The director, Niki Caro, chose to do this because she wanted to feature more family in the story. The success of the team is documented in the 2015 Walt Disney Pictures film McFarland, USA starring Kevin Costner as James White, a . Convincing the young men he wants for the team to join is an uphill battle. He joined the ROTC in high school in San Diego in hopes of following in the footsteps of his stepdad, an American citizen who sponsored him to become a permanent resident. The event is set for 5:30 p.m. and tickets are $8. Jim sees this and knows that Jose has put too much into the start of the race and will likely fall back at the end. and the longitude is 5.915300. When gang members show up and harass them, a fight breaks out and Julie is pulled to safety just before getting injured. He now lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia with his wife and daughter, where he is a staff sergeant in the Army. Two of us were absent when Disney spent two weeks on location and filmed the rest of my teammates going for a jog in the fields where we used to train. He was never sent into combat, but after his two years were up, he joined the Army Reserves and then the National Guard for a total of seven years of military service. I think its really inspirational for people, and we did come from humble beginnings, he says. You inspired me Jose Cardenas!!! Well said! After Jim meets Principal Camillo (Valente Rodriguez) on his first day of work, he begins his new job as a life science/PE teacher and assistant football coach. McFarland was not a desperate last resort. Besides Mr. White, other good-hearted adults looked after the towns needy youth.. You all did. Latitude and longitude coordinates are: 45.688499, 5.915300. "They have to add up the average.". The mother of the three Diaz boys really did forbid them to run cross-country at one point. He then transferred to Cal State University of Bakersfield (CSUB) from 1993-1995. "People worked together in the town," Cardenas said. See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by . les informations, l'actualit de la voile en Rhne. I too did not see your performance as a failure. Sponsored . All Rights Reserved. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. A caption says what became of me,a sort of champ in my own life, too, I guess. Mr. Cardenas, theres nothing to guess about. He'll talk. Upon his release, he returned to college to continue his education and landed a quality job on a ranch. Cardenas was a member of the California state championship cross-country team whose story is portrayed in the new movie McFarland, USA, which was released by Disney in February. Where did Thomas Valles go to college? No stupid Mexicans. Jim is so distraught by this incident that he begins to seriously consider leaving McFarland and accept the job offer at the wealthy school. We had the right principles and the right attitude. Jose Cardenas became a writer for The Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the U.S. army. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. "He thinks hes out there still, so someone needs to be there to kind of calm him down and stuff. The dream came true for them, but not me. "We had no idea, with him not performing that day, if . Well, they certainly cant afford cars. To this day, I dont know why I went out uncharacteristically fast. Meanwhile, Jim settles into his neighborhood and learns about the troubled life of one of his other students, Victor Puentes (Sergio Avelar), whose uncle just got out of prison and whose father is still in prison. He had been in a bad way since his oldest son was killed in a gang shooting. Located in California's agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley, McFarland is one of the poorest communities in California. Samaniego currently holds CSUBs 18th best time in the 1,500-meter race. Jose Cardenas: Rafael Martinez . Hurley Family Y. In their first meet in Palo Alto, the boys endure mockery from the other more experienced and well-funded teams, and they suffer the humiliation of finishing in last place. Then you spent afternoons running miles upon miles upon miles. It gives me great pleasure to hear from you, and that you found something you needed in my letter to Jose Cardenas. "McFarland, USA" tells a heartwarming story about . Maria Marisol: [reading Jose Cardenas's paper] We fly like blackbirds through the orange groves, floating on a warm wind. "I never had any live chickens around where I lived and, in the 1980s, we listened to the same music as other kids - Madonna and Michael Jackson and pop things like that - in addition to Hispanic music.". McFarland, USA (2015) Full Cast & Crew. As everyone is celebrating and hugging, Jim goes to the Palo Alto coaches who had offered him the job and turns it down with one word: McFarland., Clearly Coach White is a big reason why they had so much success. It was the 1987 California high school state cross-country championships. You saw your mistake of setting out filled with fire and speed as failure; we thought you may have inspired your teammates to run faster, push harder than they otherwise might have. Warmly, Laura. Its a beautiful story of perseverance, teamwork and community! There are currently 37 luxury homes for sale in Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes on JamesEdition. Which is why, when Mr. White was trying to persuade me to switch to cross-country for my junior year, he