The Immigrant

Two weeks later, his dad was mugged and shot as he retuned home at night from work. His dad just had taken him to his new school two days earlier to register.  When he enrolled in middle school, they gave him an entry exam—of course, of course, in English—to determine which classes or level of education he would go to.  He found myself confound and not understanding almost the entire exam.  He began to fill in the multiple choice answer sheet in a pattern: for the first answer, he chose A, then B, and later C, then D and repeat and repeat.  Once he finished, he ended up with a zigzag pattern.  Yes, he knew.  It didn't look good to him either.

In high school, he was taken out of his English classes by his teachers supposedly because he was being disruptive every time he would ask the other bilingual students “Que dijo ella?”—what did she say? Tired of being reprimanded for trying to learn, he began to play truant.  At one point, he failed seven out nine classes and only passing Spanish and physical education. Unable to learn the language or assimilate to a new culture, he flew back to the farm areas where his grandparents lived in the Dominican Republic with the intent to stay.

His grandfather, Fillo, convinced him to try harder and he agreed. To keep his promise to him, he decided to turn things around.  Gonell sought help and positive influence to reinforce his new trajectory.  He never looked back. He improved his GPA and graduated.  In college, he made the honor’s programs and the Dean’s List multiple semesters.  But soon he realized getting an education requires more financial resources, something he did not have. Not going to college was not an option.

Therefore, in May 1999, he joined the U.S. Army Reserves even though he was not a US Citizen. When he returned from basic training, he volunteered (but not selected) to go on active duty to assist with the newly arrival of refugees from the Kosovo War at Ft. Dix NJ which would had helped me finantially. To further support his education, he applied for grants that required him to work 20 hours a week  at the Long Island University’s (L.I.U. Brooklyn Campus) dorm and was the yearbook photographer for the school. He was so desperate to find ways to pay for his education that he even joined the L.I.U. Cheerleading Team to get the scholarship they offered.

He did all these things while at the same time helping his parents at their pizzeria restaurant, and working full time as a security guard at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City near Ground Zero in the aftermath September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as well as fulfilling his military commitment when called. He volunteered to go do a rescue mission at Ground Zero but his military unit top brass declined and said he couldn’t because he needed to recall the soldiers and report to duty.

Going home on the R train and he saw a Coast Guard advertisement on a board: “Join us. Help us secure what matters.”  Gonell wanted to join them too.  When he called, he was told he “couldn’t because he was already in the Army.”  Over time, Gonell excelled and was promoted all the way to Staff Sergeant during his deployment to Iraq. In December 2003, he was mobilized to Iraq with his Army Reserve Quartermaster Company for one year.

In May 2005, after returning from my deployment to Iraq during “Operation Iraqi Freedom II, he returned to college education throughout the summer and graduated in the fall.  To continue his public service, he wanted to become a police officer.  He applied to multiple places though out the region. His cousins, police officers themselves in Florida and Baltimore, reminded him that prior his deployment, he had applied to join the police in New York City, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, DC.

Sgt. Gonell had taken the test to join the United States Capitol Police Department in NYC during one of their recruitment events but had  forgotten due to his war time.  He spoke to the Capitol recruiter again were able to locate his application.  Within two weeks, Sgt. Gonell was at the police academy pursuing his new career.  In June 2006, he joined the police force where he served honorably for 17 years until the events of January 6, 2021 ended his career.

Sgt. Gonell arrived in New York City at JFK Airport during winter in 1992 without a sweater, and in the middle of a snowstorm chaperoned by a family friend a month after his mother and brother arrived.  After the rough landing that reminded him of the old bus rides on unpaved roads in the Dominican Republic, every passenger applauded when all three wheels touched the ground and the plane came to a stop.

He was anxious when he collected his two small luggages: one filled with a few presents, while the other bag was full of summer clothes and hopes of becoming a productive member of society. Freezing and uncertain as to what the future would held for him in this strange land, he said, “God, let it be your way”. 

While clearing customs at JFK airport, the custom agent asked him in English, Are you immigrating or on vacation? 

Because he only understood "vaca" out of his question, he said “Si, tenemos vacas”—yes, we do have cows. (In Spanish “vaca” means cow). 

Then the agent said, “Do you speak English?”

“Yes.  How you are? One, two, three.  America, number One is. Green plantains, good”.  The agent could barely hold his composure and tried not to laugh.

“LO HICE!, LO HICE!”—I DID IT!, he yelled excited, loud and proud  to his chaperone as she covered her crackles with her hand.