Living the American Dream

Mero Nunez’s Story of Immigration to America

Photo by Darrin Phegley

In 1966, Baldomero “Mero” Nuñez, Sr. arrived in New York City after leaving his home in the Dominican Republic. He would eventually settle his family in Henderson, KY, where they currently stand four generations strong, basking in the glow of the American dream Mero worked tirelessly to help them achieve.

Seeking a New Path

Mero, now 89, was just 22-years-old when he left his family in 1957 during an era marked by political turmoil and shifting governments in the Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.

Mero’s lineage dates back to Spain, as is meticulously documented in a genealogy book compiled by one of his many family members now living in the United States. The comprehensive record traces the family’s migration to the Dominican Republic, highlighting their prominence in the region. Despite the hardships faced by the family in their home country, Mero took the daring step of leaving his homeland for New York to seek a brighter future for himself and wife Dulcé Maria, who stayed behind in the Dominican Republic until Mero found a job and was able to bring her to New York with him.

Mero was the fifth oldest of 14 children, plus 2 adopted siblings. He was the first to leave his home and travel to America, forging a new path not only for his family in the Dominican Republic, but also his future family in Henderson.

“Can you imagine being a trailblazer for all your brothers and sisters in New York,” asked Dr. Juan Nuñez, Mero’s eldest son, 64. “There’s no rich uncle out there waiting for you to give you money to keep you going until you were able to find a job.”

The Arrival to America 

The early days in New York were challenging.  As Juan noted, Mero didn’t have relatives awaiting him with open arms. He had to find work and secure his citizenship. The language barrier and the arduous job search process posed a challenge, but he persevered, and after 3 and a half months of going business to business searching for a job, he eventually found one with Technical Tape Corporation and worked his way up in the company, later becoming a plant manager. Mero worked tirelessly in his new job – “every day, seven days a week,” Mero recounted.

Finally, he was able to bring Dulcé to New York with him about one year later and the two welcomed their first son, Juan in 1960, who recalls the early days in New York where his father worked constantly to provide for the family. From New York, Mero migrated to Wheeling, West Virginia for 6 months for work, then took his family to Carbondale, Illinois where his company transferred him to work in upper management for the printing department.

Feels Like Home 

As his career progressed, the family would finally settle in Henderson, Kentucky in 1966 when his company acquired a local printing company. It was there that Juan spent his formative years, graduating from high school and laying the foundation for his future. Mero, who came from a small farm in the Dominican Republic, was happy to relocate his family to Henderson away from the “big city,” Juan noted. “He felt more at ease in a smaller community,” he said.

After 5 years of living in the U.S. Mero said he was finally able to apply for citizenship, becoming a permanent resident. Most of his siblings eventually migrated to the United States, as well, many still living in New York City. “Dad was a trailblazer,” Juan said.

The Value of Hard Work and Determination 

Juan noted that his father, who started at his company at 22, stayed with the same company throughout the remainder of his working years until he retired at 67. “My dad never gives up on anything,” he said. The lessons of hard work, dedication, and responsibility were ingrained from a young age. Juan recalls countless instances where he and his brother, Baldomero “Mero” Nuñez, Jr., were encouraged to work part-time jobs or volunteer in the community.

Juan recalls his childhood, spent living in Henderson, where he graduated high school and his dad worked to provide for the family and instilling his values of hard work into Juan and his younger brother, Mero. “It wasn’t about buying us cars and buying stuff. It was more about instilling values – family values and work values,” Juan said.

Juan noted, proudly, that many of his chiropractic patients remember working for his father at the printing company years ago, and talk about how he was a tough boss, but that he always took pride in his work and was never lazy.

Even when his mother was sick with rheumatoid arthritis, Juan said his father became a caregiver for her, always working hard to make sure she and the family had what they needed. She passed away at 61. “You have got to have pride. And when you look at pride and you look it up, that is you,” Juan said to his father, sitting across the table.

Mero pushed his children to work hard as well. Juan and his brother worked summer jobs, always having something to do. Juan, through his summer jobs, was able to save enough money for tuition and went to college where he worked to become a chiropractor, his brother following in those same footsteps, currently working as a professor and clinic director at the Logan University Chiropractic School in St. Louis, Missouri.

“As a parent, he wished to see his kids grow up and have a better lifestyle and have opportunities for them to fulfill their wishes and dreams. So with that, I had to honor him,” Juan said. “Looking back as I grow older, I realize, there’s no way I would have done what I’m doing — he worked so hard to give me a foundation to get educated.”

Though he is now retired and spending more time with his wife, Sheri, children and grandchildren, Juan spent 38 years building his own chiropractic practice and a name for himself in his community through Nuñez Chiropractic, PSC.

Juan attributes his successes to his father and the values Mero instilled in himself and his brother from a young age. And now, Juan said, he is able to see those same values and work ethics in his own children and watch them pass those onto their children.

He said his practice thrived due to a strong work ethic, values, and a commitment to treating people fairly. He embraced what his father taught him and his brother about hard work, family, and the importance of instilling values in future generations.

Now, four generations later, Juan’s family continues to thrive, building on the foundation laid by his father’s resilience and determination. His children, now adults with families of their own, carry on the family legacy. Their multi-generational success is a testament to the enduring impact of strong work ethics, family values, and the resilience to overcome challenges.

“Dad’s dream was to have a good job and take care of his family and everything else fell into place after that,” Juan said. “The U.S. is known as the land of opportunity. The American Dream is whatever you want to make it. If you have a dream and a drive and a good foundation to keep moving forward, you can find the American Dream anywhere.”