Producers: Qianni Sui, Elise Cullen, Joe Tolman
His past has given him an unusual name. They call him “Grumpy." With his innocent eyes and a calm and happy demeanor, you might wonder why this nickname stuck. A former Los Angeles gang member and son of illegal immigrants, Ernesto “Grumpy” Arias has been through it all. His mother came to the United States illegally, in search of a better life and a taste of the "American dream."
Ernesto and his family thought they would find safe refuge from the poverty they had known in Mexico. However, their new neighborhood in downtown Los Angeles was infested with gangs. A tragic incident led Ernesto's family to flee Los Angeles for Oregon.
Camera: iPod Touch
His past has given him an unusual name. They call him “Grumpy." With his innocent eyes and a calm and happy demeanor, you might wonder why this nickname stuck. A former Los Angeles gang member and son of illegal immigrants, Ernesto “Grumpy” Arias has been through it all. His mother came to the United States illegally, in search of a better life and a taste of the "American dream."
Ernesto and his family thought they would find safe refuge from the poverty they had known in Mexico. However, their new neighborhood in downtown Los Angeles was infested with gangs. A tragic incident led Ernesto's family to flee Los Angeles for Oregon.
Camera: iPod Touch
"Grumpy"