For Hector Barajas, it was a long and winding journey to become a full US citizen. Even a stint in the military didn’t seem to promise any guarantees. He came to the US with his family at the age of 7 from Zacatecas, Mexico, and was a US permanent resident. As a teenager, he joined the Army as soon as he could, seeking new opportunities.
“I wanted to be a GI Joe, but also I wanted to serve my country,” he tells The Independent. “I wanted to get away from the environment I was growing up in. Compton, California, was pretty heavy back in the 1990s.”
