogue, and lead to action addressing the inequities they continue to face.<\/p>\n
For now, they say, walking out was about reclaiming their power\u2014and making sure they are impossible to ignore.<\/p>\n
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