EAST SIDE DREAMS

EAST SIDE DREAMS

By ESTELLA INDA

When thinking of bridges, many people think of a structure that creates a path across an obstacle making a connection, but for me, when thinking of bridges, I think of a person: I think of Art Rodriguez.

Born and raised in San José’s east side, Rodriguez and his siblings grew up on the side of town where, at the time, it was believed to mean that you’re nothing but a troublemaker with limited opportunities in life. It was almost as if the youth from the east side were perceived as being determined to become nothing but another statistic. Growing up, Rodriguez enjoyed hanging out on the east side’s Virginia Place, but those enjoyable moments also came with not so enjoyable times. At a young age, he found himself indulging in alcohol and drugs, while also dealing with an abusive father. Worse still, Rodriguez found himself becoming a statistic when at the age of 14 he entered the correctional system as a youth offender. Things got more difficult for Rodriguez and his siblings when his parents divorced and his father returned to Mexico.

“... when thinking of bridges, I think of a person: I think of Art Rodriguez.
Born and raised in San José’s east side, Rodriguez ...”

In continuing his wild ways, Rodriguez was in and out of the correctional system twice more. At the age of 16, he faced the possibility of serving a life sentence after fighting at a party where two people ended up dead. The charges were eventually reduced and Rodriguez served a much lesser sentence, giving him a chance at a fresh start.

In 1979, Rodriguez married Flora, the love of his life; and in 1985, he opened his own disposal business. Due to the fact that he had never learned to read or properly write, he found himself frustrated by his inability to handle his own business correspondence. So, with Flora’s encouragement, he began to educate himself. Along the way, he discovered a passion for writing.

“Due to the fact that he had never learned to read or properly write, he found himself frustrated by his inability to handle his own business correspondence. ”

At Flora’s suggestion, he began to write stories from his youth, resulting in his first book East Side Dreams. The book was an honest portrayal of his youth, the adversity he faced, and how he overcame the stigma of being a criminal.

Rodriguez continued his writing in three more books: The Monkey Box, Forgotten Memories, and Those Oldies But Goodies. Nonetheless, East Side Dreams remains his most successful book, celebrated as one of the 200 Best Teenage Books in the United States by the New York Public Library System and awarded Best First Book by the Latino Literacy Hall of Fame.

“..he began to write stories from his youth, resulting in his first book East Side Dreams. ”