Find Posts By Topic

I Am Seattle Center-Julio Moran

JULIO MORAN, Plumber.  Originally from Cuba, Julio has worked for Seattle Center’s Technical Facility Maintenance crew for 25 years.

“When I left Cuba I left first [in my family]. I landed in Miami where one of my uncles lived. He took me in for a couple of weeks, but I was destined to go to El Paso, Texas where I had another aunt and uncle. I left Cuba when I was eleven. I was put back two years in school, just so that I could learn English with less stress or pressure. El Paso was a good place to learn English, because there were a lot of Spanish-speaking people that in a tough time could help you out. But it took me about eight or nine months to learn. It was more difficult for my parents than it was for the children– it’s always easier for the children.

Plumbing: I got involved when I was younger. And the opportunity came up, and I turned it down. And I told my father, and he just about killed me. So he told me to call that guy back and I pestered this guy for two weeks, calling him three or four times a day. He gave me a second chance, and from that point on I applied myself. I learned how to use a shovel: I didn’t know plumbing and shovels went together until I started plumbing.”

#IAmSeattleCenter #Plumber #Cuban #elPaso #shovel