This week’s blogpost was going to go in a completely different direction; however, tragedy has rocked a community that is dear to me. I am sure by now that you have heard of the tragic loss of Miami Marlins’ ace pitcher Jose Fernandez. Not only does his loss impact the team, but the entire baseball community.
Jose Fernandez is the ultimate story of perseverance and success. He had defected from Cuba to Mexico in his early teens and eventually was able to move to the United States and be drafted by the Marlins’ organization.
His excellence was not only apparent on the field, it was also shown off the field in his efforts to better the community and aid other immigrants to the country. Fernandez became a United States’ citizen in 2015 and was proud of both his heritage and his new nation.
As the son of an immigrant refugee and also a pitcher, I look to Jose Fernandez as an inspiration and role model. With the current negative stigma surrounding immigrants in this country, I think it is incredibly important for immigrants and their families to have people to look up to and model themselves after.
Fernandez was never seen without a smile on his face; his smile was electric. But his work ethic embodied the perfect opposition to the anti-immigrant population in this country. Fernandez had a gift and he worked hard to make sure that he was able to achieve his goals. He never gave up and always persevered. Like so many other immigrants before and after him, he came to this country with a goal and hard work ethic. He came for a reason. Nothing was given to him. He had to earn everything that he had. And he earned it.
Even though Jose Fernandez was a gifted baseball player, I believe the essence of his life was to inspire others. Whether it be on the baseball field or immigrant families coming to the United States, he used his position to help others. It is important to recognize how important his life was off the field, not just on it. May he rest in peace, but let his memory inspire others forever.