Guillermo Gutierrez 

Guillermo Gutierez was born in the 1950s in Mexico City where he lives with his father, mother, and brother. His father was Spanish and his mother, born in Mexico, was of French descent in the state of Guadalajara. Guillermo very often remembers his childhood in Mexico. His father was a farmer while his mother worked at the United States Embassy in Mexico. Guillermo says his parents taught him many things. His mother taught him about the world’s cultural differences and to always be empathetic with the humble and poor. Even though Guillermo had a difficult relationship with his father, this showed him how to work hard. 

Since his mother worked in an embassy, Guillermo grew up in a neighborhood with much diversity. “Yo crecí con mexicanos, holandeses, alemanes, gringos, de todo”, says Guillermo; he grew up with Mexicans, Dutches, Germans, Whites, everything. Because of the diversity in his neighborhood, Guillermo began to learn about different music genres, including music from the United States. Guillermo would exchange his vinyl discs with his friends and heard new artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and Cream. His love for rock and the blues led Guillermo to translate the lyrics of the songs, and in this way, he began to learn English by listening to music. American football, boxing, and especially his mother, helped Guillermo learn English. 

When Guillermo finished highschool  in Mexico , he wanted to see something different. Because of his taste for adventure and his love for music and cultures, Guillermo decided to go to “el Norte”, or the North meaning the United States. This occurred during the 1970s - the era of hippies in the United States. With his long hair and beard, Guillermo hitchhiked his way to the southeastern United States. When he arrived, Guillermo spent his time with blues musical artists and learned a lot about African American history in the United States. He also went to different festivals and concerts around the country. He says that during this time, he saw Eric Clapton, Van Halen, and many other musical artists. 

Guillermo moved to Beloit in 1974 for two reasons, one being because Beloit was very close to the city of Chicago. He wanted to live close to Chicago because blues music was very popular there. On the weekends, Guillermo almost always went to Calle Rush in Chicago to listen to music and spend time with his friends. The second reason was because Beloit had opportunities. However, when first arriving in Beloit, Guillermo often worked poorly paid jobs. His first job was with Freeman Shoes, which no longer exists. He then worked in Beloit Corporation. Guillermo always looked for opportunities to have a better career until one day he found a program in which he could study engineering. Immediately, Guillermo took advantage of this opportunity and studied part-time while working full-time. He completed this program and began his career as an engineer. 

In addition to studying in Beloit, Guillermo formed a family and raised his two sons on his own. At home, Guillermo spoke English, although his sons also learned Spanish and aspects of Mexican culture. Both his sons attended universities and have been successful. One works on the railways and the other is a construction supervisor. 

Today, Guillermo is 71 years old and still lives in Beloit. He has various hobbies such as climbing, hiking, mountain biking, and rafting. He speaks weekly with his mother and younger brother who has a shop where he works with recycling machines in Mexico. Guillermo has not returned to Mexico in a long time and has no intentions of going back because he does not like the government nor corruption of Mexico. He also prefers the much more diverse culture in the United States. 

Guillermo has witnessed many changes in Beloit over the years, for example, the growth of the Latin population of Beloit. When I asked him what advice he has for the Latin youth coming to Beloit, Guillermo responded, “Educacion, educacion, educacion. Tiene que ser agresivo. La educación me abrió las puertas.” “Education, education, education,” he says, “you have to be aggressive. Education opened up doors for me.” Guillermo also said that if new Latinos attended college, they would have many opportunities. He also said that if they cannot see the opportunities, they need to ask questions and work really hard. If they do this, all the doors will open. 

 

Interview done by Joonas Olavi Briggs, Beloit College student, 12/10/2024.