Aiden Vázquez was ten years old when a punch opened a three-inch wound near his eyebrow.
It happened in 2018, at Two Bunch Palms Elementary School in Desert Hot Springs, California. A classmate snatched his backpack and hit him in the face in front of everyone. It wasn’t the first time: he had endured bullying for three years, and this was already the second time he had ended up receiving medical attention. When his mother, Lizette Casanova, asked him why he hadn’t defended himself, Aiden gave her an answer she hadn’t expected: it wasn’t the Jedi way.
Casanova had always told him that fists solve nothing, and her son took it seriously, even with blood in his eye. The phrase went viral and reached Mark Hamill, the actor who brought Luke Skywalker to life, who publicly praised him for his bravery: “I’m very proud of you for proving that you can be a Jedi in real life. Congratulations, Aiden! May the Force always be with you! Your fan, mh”, the tweet read.
Director J. J. Abrams also wanted to recognize the young fan who, without knowing it, had understood better than many adults what it means to have the Force.