I Am An Immigrant
Jeanette Virginia Rodriguez
ThankYouAmerica!
Community College of Aurora
CONTRIBUTORS Jeanette Rodriguez | Author
Nicole Marie Espinoza | Interviewer
Sharona Grinsteiner | ThankYouAmerica! Coordinator Geoffrey Hunt | ThankYouAmerica! Faculty Advisor Bobby Pace | ThankYouAmerica! Project Director Ana Romero | Graphic Designer
I Am An Immigrant
Jeanette Virginia Rodriguez
ThankYouAmerica!
Community College of Aurora
VENEZUELA
My name is Jeanette Virginia Rodriguez. I was born in Venezuela, a country located on the northern coast of South America. Venezuela’s territory covers roughly 916,445 square kilometers. (353,841 square miles), making it the 33rd largest country in the world (slightly more than twice the size of California). It has a population of almost 32 million people. Spanish is the official language of Venezuela. Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves and has been one of the world’s leading exporters of oil. Spanish is the official language of Venezuela, and the official religion is Roman Catholic. Baseball is Venezuela’s most popular sport, and there has been a professional baseball league in the country since 1945. The climate of Venezuela is tropical.
My mother was an English teacher, and my father worked in construction, building roads and bridges. I grew up in a large family, with two sisters and five brothers. I was the sixth child. My childhood was very similar to the life of children here in America. I went to school and played with friends. I loved school and always strived to be on the honor roll. I loved math and science, but was particularly passionate about writing.
My mother and father both worked hard to ensure that I could finish my education in America. I came to America to go to college on April 11, 1991. I remember sitting on the plane, on my way to America, and having great expectations. My parents sent me here to go to school. I left all my friends behind and did not speak any English. It was a cold spring day when I arrived in Colorado. My brother Luke picked me up from the airport, and I saw that it was snowing! I had never seen snow. It was so beautiful – but very cold. We went to have dinner and to meet with other family members who lived here. I noticed how beautiful the mountains were. They looked as if someone had painted them in the distance.
Expectation – belief that something will happen
My immediate dream was to become a lawyer. I learned that my most challenging obstacle would be to learn English. I tried getting a job. My sister Lydia worked at a day care center and got me a job there. I began trying to learn English. At first, it seemed as if people spoke way too fast. Then I started picking up words little by little. Soon I was able to understand a lot, but was not able to answer them back. The hardest thing for me was trying to figure out idioms. I remember one time when a lady who worked at the day care center said something to me about a piece of cake. I looked for the piece of cake for about half an hour. Finally I came back to her and told her that I did not know
Idiom – a group of words that mean something different from what they actually say
what had happened to the piece of cake but that I had not seen it. She began laughing and explained that she meant that it was a piece of cake, meaning it was something easy. I remember having a hard time hearing the difference between the number “three” and the word “tree.” There were a lot of words that sounded alike to me. Learning to pronounce the American “r” was also hard. I had a teacher who told me to place a pencil under my tongue to pronounce the “r,” and that helped. It would take me twice as long to finish my schooling because of the extra classes I would need to take.
While I was in school, I met my husband. We got married and had two beautiful children. A few years later, I went through a very painful divorce. I still spoke little English and found myself as a single mom with two small children. I decided that if my children were going to have a better future, I was going to have to go to school and learn English. I did. I attended Arapahoe Community College and worked as a Spanish teacher for a local charter school. This meant that I would have to continue with my schooling part time. Despite these roadblocks, I became a schoolteacher for Jefferson County Schools. My job as a teacher was very rewarding and fulfilling. It was the perfect job to have while my children were young and I had to face life as a single mother. After a few years, I decided to do something different. While I was a teacher, I developed relationships with my students. I got to see them grow, mature, and make choices. These choices were not always good ones, and it inspired me to go into law enforcement.
Today I am a non-certified deputy sheriff for Arapahoe County. I always wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, so I chose a profession that allowed me to help people. I like my job. I am able to help a lot of people every day. I am able to reach out and do something to improve the life of the youth in my community. I wanted to work in a place where I could be a role model and a hero for young people. Working in law enforcement, I saw things from a different, and oftentimes larger, picture. I learned that a kid with a broken heart will act out. Without love and understanding, they will stray toward a winding and unclear path; and because of this, they will feel lost and hurt. Our youth need to notice that their leaders in the community care and that they pay attention.
I serve as co-chair on the Aurora Immigrant and Refugee Commission. I joined this commission because I see on a daily basis how immigrants need help to better understand our laws. Raising a child in Africa, South America, or Asia is not the same as raising one here in America. Many of these places have corrupt police, so immigrants may not trust the military or the police. I have a mission to educate the immigrant community and bridge the communication gap.
Immigrant – a person who comes to live in a new place Corrupt – dishonest or not following the laws
America is, and always will be, the land of opportunity. Here, you can reach your dreams. If you work hard and do your best, one day you will achieve your goals. I was a single mom for six years. When you raise two kids on your own, you have many fears about how you are raising them. I always told my kids that even though their parents were not together, we always loved them and that, no matter what, if they had a dream, they could do anything if they put their mind to it. Open communication and having a strong bond with my kids is the reason they have become such great people. My daughter is a fellow officer, and my son is an engineer. You have to encourage children to be the best they can be. My kids watched me push through life’s struggles and remain vigilant in my pursuit of happiness, which provided them with an inspiring example to aim high and never give up.
Opportunity – the possibility of doing something Vigilant – careful and watchful
ABOUT THANKYOUAMERICA! ThankYouAmerica! is a CCA student-driven civic engagement group. Our mission is to develop community events and a digital media campaign to showcase the integration and inclusion of immigrants into the heart and life of the city of Aurora while celebrating their diversity. The campaign highlights America’s tradition of embracing immigration, recognizing its contribution to the prosperity of our country. ThankYouAmerica! aspires to be the vehicle of hope and inspiration to a society that champions the successful integration of all people while valuing and preserving ethnic expression. ABOUT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF AURORA (CCA) The Community College of Aurora (CCA) provides high quality instruction and student support services to Aurora and eastern Denver, Colorado. The college offers courses on two campuses and online courses for degree or certificate completion. CCA students engage in programs that help them realize their potential by preparing them for transfer to a four-year institution and employment. For more information, visit us at www.ccaurora.edu. Potential Realized.
The I Am An Immigrant book series was developed by the ThankYouAmerica! campaign. The purpose of these books is to showcase the personal stories of immigrants to the United States, and to highlight their successful integration. It is our hope that these books will be a source of hope and inspiration to every child who reads them as they learn about the challenges immigrants face, and their successful journeys to citizenship.
I Am An Immigrant - Stories in these series: Nu Tran Grinsteiner Max Edja Jeanette Virginia Rodriguez Ivania Maricela Rivera