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SCHOOL STUDENT IN CHICAGO, JESUS
CHAVEZ WAS A PROMISING AMATEUR
BOXER, WITH A SECRET.
AS A BOY, HE HAD ILLEGALLY I AM
GREATED FROM MEXICO WITH HIS
FAMILY.
NOBODY WOULD HAVE CARED OR FOUND
OUT IF HE DIDN'T COMMIT AN
IMPULSIVE MISTAKE THAT OPENED UP
HIS PAST AND CLOUDED HIS FUTURE.
>> I WAS APPROACHED BY TWO OF MY
FRIENDS TO DO AN ARMED ROBBERY,
JUST AS SIMPLE AS I'M TELLING
YOU THE STORY I SAID YES.
THAT'S WHERE MY LIFE CHANGED.
LARRY: CHAVEZ SERVED 3 1/2 YEARS
FOR HIS PART IN A GROCERY STORE
ROBBERY.
TIME ENOUGH FOR THE GOVERNMENT
TO INVESTIGATE HIS BACKGROUND.
>> KNOWING THAT I HAD MESSED UP,
THE BEST THING IN MY LIFE WAS
DEFINITELY HAUNTING ME WHEN I
WAS IN JAIL.
I KNEW THAT WHEN I GOT OUT OF
THERE, I WANTED TO DEDICATE MOST
OF MY TIME TO BOXING.
LARRY: BUT AS AN ILLEGAL ALIEN
WITH A FELONY CONVICTION, CHAVEZ
WAS DEPORTED UNDER A TOUGH, NEW
LAW.
>> ACTUALLY, BEFORE I STEPPED
OUT OF THE DOOR, THEY WERE
INSIDE WAITING FOR ME.
THEY CUFFED ME AND PUT ME IN THE
CAR AND TOOK ME TO THE AIRPORT.
LARRY: JUST WEEKS LATER, WITH A
DIFFERENT NAME, CHAVEZGAIN
CROSSED THE BORDER ILLEGALLY AND
STARTED HIS CAREER AS A PRO IN
AUSTIN, TEXAS.
>> I THOUGHT THAT THE AMERICAN
DREAM WAS GOING TO BE ACHIEVED.
I FELT THAT MY LIFE WAS TAKING
OFF IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
LARRY: 2 1/2 YEARS LATER, AFTER
BUFFLEDING A REPUTATION AS A
POTENTIAL CHAMPION, WITH A BIG
FOLLOWING IN TEXAS, CHAVEZ WAS
AGAIN DISCOVERED AND DEPORTED.
>> THOSE WERE VERY DIFFICULT
TIMES.
STILL I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION
THAT I WAS GOING TO BE BACK IN
THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THREE
OR FOUR MONTHS.
>> HE PAID TWICE FOR WHAT HE
DONE ONE TIME.
IT COST HIM A TOTAL OF ALMOST
EIGHT YEARS OF HIS LIFE.
HE SERVED HIS TIME.
AMERICA BELIEVES IN SECOND
CHANCES.
HE NEVER GOT A SECOND CHANCE.
THEY THREW HIM OUT.
>> I DIDN'T GET TO FIGHT FOR SIX
MONTHS.
I STARTED WONDERING ABOUT WHERE
MY CAREER WAS GOING TO GO.
LARRY: IN MEXICO, WHERE THERE
ARE MANY FIGHTERS, AND JULIO
CAESAR CHAVEZ WAS KING, JESUS
CHAVEZ WAS AN UNKNOWN.
HE DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HIS
NATIVE COUNTRY EITHER.
HE EXPERIENCED CULTURE SHOCK.
>> BEING CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO
COUNTRIES WAS VERY HARD FOR ME,
BECAUSE AT THE TIME I WAS UP IN
THE AIR.
I WAS NOT AN AMERICAN.
AND I WAS NOT A MEXICAN.
I PRETTY MUCH THOUGHT OF MYSELF
AS A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY.
LARRY: BECAUSE OF HIS PROWESS AS
A FIGHTER, HIS CAUSE WAS TAKEN
UP BY WRITERS AND POLITICIANS IN
AUSTIN, INCLUDING THEN GOVERNOR,
BUSH BUSH.
-- GEORGE W. BUSH.
LAST WINTER, AFTER TWO YEARS IN
MEXICO, THE I.N.S. GRANTED HIM A
VISA TO WORK AND LIVE, TO FIGHT