“You may say I´m a dreamer but I´m not the only one. I hope some day you´ll join us, and the world will be as one”. – John Lennon “Imagine”.Profr. Joel Antonio Estamates Arroyo is the Founder and General Director of Institutos de Inglés América. He was born on January 1st. 1959, in Culiacan Sinaloa México. He was the son of Margarita Arroyo Castro and Antonio Stamatis. He spent his childhood in Ensenada City together with his mother and brothers, Ernesto, Luis, and Victor. He also studied his elementary school there. Then he moves to La Paz in the early 70's, following his mother and helping her to work, first selling tacos on the street, and then selling fish and shellfish in a stand at Bravo Public Market, to get the every day income to keep the house and later go ahead in his life. He studies junior high education in part at Secundaria No. 2, now Gabriel Ojeda Agundez, first and Secundaria Nocturna para Trabajadores later. Then he continues his high school education at Preparatoria Nocturna. While all this last years he continues working with his mother at Pescaderia Magui doing successfully as a merchant. Then, during the last year at the high school, one of those decisive when we start thinking on our professional future, it is when he meets Mr. Arturo Satrustegui, who was going to make a mark in his future life.
Mr. Arturo Satrustegui was the General Director of a supposed National wide Language Schools Franchise called Instituto de Idiomas América. Mr. Satrustegui convinces young Antonio Estamates to act like an English teacher on one of his schools he was planning to open shortly here in La Paz. After making all the logistic arrangements like publicity, enrolling future students through different elementary schools in La Paz, and renting a classroom in Academia Comercial Salvatierra in the afternoons; Teacher Estamates was appointed as the regular teacher and Sub-director.
It was in the winter of 1977-78, and Profr. Joel Antonio Estamates Arroyo was the teacher in charge of three or four groups of around 25 students between 10 and 13 years old. It was the beginning of his carrier as an English Teacher. Then they continued with the similar strategy and opened a group in Todos Santos where Teacher Estamates was appointed too, teaching his lessons every Saturday.
Weeks later, Mr. Satrustegui and his partners disappeared from Baja California Sur. Teacher Estamates was now in charge of Instituto de Idiomas América La Paz and Todos Santos, he had the duty and responsibility to continue and finish what had been started by Mr. Satrustegui and his people.
In June 1978 he moves to Mexico City looking forward to getting a professional degree in teaching. When he arrived in Mexico City, he settles at Casa del Estudiante Sudcaliforniano en México; home of many students from B. C. S. He also enrolls at Centro Mexicano Americano de Cultura del Valle (CEMAC) and starts his courses to become an English teacher.
At CEMAC, he takes several courses per period so he can finish his studies shortly. He also combines his studies teaching some courses there and in some private schools like Colegio Fray Bernardino de Sahagun where he taught different levels from kindergarten to junior high. It is also from there where he keeps wonderful remembrances.
During that time, while he is living at the Student's house, it is where he really starts the other most important activity of his life, Politics. He started participating in the re-organizing of the house’s operative managing and cultural and political formation. After leaving the Student's House he continues participating in other Social and Political Organizations, always in lefty and progressist movements, what gives the basis for his future political activities and life in general.
In the summer of 1980, he returns to La Paz where initially he comes back to his first commerce and business activity. He opens a fish and shellfish stand at Olachea Public Market together to one of his old first friends in La Paz, Porfirio Alvarez Marron, known as "El Chiro".
It is also in this time when he starts his own family together with Juana Gavaran Garcia, his girlfriend since his high school times here in La Paz; and the time when her first daughter, Evelyn, is born.
In October of 1980 he founds Instituto de Ingles "América", after selling his stand at the public market and with the support of his mother, Doña Magui. He did it as he still does it, setting it since the basis and making by himself what it is at the reach of his hands. He started Instituto de Inglés "América" with eight students, working in two groups, one in the morning and other in the evening. He uses to say, "We were eight, but we were an organization".
