Airman’s American journey spans 13 years, two countries

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cecilia Rodriguez
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) --  “My parents told us we were going to Disneyland, but they told me not to bring any clothes or toys because they would buy us new ones.”

That was how Senior Airman Jesus Espinoza Ogarcia, now assigned to the 14th Medical Operations Squadron, was persuaded to leave his home in Puebla, Mexico, when he was 8 years old.

“My parents had to lie to me because I didn’t want to move,” he said. “My friends were there; my school was there -- that was my home.”

The Airman’s parents were teachers in Mexico. In search of a better life for his family, his father, Jesus Homero, decided to move his wife, Luz De Los Angeles, and their two children, Jesus and 9-year-old Luz Adriana, to Indio, Calif., in 1990.

When they first arrived, they shared a small apartment with another family.

“My older sister and I liked our new home at first because everything in the community was Spanish,” he said. “Everyone was Mexican or Hispanic.”

However, the Airman and his sister also attended a school where English was the primary language.

“We couldn’t read English,” he said. “I was so scared to be by myself in class that I would cry every day when my mom dropped me off at school.”

As a result of his difficulty adapting to the new environment, school officials had him take a placement test, and he scored very well.

“My scores allowed me to skip first and second grade and join my sister in her third-grade class,” he said. “I felt more comfortable in school after that.”

But the language remained a barrier.

“Making friends was hard. In school, teachers thought I was slow because I wouldn’t talk,” Airman Espinoza Ogarcia said. “Just because I was quiet didn’t mean I was stupid.”

Consequently, he found alternate methods of learning English.

“My first friend was a kid named Raymond Smith,” he said. “MTV was huge back then, and we used to sit around watching videos and reading books. That’s how I learned to speak and write in English. Spending a lot of time with (Raymond’s) family was also a big influence.”

Meanwhile, his father was having difficulty pursuing his career as a teacher.

“My dad really couldn’t get a job as a teacher because he didn’t have any credentials and couldn’t speak English well. So he started working all the (stereotypical) immigrant jobs; he bused tables, cleaned pools, did yardwork and construction,” Airman Espinoza said.

“I was very young, but I could see he hated those jobs. He was often dirty when he came home and a little embarrassed because when he was a teacher in Mexico, we always saw him in clean clothes wearing a tie. But I was proud of him for working so hard to provide for our family,” he said.

After three years in Indio, the family could no longer afford to stay in their apartment. The other family had since moved out, so they moved to a mobile home.

Upon finishing high school at 16, the new graduate earned a full academic scholarship to the University of California at Riverside. But stipulations regarding the Airman’s residence card prevented the university from awarding him all of the grants and loans he had earned. Still, he was determined to continue studying and attended a community college where he earned his associate's degree in English literature.

“After graduation, I worked for one year to save money in order to attend a university,” he said.

Keeping his family situation in mind, he decided to achieve two goals simultaneously by joining the Air Force on Sept. 17, 2002. First, he gave his savings to his parents to purchase a new home, repaying them for their sacrifices and giving his siblings a home to call their own. Second, he is pursuing his education and professional development as an Airman.

Not only did the Air Force help him capitalize on these goals, but it also placed another objective within reach. Airman Espinoza Ogarcia became an American citizen in June.

A bill signed by President Bush after Sept. 11, 2001, allowed servicemembers to expedite the citizenship process. Without his citizenship, Airman Espinoza Ogarcia was prohibited from certain activities, such as serving overseas, re-enlisting and voting.

“I especially wanted my citizenship so I could vote,” he said. “Even though it may not seem like it, one vote really can make a difference. And because I’m not only in the armed forces, but also a young citizen, I think voting is extremely important.”

He currently works as a mental-health technician at the life-skills support center and continues working on his academic goal.

“I’ve wanted to be a teacher for some time,” he said. “Right now, I’m trying to finish up my bachelor’s degree, get my credentials and someday teach in California.”

For now, he said he is working on his aspirations one step at a time, keeping in mind the family and culture from which he came.

“When I was younger, I was upset with my dad,” he said. “My friends were in Mexico; I liked my school and my teachers. When I came here, I didn’t have any friends or know any English.

“But now that I’m older, I understand that the opportunities our move to the states afforded my family are priceless,” he said. “As an American citizen, I’ll never forget where I’m from, and how it’s shaped me into the person I am today.” (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)