This week's political education day was dedicated to Jose Antonio Gutierrez; the first US Marines to die in Iraq during the 2003 Iraq Invasion. Through the film by Heidi Specogna, we learn about Jose Antonio Gutierrez's life. From a very young age he struggled as a street child in Guatemala, his home country. Like many other children who had lost their parents during the genocidal civil war in which the Committee for State Security and the CIA were involved, he was homeless and suffered from malnutrition.Jose Antonio Gutierrez was able to find refuge at an orphanage which later helped him find his lost sister. After some time, Gutierrez, like many other undocumented people, left his home country in search of a dream in the USA. Gutierrez's dream was to become an architect and to have, what his entire childhood lacked - his own home.
In the US, Gutierrez was able to attend High School because he looked younger than he was due to malnutrition, because of this he was not deported and was able to obtain a green card. Later he became convinced that the fastest way towards legalization was by joining the Army.
Even though Gutierrez was a proud Guatemalan, and had refused to speak any English, he became a "green card soldier" in the US Marine Corps. However, he only received his American Citizenship after being killed by at the hands of friendly fire in Iraq. After Gutierrez's death, his sister was informed by the American Ambassador in Guatemala and offered a visa, which she accepted.
This film takes a holistic look at migration from many perspectives. We highly recommend this film and the rich discussion it is sure to produce.
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