In the News

By Amber Frias

An 8th grader at El Sereno Middle School in El Sereno has earned national recognition after he created an app to teach people about their rights regarding immigration, especially when they encounter federal agents.

Julian Miramontes, 14, said the Know Your Rights app is the first one he created with the help of his STEM teacher at school. The app outlines key information people should know, then reinforces understanding by quizzing the users.

For example, one of the questions asks, "This amendment protects our rights to remain silent when detained," with the answer choices of the Fifth Amendment and Fourth Amendment.

"I wanted to create a resource that was easily accessible, so people could know their rights in this country," Miramontes said. "I'm helping out my community in a good way."

The teen won the national app challenge in California's 34th Congressional District, a nationwide competition encouraging middle and high school students to design original apps that solve real-world problems, along with the $250 prize.

"I saw the effects these immigration raids were having on the community," the 8th grader said.

The teen's parents said the project reflects his technical skills and empahty.

"For us to see that he, on his own, took the initiative of choosing this topic, which is near and dear to us and our family members, it definitely creates a sense of pride and joy for us," Enoc Miramontes, Julian's dad, said.

Congressman Jimmy Gomez, who represents California's 34th Congressional District, said Miramonte's creation fulfills the goal of the competition.

“(It) recognizes the crisis and what the fear is in the neighborhood and says, 'OK, what would I want people to have?" Gomez said.

As the winner of the competition, Julian will get the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. and meet other winners from across the nation.

The app is not publicly available unless users are sent a link to it.

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