Standing at about 5 feet 5 inches – 5 feet 7 inches if he were to stand up straight – Jose Espinoza is about 284 pounds and completely blind. He acknowledges his bad posture with a slight shrug of the shoulders. He apologizes for his slow gait as he navigates around the Cal State Long Beach campus but takes his time as necessary.
Espinoza is originally from Mexico. In 1980, just one year after he was born, Espinoza and his parents migrated to the U.S. from their home in Guanajuato, where they have since become naturalized citizens. Espinoza officially became a citizen in July 2011.
“I had no choice as far as coming here, but I’ve been here all my life,” Espinoza said. “Me and my parents are now naturalized citizens. I was born in Mexico but I consider myself Mexican-American.”
His voice is soft and precise.
Despite being a new transfer student at CSULB, Espinoza is already an active member of the CSULB chapter of the Catholic Newman Club, also known as Beach Newman, and has been for the past four years.
Beach Newman has been stirring up controversy on campus for the last five years. Every spring semester, for two days in March, the Newman Club invites the Genocide Awareness Project to the campus to advocate against abortion. GAP is an anti-abortion display facilitated by the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform. Espinoza cannot actually see the nature of the display, but he understands that the photos are “horrifying.”
Victoria Villa, the founder of Safe Space CSU, is planning this year’s counter protest to the GAP display.
Villa says the mission of Safe Space CSU is to provide faculty and students with counseling while GAP is on campus. She says that what SS CSU will do is put up signs around the GAP display to warn students and faculty about what they are walking into before coming across the display.
Villa, whose father is a pastor, emphasizes that her counter protest is not a debate over abortion.
“The purpose of bringing GAP to campus is to spark debate among students,” Espinoza says.
Born with glaucoma, Espinoza wore glasses until the age of 17 when he lost his eyesight completely. As a result of this disability, he spent 10 years at Rio Hondo College working with Disabled Students Programs and Services trying to find a way for him to progress in his education.
Unable to pass one of his beginning math courses, he worked with DSPS to find a way around this math course. In the year 2015 he transferred out of Rio Hondo at the age of 35.
Espinoza began his courses at CSULB last fall and declared religious studies his major. He credits the Newman Club for inspiring him to transfer to the CSULB campus.
Beach Newman, named for Cardinal John Henry Newman, is a religious organization on campus advocating for religious teachings and prayer.
He first became acquainted with the Newman Club when some of the group members paid a visit to the Rio Hondo campus.
Now at CSULB, Espinoza is having no trouble adjusting to his new environment. He is an active member of numerous religious clubs including the Interfaith Project of CSULB, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and Shepherds Club. The terrain of the campus is new to him, but he says he is learning his way around.
“It’s still going to take a lot of training,” Espinoza says. “I’ll probably continue to ask for assistance and guidance.”
Although Espinoza occasionally requires some assistance, he effectively navigates to and from classes. Through the Paratransit Access Services rideshare program, he travels from his home in South Los Angeles to Long Beach Monday through Friday and occasional weekends.
Espinoza enjoys being at CSULB, but admits that he is having a hard time making friends and an even harder time with the ladies.
“I seem to have a hard time,” Espinoza says. “I don’t like people putting me in a category or in a box. Most women ask me why I don’t just date a blind girl. I know they mean well, but to me they’re not really helping.”
With women, he says no one will give him a chance.
“Every woman seems to say the same thing, that they’re already seeing someone,” Espinoza says.
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He says he likes to hang around sighted people, but sometimes they put him in a box, which can be frustrating.
“I feel like, since the campus is mostly a commuter school, everyone just goes home after classes and doesn’t have time to hang out,” Espinoza said. “Or a lot of people are from the Bay Area and go home for the break.”
Regardless of his inability to find friends off campus to spend time with, Espinoza remains active. Through his various clubs, he shares his faith and is used to the controversy that his faith sometimes entails.
Around campus, Espinoza has a few friends who are willing to help him whenever he needs assistance. Timothy Lee and Young Cho have come together and coordinated to help Espinoza get around campus.
Lee and Espinoza met about three weeks ago when Espinoza needed help getting to lower campus after his class on a Tuesday.
Lee sacrificed the first 20 minutes of class time to walk with Espinoza down to the USU and get lunch with him. Being late to class for three weeks, Lee ran into issues with his teacher and found a solution in his friend Cho.
She finishes class just in time to walk from lower to upper campus to pick Jose up from class and walk him down to the USU to get lunch.
“I have a break from 12:15 until 4 p.m.,” Cho says. “I don’t have anything to do, so I’ll be staying with him, hanging out and eating probably.”
Though Espinoza wants to make friends, he is not afraid of the controversy surrounding the GAP display.
He and fellow club member Rhea Moreno, the co-fellowship coordinator, understand the retaliation they get from students when GAP comes onto the CSULB campus. According to Elizabeth Chelling, vice president of Beach Newman, those opposed to GAP sometimes yell and spit at them.
“A lot of people disagree with the Catholic religion,” he says. However, he remains unfazed.
Moreno acknowledges that the nature of the display is a bit harsh.
“I’m disgusted by the GAP display,” Moreno says. “It’s offensive, because abortion is offensive.”
Both Moreno and Espinoza know that there will be counter-protesters to the GAP display.
“People are going to disagree with you, but we just remain calm,” Moreno says.
Although the two clubs seem to have opposing views, they both agree that GAP causes trauma when it is at CSULB. Both clubs share and offer information on abortion counseling.
Espinoza is adamant in his beliefs and does not falter in his faith.
He says he is ready for the GAP display and the controversy it will bring.