jokingly told me that they would win the inaugural state championship with or without you.. The movie was about much more than a state championship race, it was about the people you became. Le explica a White que comenz trabajar en los campos a los 10 aos. Contribute to this page Suggest an edit or add missing content Top Gap David has a Facebook page, but there hasnt been any updates posted since 2014. Eventually, his love for the water led to the Army. Cardenas was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1970, served seven years in the U.S. military and was deported in 2009 after a drug conviction. When we run, we own the earth. In one of the 1987 races, an opponent from Bakersfields Centennial High School is shown. "Sometimes he wakes up and he goes crazy," Cardenas says of his son. The mantra at our house has all ways been that good luck and opportunity comes through HARD WORK. , THANK YOU FOR COURAGE. 1 for 4 weeks, Jack Nicholson returns courtside to cheer beloved Lakers to playoff win. McFarland, USA (2015) Vanessa Martinez: Maria Marisol. Im so happy to hear from you, Jose. White really did go and work in the fields and pick crops with his runners to show support to them and their families, as it is portrayed in the film. "I went into a depression," he says. P.S. You close your essay with this glimpse of forgiveness: McFarland, USA suggests my teammates became winners in life. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Mr. White was our physical education teacher, and thats when he first encouraged us to run cross-country. Its sulfur and alkaline springs were exploited by the Romans, to whom they were known as Aquae Gratianae, and they are still the basis of modern health resorts. Cardenas, a staff sergeant in the Army, lives in Virginia Beach, Va., with his wife and daughter. He served four years in the Coast Guard and did maritime law enforcement. I can understand your disappointment at your personal performance and I cannot take away those feelings but I what I can share is how I felt and that was a profound sense of pride and admiration toward fellow Mexican-American. Flying with the birds through the groves Cardenas is now a staff sergeant with the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Eustis, Va. A Y member has a sister who works with Cardenas wife, thus the invitation to come to Salisbury. The movie opens Friday. In fact I was getting ready to post about the article Mr. Cardenas wrote during the movie about running through the groves. It took one of our usually slower runners to sprint mightily down the stretch. Just like in this movie Coach White kept pushing the boys forward, and where he got them. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is located at France country in the Towns place category with the gps coordinates of 45 41' 18.5964'' N and 5 54' 55.0800'' E. Coordinates of Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is given above in both decimal degrees and In California, Cardenas notes, the movie is a lot bigger deal. His former team members are making the rounds, speaking at schools and churches. He would often buy shoes and food for his runners. We wish you nothing but luck & happiness for all your years to come. He also occasionally travels as a motivational speaker and in the course of doing these promotional appearances, he has seen the movie eight times. You were born in a community where that was not true, but with the blessings of a great coach and other adults topoint the way to other paths, you made that your reality. The land is ours. Population stats are from the United States Census Bureau. The ethnicity of Whites athletes surprises their competitors but, once the efficiently paced story starts rolling, there are no big surprises in McFarland, USA. Its a feel-good movie, plain and simple. Pretty much our whole team is going to be there, she says. It was a dismal day for me at Woodward Park, Nov. 28, 1987. Damacio Diaz. "They wanted the farm kids in the movie," Cardenas said. We just went to Cross Country Nationals in South Carolina. In an interview for the film, David also mentioned that he is a person of faith and that faith was a big part of the team. Jim retired in 2002 after 23 years of coaching and continued to serve as a volunteer coach occasionally. On the Scene with Mrs. Kathy King a fully discloses by the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 Guide Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. 1 May 2023. It saddens me that he viewed the race as the biggest disappointment of his youth, but in the same sense I admire his vulnerability & honesty. We still enjoy the whole running thing. Jim White recalls an incident where his cross-country runners were shot breaking up a fight, and one of the boys was killed. I knew a movie involving one of the biggest disappointments in my youth might be made someday. Every word was right on. Have a team. Jim White retired from coaching and still lives in . Currently, he is a correctional officer at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, California. Johnny Ortiz, an actor who held roles in the Kevin Costner-led film "McFarland USA," and "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," has been charged with attempted murder, Fox News has confirmed. Again, thanks for your article, and thanks to Mr. Cardenas for your inspiration. I was preparing myself because I knew I was going to get drafted," Cardenas says. The