Lopez family finds bridge of friendship in America

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By Kara Houser, Staff Writer
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May 17, 2010 — Opportunity brought Candelario Lopez and his family to America - but what kept them here was community and brotherhood.

Lopez and his wife, Josephina, were married in 1969 and settled in Mexico to raise a family. They liked it there and he had a good living as a teacher. They saw many of their friends and family go to the United States and admired their determination.

Candelario and Josephina Lopez (pictured center in the blue and flowered shirts) together with their children and grandchildren who call various U.S. cities their home. Contributed Photo.

They knew that America offered many opportunities, but they also knew some Americans did not like Mexicans coming to their country. They visited friends and family in California from time to time over many years, and on one occasion, one of their five sons was born there, automatically making him a U.S. Citizen.

"I don't know why, but my son always wanted to come to America," said Candelario. "Even when he was 7 he was saying that."

After many years, the Lopez family decided to see if America was where they should be.

"We decided that if I could find a job, we would stay," Candelario remembers. "If not, we would go back to Mexico."

They arrived in November of 1989 and in the early part of 1990 they happened to meet the Latter-day Saint missionaries and immediately joined the church less than a month after hearing the first discussion.

It was then that their ideas about Americans changed.

"Many people were interested in our culture and helped us," Candelario recalled. "People found a way to help us."

One person was a brother at church who found out that Lopez was a teacher and got him an interview with the superintendent of the Quincy, WA school district. He even offered to go along and interpret for him, as Lopez did not speak English.

"The superintendent said they were interested because they had a lot of Hispanic students, but he also said I needed to speak English," Candelario said.

The Superintendent gave him three months and told him to come back for a second interview. But he was to come without an interpreter. Lopez accepted the challenge and immediately signed up for a class at the community college but dropped out a little while later because he knew it could not teach him fast enough. So he taught himself by reading books and speaking to everyone he met. Three months later he met with the superintendent and got the job.

"My English was not hundred percent good, but he could understand me," he said.

Many things about the gospel inspired this family to work hard. The words of the prophets inspired their children to gain good educations.

"That was important to me and my family," Candelario said. "I wanted my sons to be able to go to school and get a good job. In Mexico, you can get an education, but the more education you have, the less opportunities you have. You see people who graduated and they are selling tacos on the street. Education is sometimes expensive here, but you can have it if you want it."

Two of the Lopez sons are now dentists, one owns his own business, one is a professional diver, and one is a chiropractor. Lopez himself worked hard both at his job and at church. He helped build a Spanish group into a Quincy Spanish Branch, and then served as a branch president in Yakima for six years.

Candelario and his family have always appreciated the mandate from the Doctrine and Covenants that the gospel should be preached to all people in their own tongue, and that's what they value most about the Spanish branches.

"When you listen in your own language, you can feel it more," Lopez said.

It also provides a place for his wife, who doesn't speak English as well, to socialize. Not that she lets the language barrier stop her. She greets everyone with a big smile, a warm hug, kisses on the cheek, and lots of wonderful homemade food if you visit her home.

"Most Hispanic people, they enjoy having people in their homes," she said.

Currently, Lopez serves in the Spokane Temple and teaches a Gospel Principles class in the Spokane Spanish branch. On top of that, he also teaches a language class for members of the branch, both for those who want to learn English and others who serve that want to learn Spanish.

"After 40 years of teaching, I still love it," said Lopez.

He also appreciates the diversity that the Spokane area offers.

"In Yakima, it's about 40 percent Hispanic, but most of those are Mexicans," Lopez said. "Here in our branch there is more a mix with Cubans, Columbians, Guatemalans, and others. We are one community, but also very different. It is good to learn the different customs."

And just like what he loves about America, Candelario said, "It's not about the color, it's just the feeling. We become brothers."

Comments

5/21/2010 4:52:00 PM | Jon Snider said:

I have known the Lopez family for almost 10 years now and they continue to inspire me. I was just released from serving with his oldest son in the Branch Presidency in Yakima. The whole family is a perfect example of what a Latter-Day Saint should be.

5/21/2010 7:16:08 PM | Nathan said:

We have enjoyed serving in the temple with Los Hermanos Lopez (Seattle y Spokane). They are indeed an inspiration to us. Their service to the Indianna Branch is very valuable...as teachers, examples, missionaries. Thank you for telling their inspiring and courageous story.

5/21/2010 7:17:04 PM | Nathan said:

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