Jose Ortiz came to the U.S. mainland scared of the language barrier. Now, he’s a successful business owner in Hinesville.

Ortiz spoke to Snelson- Golden Middle School students for the school’s annual salute to Hispanic Heritage Month, directed by teacher Sheina Medina.

Students performed dances from Mexico, Puerto Rico and the flamenco, and the SGMS band and chorus performed the Carlos Santana classic “Oye Como Va.” Students also dressed as and read the accomplishments of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, Puerto Rican baseball great Roberto Clemente and Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal.

Ortiz, the owner of JJ’s Bar and Grill, recalled growing up in the small town of Coamo on Puerto Rico. One of the benefits of being born in a U.S. territory is getting to join the U.S. armed forces, he said.

“I joined at 17. It was a hard decision for me to leave my family and where I lived,” he said.

Schools in Puerto Rico taught him how to count numbers and recite the alphabet in English. “But you never engaged in conversations,” Ortiz said.

After he enlisted, he was sent to a school in San Antonio, Texas and did his basic training at Fort Benning. But the language barrier persisted.

“I was still struggling with the language,” he said.

He and a couple of other Puerto Rican recruits discovered their drill sergeant also was from Puerto Rico and figured it might get easier.

“But when he heard us speaking Spanish, he made us do push-ups,” Ortiz said.

When arrived at Fort Stewart in 1997, he carried a dictionary in his pocket.

“It took me a couple of years before I got it together,” he said.

According to the 2020 Census, 14.6% of Hinesville’s population is Hispanic. Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15–October 15.

Ortiz stayed in the Army for 24 years, and when he retired, he looking into opening a restaurant that reflected and showcased his culture and background.

“It taught me to stay strong, to stay positive, to never give up,” he said.