Interview with Arturo Vasquez, Immigration Attorney

Please enjoy this interview conducted and transcribed by a student in DMHS's "Introduction to Journalism" class.

Interviewer (I): Today I am interviewing Arturo Vasquez. Arturo, please tell us what you do for a living.

Arturo Vasquez (AV): Uh yes, I am an immigration attorney. 

I: Why did you choose this career?

AV: So, umm, my family is from Mexico, specifically from Ciudad Juarez, and when my parents came to the United States, like most people they came to seek a better life, more opportunities for their children. And, umm, when they first came they didn’t have legal status and they were taken advantage of a lot, and so that was one of the first factors I think that played into me wanting to become an attorney. Uh, secondly it was just to help out people in this profession you’re able to help out a lot of people.

I: What do you like most about this career?

AV: Like I said earlier with the- what I like the most is that you’re able to help people, you’re able to help those individuals that may at times who wouldn’t have had, uhh, a chance and you get to keep families together as we get to stop their deportation. And so I think that’s my favorite part; when I win a case obviously and the family gets to stay together.

I: What is most difficult about this career?

AV: So many times you get very attached to your clients and like anything in life you can’t always win, so when a case is lost that’s very difficult it’s very, uh, emotionally draining because clients lose and they end up being sent back to their home countries.

I: What advice would you give a young person who is interested in this career?

AV: I would tell them to, uh, to do it, umm, even I, I know when I wanted to become an attorney, a lot of people said it was too hard. They said, um, don’t do it, it’s not worth it, and so I think you’re always going to have people that are going to try to discourage you or say don’t do certain things because they’re not meant for you, or they’re too hard. But I would say just do it if you’re interested in something, follow your dream and, umm, just do it.

I: When you were a kid, what career or job did you want to have?

AV: So I wanted to work either with like the police or the military, so my grandparents and some of my uncles, uh, were either in the military or in the police departments in- in Mexico, and so growing up I wanted to be like a police officer or wanted to go into the military.

I: What caused you to change your plans?

AV: So, the military when, when I was like 17 years old, we went into war, the United States went into war. And, umm, with Iraq, and it was a war that I didn’t understand. And so then, I thought I was going to be sent to Iraq and I couldn’t see myself fighting or defending the country for something that, A) I didn’t believe in, and B) umm, I- I just didn’t fully understand.

I: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

AV: So, I enjoy spending time with my family, with my nieces, going to whatever type of events, going to the movies. I also enjoy reading and listening to music specifically, uh, rap but rap from like back in the day, from like the 90’s maybe even the early 2000’s not so much rap from now a days.

I: What advice would you give to your younger self?

AV: Ummm, the advice I would give to my younger self would be to take things more seriously. That time goes by real fast, and so specifically in school, umm, many times when I was in like middle school, highschool, I thought oh, it’s so much- like- oh adulthood is so far away. But before you know it you’re already an adult and if you don’t make right decisions then it’s going to affect you. So, I would tell myself, time is going to go by real fast, so give it your all in school.

This interview was conducted by Adamaris Lomas-Vasquez. Ada is an 8th grader at DMHS. She loves acting and is currently rehearsing a role in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" for the DPS Shakespeare Festival.