Employment opportunities for Mexican immigrants often include hard labor positions – working in the field, mowing lawns or taking care of other’s children.
Rarely do these positions become topics for the silver screen.
But, Disney and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment Inc. are going to tell an immigrant story never heard before that will shed light on the otherwise misunderstood culture.
Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa is a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, Maryland and holds titles such as: Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery, Associate Professor of Oncology, Director of the Brain Tumor Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and Director of the Pituitary Surgery Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, according to his website biography.
Quinones-Hinojosa is a renowned physician.
At one point he was no more than an illegal immigrant with nothing but a dream.
“I had about two or three jobs and I would be going to school at night and weekends and whatever classes I could take and I always imagined that my life was going to be better, I didn’t know how, I didn’t know when but I felt that way,” said Quinones-Hinojosa.
Quinones-Hinojosa, born in Mexico, knew his only path to a better future was elsewhere and at the age of 19 in 1987, he crossed the border into the U.S.
Quinones-Hinojosa made his way to Fresno where he lived in a one-bedroom apartment with five family members.
Soon he came to Stockton to take classes for the first time at Delta College. He was 20.
“I remember the koi, the fish pond, that’s where I met my now wife, to me it was the center of the universe, no place has had more of a symbolic impact in my life than Delta College. That’s the place that opened its doors for me to begin my formal education,” said Quinones-Hinojosa.
A man of many accomplishments, Quinones-Hinojosa credits Delta as a major impact in his success.
“Delta holds a very special place in my heart,” he said.
Delta opened the door, but Quinones-Hinojosa didn’t stay long as he had greater plans to accomplish which took him to his next educational destination – University of California, Berkeley.
Berkeley is where his plans and dreams began to take shape.
Quinones-Hinojosa majored in psychology, and took physics and chemistry courses that captured his imagination.
While deciding whether to study either law or medicine, he chose the latter and Harvard Medical School was his next step for education.
While attending Harvard, Quinones-Hinojosa took big steps in his personal life along with his career.
He welcomed his first child into the world, earned his American citizenship, graduated with honors and topped it off by giving the commencement speech for his class.
Now at age 48, Quinones-Hinojosa continues to strive for greater accomplishments in the medical field such as a cure for cancer.
The upcoming Disney biopic of Quinones-Hinojosa is currently in the works. No date has been set for it’s release.
“I hope that through this film and through this story, people realize that we all have dreams and aspirations, that the United States is the most beautiful country, people like myself who come from humble backgrounds to work here, they don’t mean to break the law all they want is an opportunity for a better life,” said Quinones-Hinojosa.