player, Johnny, is also kicked off the team. A summer and winter resort with a beach on Bourget Lake (Frances largest lake) and an aerial cableway up fir-covered Mount Revard (5,125 feet [1,562 metres]), it is a fashionable Alpine spa maintaining the sedate luxury of the Victorian era. Nearly three decades later, Jose Cardenas is still bothered by that one race. The film depicts McFarlands opponents as snobby, rich, and rude to the poor McFarland team. I too thought he was much too hard on himself in that article. Hey, and I would love to show the film to a certain Donald T. so he could learn from Mexican American Power and warmth and character, tenacity and team spirit. After high school, Cardenas went to a junior college "half-an-hour up Highway 99 and continued running, but on paper. Marsh says she also appreciated the scene where Cardenas took off too fast in a race and hit the wall. JamesEdition can help you find the home that match all the preferences for your dream home. The town is a known resort and a destination for tourist since it is situated on the shores of a large natural lake, the Lac du Bourget, which is a home to a few SPA resorts and excellent places to relax. It was not predominately Hispanic as depicted in the film. When I got deported I didnt even know where I was," Cardenas says. She eventually concluded that it was good for them as long as they still worked. We were state champs, and we did come from a poor farming town. McFarland was a more balanced community of Latino and white residents then. A caption says what became of me, a sort of champ in my own life too, I guess. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Andrea Riseborough flap prompts most significant Oscar campaign rules change in decades, Looking for fun this Cinco de Mayo weekend? He states that the movie has changed his life and helped him become a better person. Johnny Sameniego and the six other runners were all close friends and in an interview for the movie, he mentioned that they all grew up living within a quarter mile of each other and did everything together. On the way home, Jim stops by the beach in Cayucos and lets the runners have an afternoon of fun there because theyve never seen the ocean before. Fortunately, the sympathetic Principal Camillo (Valente Rodriguez) lets him keep his teaching job. If you read some of the stories, some of them are pretty crazy. I never get tired of reading the essay & watching the movie. Samaniego ran for the track and field team at CSUB because they didnt have a cross-country team. Cardenas, a staff sergeant in the Army stationed at Fort Eustis, was part of that team from a poverty-ridden California town that "comes from behind" to win its first state title. The students spend long hours with their parents picking cotton, sugar beets, almonds, citrus and grapes in the areas vast produce fields. He also coaches the McFarland Youth Track Club as an assistant to Thomas Valles, who is the head coach. Subsequently, McFarland High School missed qualifying for the 2014 State Meet for the first time in 24 years; many feel the school is being punished for its success. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Jose Cardenas, left, and actor Johnny Ortiz attend the premiere of Disney's "McFarland, USA" at the El Capitan Theatre on Feb. 9, 2015, in Hollywood, California. Since his retirement, he has also traveled the country as a motivational speaker and to help promote the movie. Web. We were good Christian kids, and we put our abilities to good use. We were a poor community, but we were not underdogs in the athletic sense.. True. Sports can be a great teacher, in the losses as much as the wins. You pushed too hard; you didnt last. Cardenas says he was deported to somewhere near the U.S.-Texas border, far from his birthplace in southern Mexico town of Tecomn in the state of Colima. Victor Puentes, one of the brightest students on the team, went to college but then had to leave school when his mom got sick. He hadn't lived in Mexico since he left when he was seven years old, and he spoke little Spanish. Jim Price, a janitor at the high school, let me live with his family. Marsh praises local businesses for their support. We all know different moments of defeat and victory. An hour of discussions and plans and ideas followed and they all said: you gave it a try, you had so much heart and wanted to give victory to your team mates. Well, my story is very long with happiness, sadness, accomplishment, rewards, and many more. The actor playing me takes off too fast and begins to fade halfway through the three-mile course. The all-Latino cross-country Cougar teammates at McFarland High School, residents of Californias farm-heavy Central Valley, arent the storys only underdogs. That race is going to healyour daughtersheart some day. The land is ours. What happened to Jose Cardenas McFarland? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Danny Diaz, who is depicted as overweight in the film, was not overweight in real life. McFarland, USA 2015 Stars: Kevin Costner, Ramiro Rodriguez, Carlos Pratts, Johnny Ortiz Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport Rating: PG Runtime: 129 minutes Track coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) is a newcomer to a predominantly Latino high-school in California's Central Valley. We are real close. Photo by RON PHILLIPS -- From left, David Diaz (Rafael Martinez), Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts), Victor Puentes (Sergio Avelar), Danny Diaz (Ramiro Rodriguez), Jose Cardenas (Johnny Ortiz) and Johnny Sameniego (Hector Duran) are featured in a scene from 'McFarland USA.'