John Raul Gutiérrez Audio Transcript

Growing up as a young Mexican kid in Wyoming kind of gave one the sense that he was always equated or looked at as a mangy, three-legged mongrel, and because of that I had to look inward for a sense of worth, self-confidence, and probably a little self-esteem. You were often treated without any form of respect, and so automatically you were put to a side. You were mistreated, sometimes verbally, sometimes abusive, physical abuse. I would be denied entrance to eating establishments, to a barbershop. My decision to stay in Wyoming and work as a teacher came about because I wanted to instill in a person, mainly my students, an acceptance of that Hispanic culture.

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