Transcript
>> HINOJOSA: His remarkable
journey took him from picking
strawberries in the fields of
California to floating at zero
gravity at the International
Space Station.
He's now inspiring millions who
dare to dream big.
The amazing story of NASA
astronaut Jose Hernandez.
I'm Maria Hinojosa.
This is One on One.
Jose Hernandez, you are one of
the few people in this world who
have made it to space.
You were up on the shuttle
Discovery for two weeks in the
year 2009.
And you are one of only nine
Latino astronauts that have
actually been up in space.
Welcome to our program.
>> HERNANDEZ: Thank you very much, Maria.
Happy to be here.
>> HINOJOSA: So what was it like
going up into space?
You're one of, like, 500 people
who have done it.
>> HERNANDEZ: It's just an amazing
experience.
I think few people realize that
it only takes eight and a half
minutes to get up into space.
>> HINOJOSA: So, like, we'll be
done with this television show,
and you would have already made
it...
>> HERNANDEZ: Halfway across the world.
>> HINOJOSA: Wow.
>> HERNANDEZ: Exactly.
>> HINOJOSA: What does it feel
like?
I mean, actually, you tweeted
about it.
You were tweeting bilingually at
the time.
>> HERNANDEZ: Absolutely.
>> HINOJOSA: And you kind of
clued us in that it was
nerve-wracking.
>> HERNANDEZ: I mean, at first, you know,
you're sitting there, and you're
ready for the countdown, the
countdown's beginning, and the
first... the three engines
start.
So you hear the noises of the
engines, and you feel a slight
vibration in the crew cabin.
And then the two solid rocket
boosters light up, and then the
noise goes up by an order of
magnitude, the vibration goes up
by an order of magnitude.
You think it's... the whole
ship's going to fall to the
side.
Just when you think...
>> HINOJOSA: And you're just
sitting there.
>> HERNANDEZ: Right.
And just when you think that you
feel like someone pushes you
from behind, and you're off to
the races.
>> HERNANDEZ: Now, you were obviously
watching the countdown.
You knew it was coming.
But there's no way to kind of
prepare for that.
>> HERNANDEZ: No.
I mean, we do a lot of
simulations, but we don't
prepare for the physiology
effects of blasting off into
space.
>> HINOJOSA: So you write about
how you felt, like at one
point... this is when you're
going to blast off into the next
level, right, the G force.
>> HERNANDEZ: Yes.
>> HINOJOSA: Explain that.
>> HERNANDEZ: Well, it's only eight and a
half minutes to get up into
space.
The first four minutes, it's
almost like being on a roller
coaster, you know, going up at a
high speed.
And then the...
>> HINOJOSA: Oh, god, I just
can't imagine.
I'm like... but, you know, with
a roller coaster, you know where
the other end... this is just
like...
>> HERNANDEZ: Right.
And then the second four and a
half minutes you start feeling
the acceleration, or the G
forces.
And they come right through your
chest.
And at first, you know, it feels
like... I have five kids, so I
know how this feels.
It feels like you have a newborn
baby on your chest.
You feel like something's there,
but it doesn't bother you.
And then as you get closer to
the eight and a half minutes,
when you finally reach into
space, that G force grows, and,
you know, that little baby's
grown up to, like, my
16-year-old kid, you know, big
boy.
>> HINOJOSA: Sitting on your
chest.
>> HERNANDEZ: Sitting on my chest.
And so you're ready for the main
engine cutoff, because as soon
as that happens, the G forces
disappear, and now you're sort
of floating in space.
But, you know, you have the seat
belt on, so you know you're
floating, but you're restrained
with the seat belt.
>> HINOJOSA: And you were
actually the...
>> HERNANDEZ: I was the flight engineer,
mission specialist number two.
>> HINOJOSA: So you have the
two...
>> HERNANDEZ: You have the commander, who's
a pilot.
And then you have the pilot.
And I'm sitting in between both
of them, a little aft.
And so basically, in my opinion,
it's the best view in the house.
Because, you know, I have the
whole full panoramic view of the
front window, and am able to see
everything.
>> HINOJOSA: So you had dreamt
about doing this for so long.
There you are in a rocket ship,
taking off.
And when you actually realized,
"I'm in space," I mean, do
astronauts cry?
>> HERNANDEZ: I'm not sure they cry.
>> HINOJOSA: Oh, come on.
>> HERNANDEZ: But, you know, you do get
sentimental, you do get choked
up.
>> HINOJOSA: (speaking Spanish)
>> HERNANDEZ: (speaking Spanish)
You do get choked up, you know,
in the sense that you start
thinking about, you know, the...
all the sacrifices and all the
work that went into it, and then
it's finally paying off, and you
ask yourself, "God," you know,
"was it all worth it?"
And you're looking at the Earth
from a perspective few humans
have the privilege to look at
it.
And I tell myself, "Yeah, it was
worth it."
All those sacrifices were worth
it in terms of being able to
reach a dream of being able to
go into space.
>> HINOJOSA: So what was your
fascination with... I mean, it
wasn't like you, as a little
kid, said, "I absolutely know I
want to become an astronaut, and
I'm going to become a pilot."
There was something that was
actually quite mystical about
your decision to want to become
an astronaut.
>> HERNANDEZ: Well, I think it was a series
of events that occurred
throughout my life that directed
me towards that direction.