. Our coach, played by Kevin Costner, built a sports powerhouse largely with the children of farmworkers in a lackluster part of the state. Cardenas admits hes had mixed reactions about the movie. However, Centennial High School was not formed until 1993. (1999) 25,732; (2014 est.) Thanks for your comment! Hes looking forward to answering questions about the movie tomorrow evening, and to talk about whats accurate and whats not. Danny Diaz. Jose Cardenas, left, and actor Johnny Ortiz attend the premiere of Disneys McFarland, USA at the El Capitan Theatre on Feb. 9, 2015, in Hollywood, California. Football coach White, after being too tough on his team at a previous high school in a far more prosperous place than McFarland, accepts a teaching position and assistant coaching job at McFarland High School. He remains an active and well-loved member of the McFarland community, often working with youth. In June 2016 he plead guilty and his sentencing will occur in September 2016. McFarland, USA (2015) Johnny Ortiz as Jose Cardenas. This past weekend I saw McFarland, USA, a movie about one phase of your life, growing up in the agricultural town of McFarland, California. Mal Vincent has been a longtime culture writer for The Virginian-Pilot. Cardenas and his wife, Melody who has family in Rowan County attended the movies premiere, and got to meet the actor who portrayed him, as well as Costner. Veterans who leave active military duty with an honorable discharge are eligible for a burial spot in a Veterans Administration national cemetery. The family quickly goes home. Cardenas turned an internship at the Los Angeles Times into a full-time job on various beats. The students that Jim coached have grown up to become coaches themselves. It isnt an important hobby of mine, but what you had to say about it is very applicable to my life right now, so Id like to simply say thank you, Dear Gabriella, As far as Cardenas is concerned, it is a day that will live in infamy, even though the team won, and it's a great finish for a movie. I took it for granted that I would go. Yes.after i watched the movie im curious about what happen to JOSE CARDENASso truethere are times that we would like to give our best but then somehow it was still not enoughbut you know MR JOSE CARDENASyou played a very big role from the beginning ..the first MCFARLAND had won until the state championshipyou are an inspiration to us allyour hardwork in how to balance your life and do rigorous trainings , so did the rest of the team and the dedication of the coach were so amazing. "Jose Cardenas had had a bad race," Valles recalled recently about his teammate who was the team's seventh runner that day, finishing 148th. The scenes of the state race are the most prominent for Johnny Ortiz, the actor playing me. They were a family. Second, there was a lot of good old-fashioned hard work. He sees McFarland students running all over the community, including the produce fields. After work each day, he routinely goes straight to cross-country practice to work with the kids on the McFarland Youth Track club. Please use Latlong.net at your own risk. Jim White retired from coaching and still lives in . Lupe has Javi fix Cheryls car after it breaks down and gives Cheryl a free manicure in her salon while she waits. I saw the film as being about your tenacity, determination, loyalty, perseverance, athleticism, and strength. Cardenas says one of his grandsons just joined the military, too. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? McFarland, USA (also known as McFarland) is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Niki Caro, produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson with music composed by Antnio Pinto. He Served in the U.S. Military, But That Didn't Stop His Deportation. And Rita Peebles, a cook in the cafeteria, slipped five bucks into my pocket before every away meet so I wouldnt go hungry when the bus stopped at McDonalds. All season we had dreamed of winning Californias first high school cross-country state championship. The film follows their rise from obscurity in the tiny agricultural town of McFarland, California to become a legend in the sport of cross-country. "It worries me because you never know whats going to happen, and you cant do nothing here," he says. Niki Caro Writing Credits . Jim begs the father to change his mind and even spends a day working in the fields helping them to convince the father to let the brothers stay on the team. I was born ina family where everyone goes to college. I agree, Griselda, he is an inspiration to people all over the world. Stay in touch. The community teams up with the White family to raise money for better uniforms for the cross-country team, and they throw a delightful quinceaera party for Julies 15th birthday. His group painted a section of the border fence in Tijuana red, white and blue with the names of deported veterans. Jose Cardenas became a writer for The Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the U.S. army. McFarland, USA runs an inspirational race. One runner, Luis Partida, was replaced with David Diaz, the brother of Damacio and Danny Diaz. