Transcript
Mito Alonzo
Probation/Parole Officer for the Idaho Department of Correction
Concerning the education part, I have been wanting to jump up and talk about
it. I'm another of those GED graduates and first of all, I want everybody
to know that I am proud Mexican-American. My roots are from Mexico even
though I was born in Williams, Colorado. In fact, I come from a family
so poor that I was born at home because my family was migrating and they
couldn't afford a hospital. But here I am today. When I was approximately
6 or 7 years old, I was able to speak enough English going to school for
my first couple of years that I became an interpreter for my parents.
I remember in 1955 approximately, here in Idaho, where I had seen signs
that said "No Mexicans Allowed" in a restaurant. I grew up with
that as a little guy. As I grew up working in the fields, the only thing
that my parents said, like every parent, "You have to go to school."
I quit school because I thought I had to work like everybody else. Eventually
I decided I don't want to work in the fields and I am going to listen
to my dad for a change. I went to a trade school and became an auto mechanic;
I got my associate's degree in that and kept working, and I loved working
with people. And then I became a reserve police officer because the community
that I lived in didn't have any Hispanic officers or Spanish-speaking
officers, and they decided that they could use an interpreter because
they were starting to see the Mexican population coming in. So, I became
a reserve officer with them. Since I've always loved working with people,
I decided that I am hurting my hands fixing cars and I love working with
people, so I am going to go for the elite job working for the public,
and I am going to be a police officer. So I became that. And I have been
in law enforcement since 1977 and I know that I have made a difference
in a lot of peoples' lives because I was able to communicate with them
at the time of the arrest or helping the victim. And I do not mean to
drag Chief Creech into this, but he can tell you too when he gets his
turn that it is an asset to have an educated Mexican working for the community.
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