WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. — TMJ4 is celebrating the Hispanic community this month and showcasing Hispanic Heritage across our region. Friday, we talked with Bernie Gonzalez who immigrated from Mexico and is now a serial entrepreneur working to help others like him.
"When I was 14, we came back to the United States. My dad found a job at a foundry in Waukesha," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said for years, he saw his dad provide for their family. He said he knew he wanted to do the same and committed to helping others at a young age.
"I graduated with a nice GPA in high school, but at the same time, I always wanted to see the world. The army was a way for me to not only serve but to travel around the world," Gonzalez explained.
Gonzalez served for six years including a tour during the Bosnian Conflict. After that, he said he wanted to return to his Badger State roots. Now, he, his wife, and their six kids live in Waukesha.
He also runs three businesses including an insurance business, a cleaning business, and a remodeling company. In addition to those, Gonzalez donates a lot of his time to volunteering.
"I wanted to have a job that would be fulfilling for me personally and also be able to give back. An organization position came open here in Waukesha, and I looked into it," Gonzalez said.
A calling that Gonzalez said he's had since he was a kid. Now, he's the president of Sophia, a non-profit that focuses on holding those in power accountable for things like immigration issues and criminal justice reform.
"I've seen first-hand the struggle of being an immigrant and being in a new county, and even going through discrimination and racial profiling," Gonzalez added.
Now, Gonzalez and his volunteer team dedicate time to talk with local law enforcement and politicians to be an advocate for those who otherwise wouldn't have a voice.
"There's a lot of people who are hard-working residents that shouldn't be living in fear, and even just driving their kids to school, that's not right. So, we wanted to try to be there and show that we're also observing and make sure people are treated fairly," Gonzalez said.
For Gonzalez, he's living the dream. He said he wants to continue spreading that to the rest of the community.
"Waukesha is already part of who we are in Wisconsin itself, but at the same time, we also have to remember where we came from, and what we had to do, and what a lot of people had to do to get here," Gonzalez explained.
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