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OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma - e typical image of an American sol- dier is that of a strong, blond hair and blue-eyed male. at could be part of the script to a predictable war movie. However, the American armed forces are a microcosm of the real world, where ethnic diver- sity is not only inevitable, but necessary. So, a better script could be one showca- sing precisely that. Let's say a Latino, who was born the 4th of July, in the beacon of the America soil – Califor- nia – and better yet, raised in Mexico, came back to the U.S. to attend high school, joined the army, served two tours in Iraq and made a movie with the short novel that his wife wrote. at is indeed, an Oscar award- winning script. But, it is real life and the main cha- racter is Rogelio Almeida, a Californian born 29 years ago, on July 4th in the city of Torrance, and raised in Zacatecas, Mexico. Almeida spent 12 years in a little town called En- carnación, located in the North Central part of Mexi- co. "It is small and rural, but it is so colorful and full of stories," he said. "I knew I had to leave Encarnación, then come back to the Uni- ted States and study to pur- sue my dreams. All of my dreams were connected to my dear Mexico, but I ne- eded a platform to launch them." Mexico gave Almeida a unique view: Diversity and multiculturalism. "I quickly overcame cultural diffe- rences and different lan- guages and traditions," he said with evident emotion in each word. "Being expo- sed to my roots, to feel the warm breeze in your face, to learn that life goes be- yond Corporate America is a beautiful thing. Nothing can compare to spending time with your family with a carne asada, the music, all in all is a wonderful expe- rience." Almeida returned with his family to the U.S. and they settled in Duncan, Oklahoma. An Okie from California with a Mexican accent. Great combination. "I joined the U.S. Army right after high school," he said. "I am privileged be- cause I've seen the best of two worlds. It was time to serve my country, so I did." Filming was not in the plan for Almeida, however, "life surprises you every day," he commented. "I started using a digital ca- mera during my second tour in Iraq. I wanted to document it. It was part of the history. And that was my training, I would say a filming crash-course," said Almeida while describing his service in the 3rd In- fantry Division of the Co- bra Battery in Operation Iraqi Freedom, in 2003. "I learned many things on In- ternet and I used my credit cards and savings to buy some equipment to start filming." His wife, Nora Contre- ras-Almeida, wrote a short novel in high school: Yvee- te. So at the end of his ser- vice, they started dreaming something big. "We want to make a movie," he almost shouted. "We want to be fil- mmakers." So, like cooking a Mexi- can menudo, they started gathering ingredients: No experience. No professio- nal actors. No budget. Just talent and courage. ose were the flavorful elements for the film. "And the final dish was delicious," he said with a big smile on his face. at was the first step of his first film. Almeida, who operates his own filming business, described how he taught himself to properly shoot a 35mm camera. "e har- der the goal, the better and tastier are the results. It is like a good Mexican dish. It takes forever to make it, but it tastes so good at the end," he said while moving his hands like he was hol- ding his very first digital camera. "It was a dream come true, I mean, going back to Mexico to turn my wife's short novel into a full length movie". e 104-minute movie was shot between Oklaho- ma and Mexico. Since its premier in 2009, Yveete has been screened in seve- ral film festivals such as the Cine Film Festival in San Antonio, Texas, the Latino Film Festival in Chicago, Illinois and the Barebones Film Festival in Muskogee, among several others. "It was a challenge," explained Almeida. "My wife had to play the leading role. We needed a bilingual actress. I think that was the secret of moving that project forward. We were deeply involved. A dream in the making, we were just using a film to make it real." Some decisions are good. Others are very good. And for Almeida, joining the army was an extraordi- nary decision. "is coun- try is amazing. You are able to serve in a war and at the same time explore and find new dreams and meanings in your life," said Almeida. "Even better, you are able to showcase your roots, your heritage, but not only to a small group, but to everyo- ne, everywhere. at's the magic of filming. ere are no borders, no languages, no barriers. Just dreams." Almeida is an example of the various faces that make up the U.S. Armed Forces. What we see in Ro- gelio and many others like him, who have fought for our freedom is bravery, ho- nor, discipline and loyalty. Liberty is colorblind. It has no accent. e mul- ticulturalism of the United States is a very important component of the nation's history; it is in its blood. "Follow your dreams," Almeida added. "Even if you cannot achieve them, the journey is fantastic." Oklahoma's #1 Hispanic News pa per, Website, Yellow Pages, Attorney & Health Guides and Metro Magazine! 300 SW 25th ST | OKC, OK 73109 www.noticiasoklahoma.com RANDY QUIROGA-KING PUBLISHER Los artículos que se publican aquí, son responsabilidad de quién los escribe. Las cartas deberán contar con el nombre del autor y un telé- fono para confirmar The opinions expressed in articles published are not necessarily those of El Nacional. Letters should must have a name and phone for verifi- cation purposes. SUBSCRIPTIONS/ SUSCRIPCIONES $96 Year. Mail check or money order: Attention Subscriptions $96 por año. Envíe el cheque o mo- ney order: Atención Suscripciones OKLAHOMA OWNED. HISPANIC OWNED. 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