A Step, a Staircase, and a Dream

For Juan Bustamante, blending cultures has brought him much success and many opportunities in the U.S.

By Amber E. Willman

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

For Juan Bustamante, the first step was over 1,100 miles. The journey started in 1986 when his father moved to the United States. He received his resident card, or green card, as it’s commonly called. In 1990, Juan’s father filed an application for the rest of the family to receive their cards. The process took over 10 years, and in 2003, Juan’s family was approved.

The oldest of five children, Juan left home at the age of 14 and accompanied his dad to America. They left Calderón, a small town of 200 people in central Mexico, and traveled to the United States. At the time, Juan was the only one to join his father in America. His dad didn’t have a house and worked in Louisiana. Juan stayed with his dad’s friends in Texarkana. His father would visit him on the weekends, but during the week Juan was a teenage boy who was mostly on his own in a foreign land and didn’t speak the language.

Four-year-old Juan in his hometown, Calderón, Guanajuato.

Juan’s hometown lacked educational resources. Students barely had books to read so he never touched a computer until he began tenth grade in America. Despite a lack of resources, Juan was a straight A student from kindergarten to ninth grade. He viewed the U.S. as an opportunity, and that determination carried him through high school and right into college where he earned two bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Accounting.

Juan with his mother, Alicia, and sister, Maria, while his father was working in the U.S.

School is where Juan learned to speak English. He didn’t speak a word when he arrived in Texas, but within the first year, he knew the basics. After 18 years in America, he is still learning something new every day.

The language barrier is an obstacle for many immigrants. Juan’s brothers chose not to pursue higher education because of it. His sisters are learning the language from their kids. Juan’s wife, Juana, is from the same small town in Mexico, but her family moved to the U.S. when she was 3, so she has been bilingual for years.

Juan’s father traveled from the U.S. to Calderón to attend Juan’s sixth grade graduation.

“My oldest, Maddison Grace is 7. She learned to speak English first. We had to send her to daycare when she was 3-years-old. Currently, she is in Nash Elementary School, and they have a really good program for the kids to learn how to read, write, and talk in both languages. Sarah, the little one, is almost 2-years-old. We try to talk to her in both languages,” Juan explained.

Juan was alone in the U.S. for five years before any of his siblings could join him. Juan took responsibility for his two brothers, who were 10 and 12 at the time, and brought them to America to live with him. His two sisters married and moved here in 2012.  “My mom never wanted to leave her hometown, so my dad was here in the U.S. for a short time then he moved back to Mexico. He has gone back and forth for the last 15 years,” Juan said.

In 2006, Juan graduated from Texas High School.

A working student, Juan started washing dishes in a restaurant when he was 16. He continued to work his way up in various restaurants. In 2010, he got a job as an Assistant Manager at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in Texarkana. After receiving his first bachelor’s degree, he was promoted to General Manager.   “In 2015, after hard work and dedication, I was recognized as the Best Manager for Fuzzy’s. I was competing with at least 100 other managers,” Juan said.

Dr. Emily Cutrer hands Juan his diploma from Texas A&M University-Texarkana during May 2013, where he received a degree in Business Administration.

Now, Juan owns two other businesses. One is a food truck called Juanitos. The second is called JB Vine. They manufacture grape vine wreathes for interior decoration. Despite working 80-hour weeks, Juan and his family have just launched a new business venture. With his wife, his two brothers, and his two sisters, the family has teamed up to purchase Vero’s Latino Store in Texarkana. Vero’s was a well-known Hispanic grocery store with a meat market and a small restaurant. The family changed the name to Mercado La Fe, meaning The Faith Market.

This mural outside Vero’s is especially important to Juan. It represents leaving Mexico and coming to America for a better life.

“When I was a kid, I helped my mom with a very small grocery store that she still owns in Mexico. I started helping her when I was 8. I always told myself to have faith, and one day I’ll have my own place,” Juan said. “But it was very hard because when I first moved here, even just ordering something to eat was a challenge. But I always had faith in myself.”

Like all business owners, Juan’s family wants their business to succeed financially, but their main goal is to support the Hispanic community and help them achieve their goals.  “Recently, I was part of the committee for TISD. They are trying to build a couple of schools, and they wanted to hear our opinion. I also participate in Hispanic events at Texarkana College, Texas High School, and Westlawn Elementary,” Juan said.

Juan and his wife, Juana, and daughters, Maddison and Sarah, visit with Santa last Christmas.

Keeping Hispanic traditions alive is important to Juan and his family. He tries to keep a healthy blend of Mexican culture and American culture. For example, they have adopted Thanksgiving as a holiday since moving here, but they miss the Day of the Dead celebrations from Mexico.  “I really missed our traditions, even though we try to use the same traditions here in the U.S.; it will never be the same. Many special days that we celebrate in Mexico are unique here. It’s kind of hard to explain because you have to live it yourself. I miss the smell of the countryside, the fresh air, my grandmother’s seasoning, coffee in the mornings, greetings of the people, and afternoons on the soccer field with friends,” Juan said.

Three years ago, Juan and Juana took Maddison to Disney World for the first time.

But he also realizes what a blessing it is to live in America. “Just the fact that I wake up every day and have a job and good health is more than I could ask for. What I love about Texarkana is that our community is very humble, friendly, and close together.”

If he could, he would introduce the English language to his hometown. The nearest big city is San Miguel De Allende, and it is a popular destination for Americans. Removing the language barrier would open opportunities for the smaller communities in central Mexico. 

In 2020, Juan graduated from TAMUT with his second degree in Accounting.  With him are his daughters, Maddison and Sarah.

And in turn, he wants to introduce more authentic Mexican foods to American culture. “Mexican food is not only tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. We have thousands of dishes that America needs to know about. At our store, you can find just a few of the real authentic Mexican cuisine,” Juan said.

The blend of cultures is just one piece of the puzzle that is Juan’s American Dream. He defines this dream as opportunity and success.  “When I think I have fulfilled my goal, a new challenge comes. Every day there is something new to achieve, so I still have a long way to go to fulfill my dream. And I’m not talking about financially. It’s more like challenges that I need to accomplish,” Juan said.

If Dr. King was correct with his staircase metaphor, then Juan’s faith began 18 years ago with an 1,100 hundred mile step. But the staircase is his American Dream, and his opportunities are infinite.