Jamie Arangure grew up ostensibly as a boy. “But I was feminine,” she said. “I played with dolls, makeup and wore my sister’s clothes.”
Born in 1976 and raised during her early childhood in Tecuala, Mexico, Arangure had eight siblings in her middle-class family. “My parents were concerned about what the community would think about me, so they pushed me to be like other boys and did not like me being myself,” she said.
“I wanted to do dancing, but my parents did not let me. Instead, I did track and field and martial arts.”
“By 9 or 10, I started to recognize I really was a girl. But if I said anything like that, I knew I would get in trouble. It was hard and confusing being someone I was not.”
Arangure said she faced bullying and violence growing up. Name-calling and rock-throwing were common. She was, however, an “A” student.
Explaining her good grades Arangure said, “Bullying made me more determined to study, do my best to prove myself and be someone in life.”
After her father died, Arangure’s mother sent her at age 14 to live with her 45-year-old sister in Los Angeles.
“My mother thought I was gay and was embarrassed,” she explained.
Arangure continued high school in Los Angeles receiving good grades, despite having to concurrently learn English.
“At this point, I knew I was a girl and started getting information on transitioning,” she said. “I felt safer than in Mexico.”
She graduated high school in 1994 and returned to Mexico, where she attended Universidad Autonoma de Nayartit, earning a bachelor’s in business administration.
However, she was unable to get meaningful employment due to her appearance. She returned to California, where she lived in Vista with a boyfriend who, she said, forced her into sex work to pay for food and rent.
Although she dropped the boyfriend, Arangure continued with sex work, traveling throughout California and living in motels. “You get more money when visiting,” she explained.
She continues with sex work today. o
“I had to out of necessity and still do,” Arangure said of her sex work. “I have a degree in business administration and even won an award for best marketer at the university. I want other options, but most trans people don’t get them.”
“We have the same intelligence and capabilities. We should be given a chance so we don’t have to be sex workers to survive.”
Living in City Heights, Arangure has emerged as a community leader.
In addition to volunteering for many local projects, she is a founder of Proyecto Trans Latina in San Diego and serves as its unpaid executive director. Working with 20 organizations, Proyecto Trans Latina helps transgender immigrants with legal services, education and health services. She said the organization has helped more than 5,000 people since its inception in 2018.
She has received numerous awards for her work, including Woman of the District Award from state Sen. Toni Atkins, Certificate of Special Recognition from Rep. Sara Jacobs, and Inspiring Relationship Award from San Diego Pride.
“I understand what trans people go through because of my own experience,” she explained. “Too many people focus on being victims. I want trans people to have options, work hard and have no excuses.”
She says there is stereotyping and not enough respect for trans people.
“For example, drag shows are not sinister,” she said, noting she finally achieved her childhood dream of dancing by participating in drag shows.
“They’re art — happiness, identity and entertainment. They are a lot of work. Two hours for makeup and hair. The clothes are expensive. “But they’re worth it. When I dance, I feel free.
“I am happy because I can continue to be who I am.”
As for her future, Arangure hopes Proyecto Trans Latina grows and helps more people, that she continues with her nonprofit work and someday gets paid for it.
Notwithstanding politics and caricatures, transgender is about real people like Jamie Arangure who struggled much of her life with being herself.
About this series
Goldsmith is a Union-Tribune contributing columnist.
We welcome reader suggestions of people who have done something extraordinary or otherwise educational, inspiring or interesting and who have not received much previous media. Please send suggestions to Jan Goldsmith at [email protected]