In Search of Freedom: Juan Rodriguez

moth is supported by AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca is committed to spreading awareness of a condition called hereditary transthyroidin-mediated amyloidosis, or HATTR.

This condition can cause polyneuropathy, like nerve pain or numbness, heart failure or irregular rhythm, and gastrointestinal issues.

HATTR is often underdiagnosed and can be passed down to loved ones.

Many of us have stories about family legacies passed down through generations.

When I was five, my mother sewed me a classic clown costume, red and yellow with a pointy hat.

It's since been worn by my sister, three cousins, and four of our children.

I'm so happy this piece of my childhood lives on with no end in sight.

Genetic conditions like HATTR shouldn't dominate our stories.

Thanks to the efforts of AstraZeneca, there are treatment options so more patients can choose the legacies they share.

This year, the Moth will partner with AstraZeneca to shine a light on the stories of those living with HATTR.

Learn more at www.myattrroadmap.com.

Ready to level up?

Chumba Casino is your playbook to fun.

It's free to play with no purchase necessary.

Enjoy hundreds of online social games like Blackjack, Slots, and Solitaire anytime, anywhere with fresh releases every week.

Whether you are at home or on the go, let Chumba Casino bring the excitement to you.

Plus, get free daily login bonuses and a free welcome bonus.

Join now for your chance to redeem some serious prizes play chumpa casino today no purchase necessary vgw group void where prohibited by law 21 plus tnc's apply

welcome to the moth podcast i'm larry rosen master instructor of the moth and your host for this independence day episode the term the american dream is often attributed to author and historian james truslow adams adams spoke of a nation in which every person can first attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and second, be recognized by others for what they are.

In this episode, we hear from someone who worked to achieve both of those aims.

Juan Rodriguez told this story at a Moth Main Stage in 2015, where the theme of the night was Don't Look Back, stories from your teenage years.

Here's one,

live at the mosque.

Sitting outside this house in Obolaredo, Mexico, I was feeling tired, I was sweaty, but most of anything, I was really hungry.

I mean, I've been on a bus for 18 hours, but I was there, I was excited.

If he blocks down is the USA, the land of plenty, the land of dreams that I hear so much about.

So my dad came out of the house, still talking to this lady.

I didn't know what they were talking about.

I was only 15 years old.

My dad comes to me and says, we have a deal.

She's going to bring you across the border for $50.

I said, great, let's do it.

That's what we're here for.

So he said, give me more instructions.

He said, just get on the truck and don't say anything.

So So I did, got on the latest truck, sit down.

We drove up to the bridge.

30 minutes later, I'd reunited my family and I had my first hamburger at McDonald's

in the other side of the border, Laredo, Texas.

So summer was over.

I went to high school.

I remember that day like if it was yesterday, you know, my first day working in, I mean, walking in high school, walking on the hallways.

I was living the dream,

feeling all cool, you know, like in it was like being on all those movies that I love so much.

Like

Teen Wolf and Pretty and Pink.

I wanted to be her boyfriend, but I don't know.

All these movies made me dream.

Made me dream the American dream.

And being there I thought okay this is it I'm here I made it after this everything is gonna be easy right

so I wanted to play basketball because I love basketball back in Mexico I used to play basketball all the time just playing it made me forget about being hungry

about being depressed so I got a little good at it

In high school I wanted to try out.

I went to the coach and told him that, you know, I think I'm pretty good.

I don't know what you think.

He said, yeah, you can try it out.

I just need a physical from you I said okay I don't see a problem I went to my dad he asked him dad I want to play basketball okay

he said no you can't because you're illegal

you don't have Medicaid

I said but that's the physical is only like $25

but he still he still said no

So I forgot about basketball because that wasn't going to happen.

Next in line, it was art.

I'm always been good at art, just drawing stuff.

But I couldn't fit in.

It was getting really hard to fit in.

They have a little art club.

I tried to get in, but I couldn't because my English wasn't good.

So I said that, okay, that's fine.

At that moment, I started to feel like these words,

not having this green card was going to define who I am, who I was at that moment.

So I got a little scared.

But I said, okay, you know, it's going to take a little work.