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. Jose, one of their key runners, starts out too fast. Like his new students in McFarland, hes beaten down, carries a chip on his shoulder, is pessimistic about the future. I hope you continue writing even as you pursue your career in the Army. Just across that border are great grandkids he's never met, his two daughters and a son who also served in the U.S. military in Kosovo and Iraq, he says. A few notches down from what the Whites are accustomed to, but the troublemaking Coach White, or at least hes perceived to be a troublemaker, has no other options left. LinkedIn is the world's largest business network, helping professionals like JOSSUE CARRILLO CARDENAS discover inside . Perhaps that is why stories like Mr. Cardenas and his teammates resonates so strongly, as reminders that what may seem impossible isnt. ", Perhaps for "dramatic" reasons, the all-Hispanic team's opposition in the movie is made up exclusively of blond, privileged, preppy snobs. The community has been real supportive of his being here, Marsh says. Johnny helps to recruit other students: Victor, the three Diaz brothers, Jose Cardenas (Johnny Ortiz), and Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts). Pace yourself. The inspirational message of the movie is essentially true. Nonetheless, the real challenges White and his team face pull the viewer along for the ride. But by going out so fast, I had endangered our dream. Cardenas grew up in a Hispanic community, and his team mostly competed against white teams. Thomas is the head coach of the McFarland Track Club for kids and I help him with that. I loved the boys and their families. Showing all 2 items Jump to: . And there was cotton," he said. The film only depicts two. A versatile and innovative financial manager with 30 years of management and leadership experience seeking to utilize skills in adult education and fiduciary oversight of multi-billion dollar . Besides Mr. White, other good-hearted adults looked after the towns needy youth. Thats want counts as much as a victory itself. (LogOut/ Jose, who was one of the top four runners for the team and a key scorer, really did start the race too fast, a very unusual move for a runner who had just recently ran the same course perfectly. In the rest of the movie, he takes a back seat to the actors portraying the runners who performed better at the race. If you listen to how the runners speak about him (including current runners), you can tell he made a lasting impact on their lives. I will look for more pieces by you, as well. The film depicts the McFarland team forming and winning the state championship in the same year (1987). Today, in his 40s, Cardenas lives in Chesapeake with his wife, Melody. Great reminder that we can revisit the things that inspire us. "I was off that day and, as in the movie, Danny Diaz came from behind to ensure our victory. as part of a group of deported veterans lobbying the government to allow them to return to the U.S. Adelante Latin America Reporting Initiative. What we do is nothing compared to what they had to do, she says. He is in excellent physical shape and he continues to exercise even though he no longer competes. In addition, McFarlands mysterious cluster of cancers, which rapidly claimed the lives of several children, happened around the same time and gained national media attention. McFarland, though unique with its amazing story, wasnt the only underdog small town cross-country team in that area to do well. Sign up for our daily newsletter. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), First Minority Business Trade Show helps spread word for entrepreneurs, Salisbury City Council to discuss new fire station on Mahaley Avenue at Tuesdays meeting, License plate reader cameras assist area law enforcement. Julie and Jamie are also depicted younger than they were in 1987. As his addiction became worse in the 90s, he got in trouble with the law and served time in a penitentiary. We speak the birds' language. His wife Cheryl, who tirelessly supported her husband and his coaching, described the runners this way: These kids are like our own kids and grandkids. Road map of Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France shows where the location is placed. During that year when the team won the title, all three daughters were actually in college in Texas. 30,291. White taught fifth-grade science and seventh- and eighth- grade PE and woodshop. Thank you for sharing your view as his cousin. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. If I had run as well as I did the previous week on the same course when we won the regional championship, the state race would not have been a nail-biter. In a public statement, Damacio said that he regrets the decisions hes made and the lapse of judgment that led to the crimes, and that this was not the person he really was. Like yours. They got that right. Damacio eventually returned to McFarland and was active in the McFarland community, was loved by many, and excelled at his job as a police officer. You have permission to edit this article. I hope to write a book one these days. Disney Pictures can thank me, I guess, for creating some true drama To this day, I dont know why I went out uncharacteristically fast. Not immigrant no more. For now, Cardenas says there is one other way deported veterans like him can eventually get back to the United States. I think its a pretty darn big deal.. It was awkward doing the red carpet, he says, but it was a lot of fun..