Joseph’s grandparents immigrated to California from Mexico to labor in tomato fields and canneries in the 1960s. Through hard work and determination, they climbed into the middle class to build opportunities for their family. Joseph’s mother struggled with addiction, so he spent most of his childhood living with his father, who raised a family of five in Riverside on a truck driver’s salary. But when Joseph came out as gay at 17, he had to move out. Though his early years were marked by hardship, trauma, and housing insecurity, Joseph excelled in school, participated in the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Conference, and worked part-time as a dishwasher.
After ten years on active duty, as both an enlisted Sailor and a Marine officer, I am all too familiar with the issues facing our veterans. This fight is personal. Too many of my fellow service members are not getting the support they need. We need to do our part as a state to provide transition support for those exiting the military and more access to housing so that we can ensure no veteran is sleeping on the streets.