It's going to take a, well, we'll be fine.

So one time I got into a fight with this guy because he called me a wet back and my phone on my accent.

And I was really upset that day.

So later that day, it was a Tuesday, I remember pretty well, I stayed after school with Mrs.

Cordero,

which

she's beautiful, so it was really easy to stay after school.

So there I am sitting on Mrs.

Cordero's class, and she asked me what's wrong Juan?

You look tense, you look tired, you look sad, what's going on?

I explained the situation to her,

what just happened earlier, and she said, oh, don't worry about those kind of people.

To those kind of people, the worst kind of wetback is the educated wetback.

You just got to focus on your education, because that's the key.

That's what's going to take you places.

So I said, okay, let's get to work.

We started practicing my ABCs, my vowels.

And it was hard work after that.

Years and years, I mean four years, not years and years, but four years,

you know, sleepless nights with my Spanish-English dictionary, translating the most simple of assignments.

But I made it.

I made it to graduation night.

But let me tell you about graduation night, it was magical.

It was like having these lights upon me.

when they say, Juan Rodriguez, I felt like I want an Emmy, you know, just walking all cool, feeling like this is it, you know, and I'm living the dream, I'm a big accomplishment.

This is it.

I was just,

that night was magical.

I couldn't get enough of it.

The night came to an end,

and then I got slapped in the face.

Slapped in the face by reality.

Reality that I couldn't go to college.

And later that year,

I was accepted to Chicago Art Institute because I was such a good student and I was good at art.

But

that night that was so magical ended up really sad for me.

So college didn't happen.

I said, no problem, let's move on.

My next option was Denver, Colorado.

I went to Denver.

A friend of mine had a job for me, you know, a job that would pay me $7 an hour,

which is not much.

But when you come from nothing, that was a lot to me.

That was amazing.

So I worked at this packaging factory with a lot of people, a lot of Asian people, Mexican people that

didn't speak any English.

I raced to the tab real quick.

I became supervising manager.

But there was something was missing.

Something wasn't right.

I mean, I spent four years of my life working so hard.

I think I can do

a little better than this.

So

one afternoon sitting on my apartment balcony, I was reading this newspaper thinking, you know, if I want something better, I better go out there and look for it.

It's not going to come and knock at my door.

So I was reading to the newspaper and while I was reading through it, I saw this ad.

It said,

you know, we need on machine operators, you know, to operate this high-tech machinery,

to make airbag inflators that sounded good to me I like robots I like technology so it was it was awesome and right at the bottom he said high school diploma prefer

so that that spoke to me you know like I could hear Mrs.

Cordero's voice on the back saying this is what we've been working for this is you this is your opportunity and I remember you know all the cards that they gave me on graduation night saying what a great student I was and some of them even gave me money.

And so I said, okay, this feels good I gotta give it a try I gotta give it a try called the guy he answered the phone first thing he said do you have a high school diploma I said well yes I do okay you have a job come and see me tomorrow

I said good

I

had mentioned it to my dad

and he said

no you can't you shouldn't do this I said why not he said because you're illegal he's gonna check your green card, your fake green card, and he's going to say that it's fake, and you might even get the port.

At that moment, you just struck pain on my heart again.

I felt like, is this who I am?

I mean, not having this green card, these words, wet bag, illegal,

that's what defines me, that's what defines who I am.

I said, I don't know, I just sat down helpless on my couch.

I took a moment and I sort of pictured

on my coffee table, imaginary coffee table,

I pictured my high school diploma and my fake green card.

And I'll sort of try to balance it with which one's got more power, which one defines me more.

And then when I looked at my high school diploma, once again, Mrs.

Cordero was talking on my ear,

saying, Juan, this is it.

This is you.

That diploma is you because you work so hard for it.

Because you want to be this person.

But I also have fear on my other side.

You know, my dad telling me, no, you can't.

I have nothing against my dad.

I love my dad.

Maybe he was just being protective.

Because the danger is real.

It was real.

I could have got the porter.

But at the same time, I feel like by protecting me too much, he was holding me down.

Just let me do this.

Next day, I didn't go to the interview.

