Profiles of prosperity: Clemente González

I met Clemente González over fifteen years ago in Valle de Guadalupe through mutual friends at AltaMed Health Organization. Throughout those years, he has remained steady in the community doing strong work with formidable corporations. I was curious to see how he would respond to this series because as a Mexican, barbequing pigeons in Guadalajara at the age of 10, to becoming an American, partying in Inglewood at the age of 60, one would consider that to be an exercise in comparing and contrasting experiences in prosperity but for Clemente, it wasn't. He was happy then and he is happy now. Now, in Inglewood, at 60, he understands Prosperity as if it were an octopus. “ It’s not about one element, it’s about so many elements in our lives,” he says. “Health is the first. If you’re not healthy, it makes it hard for us to enjoy anything if we don’t feel good.”

This interview was conducted at Hacienda Guadalupe in Valle de Guadalupe 

How do you identify?

Hispanic. Dual Citizen. Mexican American.

Please describe your childhood home

We lived in a beautiful brown adobe home near downtown Guadalajara, Mexico. My mom was a devout Catholic. We would go to mass every morning at 7 am at one of the two local churches. It was a big house. We had orange and guava trees. One of the guava trees was big and we would climb to the top and have a good view of the neighborhood. My brother, my parents, my grandfather and I lived there. My mom grew up in this home. We had chickens and pigeons. The house had a huge backyard, so we had a lot of space for fun and games. My mom would cook caldos de pollo o pichón. Many family members would come to eat. I remember when we left the house, we barbequed all the pigeons. The owners came in one day and told us that we had 30 days before we had to leave and so at around the time I was 12, we transitioned to a life in Los Angeles.

Where were you economically?

My father was a taxista and he had three licensed taxis but he wasn’t a savvy business manager. My mom was a U.S. citizen and that facilitated a move for us to L.A.. My father and I stayed behind when my mom went first, got a job and then brought my younger brother over first. It felt to me like the whole neighborhood lived with the same issue of poverty, but my father made sure we had what we needed to live comfortably. I remember once I swindled my aunt to take me to San Blas in Nayarit. I loved it. I also got to go outside of Guadalajara,  to Tlaquepaque, Cola de Caballo, Los Altos. My father would take me on his long trips to entertain his taxi clients. I got to see a lot, and I didn’t need or have a passport.

Tell me about your immigration story

My mom came to a quinceañera in San Diego and she made it permanent for us. We lived in Venice first and then eventually made our way to Inglewood.

Tell us about your house present day?

I have a nice front yard. A lot of foliage. Very green. It’s a duplex. It’s a white home with two bedrooms and one bath. We have a garage as a gym. Solar panels on the roof. I live in one house with my wife and my step-son. My children are in their 30s and live independently. My mom lives in the other house. My first wife, my mom, my brother and I pooled our money together to purchase this property back in 1989, and Inglewood property values have done really well. I was not content with renting so it became a goal that I accomplished and I am very pleased with this home. I also purchased property in Puerto Vallarta as my retirement target. My current wife’s family lives in Chiapas and we travel there a lot, so we also have Chiapas on the radar for retirement.

Who is doing better; 10 year old Clemente or Clemente today?

Clemente today. I love 10 year old Clemente as he didn’t have a worry in the world. I have had a great life and I’ve had a great career, but I’m looking forward to more work accomplishments. I can tell you that I recently turned 60 in July and I had a big party and it was wonderful to bring all my family, friends and associates to celebrate with me in Valle de Guadalupe. The menu included spare ribs, bbq chicken, arrachera, salad, baked vegetables and a wine selection. It was a great day for me. I had friends from my high school, and associates from different segments of my work life in attendance.

De caldo de pichón en Guadalajara a arrachera en Valle de Guadalupe, qué bonito, Clemente. Do you have a definition of “Prosperity?”

Prosperity is like an octopus! I’ve had a good run. It’s not about one element, it’s about so many elements in our lives. Health is the first. If you’re not healthy, it makes it hard for us to enjoy anything if we don’t feel good.