In Search of Opportunity, from Buenos Aires to Columbus Junction

By Marcos Descalzi, Iowa for Warren Field Organizer
My name is Marcos Descalzi. I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I’ve come a long, long way to get to Muscatine, Iowa, where I’m currently working to elect Elizabeth Warren as the next president of the United States.
I’m here to write about a man named Jose Estudillo, and how his story has exemplified my time here in Iowa.
But before I tell you more about Jose, I wanted to tell you a little bit about how I got here.
Flashback to when I was three years old living with my family back in Argentina. I was as happy as an Argentine child could be, but life wasn’t exactly easy. At the time, my mother was carrying my younger sister and my father had just lost his job. When he landed a new job at a language school, it came with a twist: the position was located in Denver, Colorado. So, like so many immigrants before us, we packed our bags and moved thousands of miles in pursuit of a better life.
We started humbly, and struggled in the ways that many new arrivals do.
For me, learning English was a particularly difficult experience — to the point that I nearly failed kindergarten (that’s right — kindergarten!) because of it. As a family, we experienced institutional barriers that made things so challenging that I often wondered whether my sister and I would ever have the opportunity to live our dreams.
But, as generations of immigrants before us did, we persisted. I learned English, graduated from high school, became a citizen and went to college. I found myself drawn to politics, a place where I felt I could be part of the solution to the challenges I saw — for my family, my community and all Americans.
Drawn to Elizabeth Warren’s vision for big, structural change, I joined her campaign here in Iowa, settled in Muscatine, and set out work organizing communities throughout southeast Iowa.
And that’s where I met Jose Estudillo. Jose lives in Columbus Junction, which is just about the prettiest, hilliest Iowa town you can imagine.
We first spoke when I called to invite him to meet up for dinner at a local restaurant. Events like these are a big part of my job here — bringing people together to talk about the issues they care about the most.
Even on that first call, Jose and I fell into a deep and lengthy conversation. We talked about his experiences, his family and the things that made life challenging — struggles at work, concerns with the immigration system and many others. It was clear Jose cared deeply about these issues and about making things better for his family, but his busy work schedule (he usually works six days a week) made it difficult for him to commit to attending the event.
A few days later, I called Jose again, and found him committed to come out and continue our conversation in person.
Fast forward to our Tuesday-evening get-together at the local Mexican restaurant in Columbus Junction. Jose arrived, but cautioned that he couldn’t stay long — he needed to get back home to take care of his ailing father.
But as we began conversing, in Spanish, the more invested he became in staying. We talked about Elizabeth — her story, her plans, and how she’ll fight for health care as a human right. I told him about her immigration plan to ensure his family has the opportunity they need to make it in America. I told him about her support for worker’s rights, so he wouldn’t have to work six days a week just to struggle to pay the bills.
Jose ended up staying for half an hour before he had to go, and before he left, he committed to caucus for Elizabeth. He said he plans to bring his family to support her, too.
Here’s why the Iowa caucuses are so special: Jose may have physically left, but I felt the connection between us continue to grow — rooted in our mutual belief in a country that guarantees us basic dignity and offers the best possible life — a country where we can dream big and fight hard and build the life we want for our families.
My interaction with Jose sticks out because it exemplifies what we’re trying to achieve here on the Warren campaign. I’ve followed such a long road — across a continent and a half — to make it to Columbus Junction, Iowa. Jose’s family has, too. We met here, at the local Mexican restaurant, and found so much in common, so much that we can fight for together.
There’s something special about organizing for the future of your adopted country. There’s something special about volunteering as an immigrant, taking time out of an arduous schedule to work for big, structural change.
This campaign gives Jose and me a place in the movement, and for that, I am forever grateful.
You can join us in this fight too, and add your voice. Text IOWA to 24477, find an event in your community and sign up to volunteer. Together we can elect Elizabeth Warren president, and achieve big, structural change to open up opportunity for all of us.
Marcos Descalzi is a field organizer for the Elizabeth Warren campaign in Iowa.
Follow him on Twitter at @DescalziMarcos.
