Two years ago Elder Rodriguez arrived from a rural village in Guatemala to the city of Thousand Oaks in Southern California. He left a life of poverty to chase his American Dream. After a stint as a dishwasher in Los Angeles, he left the city because he found it too dangerous.
Elder found people from his village, and village life in the neighborhood of Newbury Park in Thousand Oaks.
There, he found work as a landscaper on a horse ranch. Elder says that although he feels blessed, he can't wait to return to his family in Guatemala. On weekends, he sings covers of Los Tigres del Norte at local bars. Check him out and listen to more stories from KCRW's Sonic Trace here.
This Nov. 2nd, Sonic Trace Producer Anayansi Diaz-Cortes will be presenting Elder's story as part of Radio Ambulante's live story-telling event in San Francisco. This is the last chance to buy your tickets before they sell out!!
Banner Image Credit: Eric Pearse-Chavez