The number of students increased shortly, but also the responsibilities of keeping an educational institution open and with a long term goal; the goal of reaching everybody the chance of learning a second language, English in this case, on the best way. So, he keeps the school open against adversity, economical and political pressure, and even personal and family conflicts of interests. Any way, in March of 1982, days before the birth of his second child, Antonio; he graduates his 1st. Generation at Instituto de Inglés "América", integrated by Obdulia Zamora, Arturo Mero, Gerardo Cota, Benjamin Soria, and Antonio Aviles.
Then new projects came, and many others Generations as other children added to his family, Juan Javier, Luis Ernesto and América Libertad. Along with his work at Instituto de Inglés "América" he also taught some courses for different companies like Aerocalifornia or schools like high school Centro Universitario México (C.U.M.), Normal Superior del Estado and Instituto Tecnologico de La Paz (I.T.L.P.). During this time he also participates in political activities, in political parties and teachers' unions. In the political parties he worked in the organizing of PSUM in BCS in the 80's, where he runs for a position in the local congress, and its transformation into PRD in the 90's where he also runs as candidate to be a Major of La Paz Government.
While the time he was at I.T.L.P. he taught English to students in the high school division first and later for students at the professional division at Centro de Lenguas, he also founded it. He was also elected as leader of the Teacher's Labor Union where he not only fought for the rights and better working conditions of all the workers of I.T.L.P., if not, for the growing up of this important Educational Institution; but government harassment and conflict of obscure interests made him be dropped out of this Institution.
Teacher Estamates continues working for Instituto de Inglés "América" where he retakes the dynamics of growing up and progress to make of IIA what it is now. In the 90's a piece of land in La Paz down town is bought and a functional building is constructed. In January of 1994 the school moves from the rented place at Bravo and M. Dieguez to its own new building at 1935 Heroes de Independencia st. Now the possibility to teach more people was real and the number of groups was increased and the number of workers and teachers, too. But it had also grown up the challenge to pay up the loan gotten for the construction. The next year was one of the hardest, especially for the economic crisis of '94 but the mortgage to pay in 10 years was paid in 10 months. So he keeps running Instituto de Inglés "América" and making it to grow and expand. Plantel Francisco King was opened for a few months but closed because it didn't work, but then Plantel Unidad "América" was opened and it is still there. Then Instituto de Inglés "América" started in Cabo San Lucas, which made Teacher Estamates begin a continual traveling from La Paz to Los Cabos almost every week.
The years were better and new projects came and were made real, he continues combining his work at school, raising a family and working for his political carrier supporting the organizing of PRD in B.C.S., like the running for the National Leadership of Lopez Obrador during his campaign in B.C.S. and other political struggles for the common people.
Then, when things begin to change in PRD in the early 99's he decides to get apart from the Party. He begins a campaign for Independent Candidates and the applying of Referendums and Plebiscites in the local governments. In 2005 he runs for the Government of B.C.S. like an Independent Candidate proving that it is possible to do it, if you want to.
The beginning of 2000's was not easy either, on a December 24th. his mother "Doña Magui" dies. Then, months later he goes into a painful divorce that carries out the splitting up of his family. So he makes some changes in his life style and gets into the naturism, he also starts self educating about it and alternative therapies. He applies his new knowledge to his personal life and shares to others giving advices and chats about it. He is invited to talk about different topics on TV at the local Canal 10, where he also starts presenting an English class on TV, in the popular program "A Medio Dia". He keeps these classes for almost two years being "in the air" once a week, on Tuesdays.
In November 2003 he opens a new school of Instituto de Inglés "América" in Todos Santos B.C.S., a year later it makes him move to live in Todos Santos first and to Pescadero months later where he finally establishes this school. Now, he was in his town, as he uses to call Pescadero. He settles his school in his palapa and runs it alone for two years. Then at the begining of 2007 he has moved again, now to Cabo San Lucas where Instituto de Inglés "América" has been demanding his presence there, till these days.
Written by José Antonio Avilés Cosio
December 2007
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