John,

Today, on Father’s Day, we celebrate and show appreciation to the fathers, grandfathers, and father-figures who’ve shaped us in life. I’d like to share a couple of stories about my father that influenced who I am today.

My father grew up in a working-class family in Chihuahua and worked through school in Cd. Juarez to earn an engineering degree at the Instituto Tecnologico de Cd. Juarez to eventually work in the maquiladoras. His hard work and sacrifice are part of the reason I’m in this country today doing what I do.

When I was little, my father took me and my brother fishing in the Rio Grande near Hatch, NM, for the first time. The first day we were there, my father was harassed and taken into jail for “identification” by the U.S. Border Patrol. I sat at the Sheriff’s office in Truth or Consequences, just wanting to go back home.

When my father was released, he told me that the river belonged to everyone, and that we belonged in this country. We went back that night and I caught my first fish, and we camped under the stars. My father’s resiliency has always stuck with me. His efforts to pass these cherished outdoor traditions down to me and show me the beauty of nature inspired me to pass them on to New Mexican youth and work to conserve our public lands for future generations. I am the outdoorsman I am today because of mi Papá.

Another time as a teenager, I helped my father make hundreds of burritos on Christmas Eve. That night, we handed out those burritos to those less fortunate, with no place to stay and nothing to eat, in the streets of Cd. Juarez. My father always taught me to give back and to think of those in need, which is what fuels my public service to this day.

My father embodies selflessness and service to others. He has taught me so much, and still carries me in so many ways! He lives in San Carlos, Sonora, where he serves his local church and his community by delivering food and services to the sick and elderly. While I can’t spend this day with him, I’m so thankful for his presence in my life.

I’m also fondly remembering my abuelo Javier Bañuelos today. He moved our family from El Remolino, Zacatecas to Cd. Juarez for the promise of a better life of on the border. He learned to fix TVs and opened up a TV repair shop that my whole family worked in. He is dearly missed but never forgotten.

On this Father’s Day, I hope you are able to spend some quality time with your loved ones. Feliz día de los Padres!

— Gabe



PAID FOR BY GABE VASQUEZ FOR CONGRESS
Gabe Vasquez for Congress
Drawer L
Mesilla, NM 88046
United States
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