I didn't call the guy.

I was just depressed, working on my packaging factory and trying to speak Pietamese with some guys.

But something wasn't right.

I had this thing on my heart that I couldn't let go of.

Next day,

I called the guy.

You say, why are you lying to me?

I said, what do you mean?

He said, yeah, you lied to me about your high school diploma.

I said, no, I have my high school diploma.

Well, then come and see me.

At that moment, I made a decision.

I went and did my own decision, tried to define who I am, and I let this

green card define who I am.

So I didn't say anything to nobody.

I just ran down the street, I mean, down the stairs, grabbed the keys to my car, and went off.

I walked into the office, feeling nervous, because I knew I had a fake green card on me and my high school diploma who that was like a shield.

And

the guy is like,

nice to meet you.

Yeah, nice to meet you.

Do you have a high school diploma?

I said, yes, I do.

I showed it to him real proud because I was proud of who I am.

And he said, do you have a green card?

Are you a citizen or something?

I said, I do have a green card.

Sort of nervous.

I do have a green card.

He said, okay.

Just grabbed it, didn't even look at it, gave it to his secretary, and said, here, make a copy of this.

But come, come on, tell me more about you.

What kind of books do you like to read?

How was high school for you?

In that moment, I feel so good.

I feel like I've accomplished something once more.

But I still had this little pain on my heart,

knowing that something wasn't right.

Here I am.

I've been living illegally in this country for 22 years

if you run into me on the street you will never guess I'm illegal why because I'm a normal person

I'm a parent I have three kids two girls one boy I have a job I pay taxes just like everybody else pays taxes right

so I

you know it's it's been hard being defined by that but by not having my green card by those words, illegal, immigrant, feeling like you don't deserve what you have.

But I'm tired of living in fear.

I'm tired of being afraid.

You know?

I guess standing here today, tonight, is to prove to myself

that I'm not afraid anymore.

That was Juan Rodriguez.

Juan was born in Zacatecas, Mexico.

In 1992, he came across the river to Laredo, Texas.

After graduating high school, Juan moved to Colorado and there in 2018 started a plumbing business.

In April 2021, Juan became a legal resident of the United States.

He lives happily in Denver with his three kids, Natalia, Anastasia, and Alan.

We first came across Juan on Radio Diaries.

Radio Diaries is an incredible organization that works with people by giving them recording equipment and helping them record and share their own stories.

You should check out Radio Diaries wherever you get your podcasts.

To close the episode, we'll leave you with these words from the architect and designer Maya Lynn.

Maya Lynn said,

To me, the American dream is being able to follow your own personal calling.

To be able to do what you want to do is incredible freedom.

From everyone here at the Moth, we wish you a happy fourth.

Larry Rosen is a master instructor at the Moth.

After 25 years teaching, directing, and practicing theater and comedy performance, Larry discovered the simplicity, power, and beauty of true stories.

Shortly thereafter, he found the Moth.

As they say, timing is everything.

Juan Rodriguez's story was directed by Catherine McCarthy.

This episode of the Moth podcast was produced by Sarah Austin Janess, Sarah Jane Johnson, and me, Mark Solinger.

The rest of the Moth's leadership team includes Sarah Haberman, Jennifer Hickson, Meg Bowles, Kate Tellers, Marina Cluche, Suzanne Rust, Brandon Grant, Leanne Gulley, and Aldi Casa.

All Moth stories are true, as remembered by the storytellers.

For more about our podcast, information on pitching your own story, and everything else, go to our website, themoth.org.

TheMoth Podcast is presented by PRX, the Public Radio Exchange, helping make public radio more public at PRX.org.

You compare flights, hotels, even coffee shops.

So why not travel insurance?

Insure My Trip lets you compare top plans side by side.

No bias, no pressure.

Lost bags, flight delays, delays, medical drama abroad?

Covered.

It's powered by smart tech, real reviews, and expert help when you need it.

Think of it like a travel savvy friend who actually reads the fine print.

With 20 plus years of experience and an A plus BPB rating, we've got your back.

Risk less, travel more.

Start comparing at insuremytrip.com.

That's insuremytrip.com.