Cadence Saldaña stood on the stage holding his poem, the paper creased and wrinkled. The 13-year-old was one of the last youths of the night to perform.
“I am from wet flatlands, mountains and ocean,” he started. “From surfing and ‘don’t step there, there’s a snake.’”
Saldaña’s mom, Destiny Wittenborn, watched from the audience at the summer showcase of an organization called Honoring Our New Ethnic Youth…