Over the last two decades, the criminalization and demonization of Chican@/Latin@ youth has produced policies in the United States that have banned bilingual education, Mexican American Studies in Tucson, and undocumented students in Georgia from attending public universities. Furthermore, hundreds and thousands of youth in the U.S. are criminalized due to inadequate and inhumane immigration policies that violate civil and human rights. Not coincidentally, the prison industrial complex has seen their profits increase exponentially and the convergence of these two phenomena proves to be far from accidental. However, pedagogies of hope and resiliency shine a beacon of optimism for the future in communities that have seen unparalleled regressive political attacks on Chican@/Latin@ youth. This article focuses on the relationship between the political context for Chican@/Latin@ youth and the resiliency and creativity of those who strive for justice, equality and education for liberation in their community.