First, I was about ten years old
when I remembered the one and
only space mission, which was
Apollo 17.
And there we were, sitting in
the living room, my...
>> HINOJOSA: And you were in
Mexico or in the United States?
>> HERNANDEZ: We were in the United States.
We had an old black and white
TV, you know, the type that
looks more like a piece of
furniture, the integrated
speakers on the side and the
four little legs.
>> HINOJOSA: That was the same
one that I was sitting next to.
>> HERNANDEZ: Big honking knob to change
the channel.
>> HINOJOSA: The antenna.
>> HERNANDEZ: And then we had the rabbit
ear antennas, because we
certainly couldn't afford cable,
and we didn't have a big outside
antenna.
And of course, when something
important came on, I was the
youngest in the family, so my
parents always asked me to
change the channel or adjust the
antenna to...
>> HINOJOSA: "Jose, (speaking
Spanish)."
>> HERNANDEZ: Exactly, exactly.
And, you know, we also had... we
also lost what's called the
horizontal synch, so you had
that black bar, and you had to
hit it on the side so it would
stop, fix itself.
That was our TV.
And I remember my dad would
always ask me to change the
channel or adjust the TV.
And I would tell my dad, I would
say, "You know, Dad," I said,
"they have new TVs now that are
color and have remote control."
You know, here I'm making very
subtle suggestions to my
parents.
And my dad would say, "(speaking
Spanish)," he says, "(speaking
Spanish) why do I want remote
control when I have you?"
>> HINOJOSA: Aww.
>> HERNANDEZ: And said, "And you want
color, use your imagination,
you'll get all the color you
want."
So he had a practical answer for
everything.
But there I was, one day, like
every family who had a TV in
those days, glued to the TV with
Walter Cronkite giving the
play-by-play of moonwalks for
Apollo 17.
And our family was no different.
And of course, I adjusted the
TV.
And, you know, one of the things
is, once you grab the antenna,
you're kind of stuck there,
because you're well grounded,
and the first thing the family
tells you is, "Stay there."
So here I am watching the images
as best I can.
I kid with my siblings now.
I tell them that it was through
osmosis that I became an
astronaut, because all the waves
passed through my body and
programmed me to become an
astronaut.
>> HINOJOSA: But did you
literally, at that moment, when
you were watching the space
walk, did you... was it that
moment when you said, "I'm going
to become an astronaut"?
>> HERNANDEZ: Well, it was...
>> HINOJOSA: Because, I mean,
there were a lot of kids who
probably said, "Wow, how cool,"
but...
>> HERNANDEZ: Well, I mean, what really
fascinated... it captivated me.
Because, you know, once the
family had their fill of
watching, they would graciously
let me let go of the antenna,
and I would sit in front of the
TV and watch it for long periods
of time.
Then I would go outside and I
would see the moon, and it was
full.
And I would make the trek back
to the TV, sit down for another
five, ten minutes, and go back
out and see the moon.
And I said, "I can't believe
they're up there right now."
So it was a big fascination, a
big fascination.
And I said, "You know, that's
what I want to do.
I want to do that when I grow
up.
I want to be an astronaut."
And I'm sure every ten-year-old
wanted to do that.
>> HINOJOSA: Probably.
But not every ten-year-old who
was saying that was the son of
migrant farm workers who had
part of his family still living
in Mexico, and was spending his
time in the United States as a
migrant.
So the dream of a migrant farm
worker boy who was picking
fruits and vegetables seven days
a week throughout the summer, to
then say, "I want to become an
astronaut"...
>> HERNANDEZ: Well, I think the dream even
got nurtured even earlier before
that.
You know, I thank my upbringing
for creating this dream.
When we used to go out in the
fields, we used to go in
(speaking Spanish), you know,
which was still dark, dawn.
Right before dawn we would go
out to the fields.
And of course the fields are
away from the city, so
there's no light pollution.
And I remember the first thing I
would like to do was get out of
the car, and I would just stare
up at the sky.
And you could see the stars so
clear.
It was majestic, in a sense.
And so that sort of started my
fascination with the stars in
the sky.
And then watching the Apollo 17
astronauts walk on the moon, I
mean, that sort of solidified
the dream.
But it wasn't until I was a
senior in high school that I
heard the news that really sort
of sealed the deal, if you will,
of me becoming an astronaut.
And that was when I heard that
the first Hispanic American,
Latino American, got selected as
a NASA astronaut.
Of course, that's Dr. Franklin
Chang-Diaz.
And I started researching
everything about Dr. Franklin
Chang-Diaz, and I found out that
he came from very humble
beginnings, from Costa Rica, to
come and study here in the
States.
He had brown skin like I did.
He talked English with a... he
spoke English with an accent,
just like I did.
And I said, "Well, if he was
able to do it, why can't I do
it?"
>> HINOJOSA: You know, you were,
though, one of the most... what
people would perceive to be one
of the most powerless people in
this country.
You were born in this country,
so you were a citizen, and you
had that power.
But for all intents and
purposes, I mean, in this moment
in history, right now... this
was 25, 30 years ago, 40 years
ago.
But right now, those migrant
farm workers with their children
who are picking out fruits and
vegetables are seen as problem
people.
And you turn that all around and
say, "From a farm worker, I'm an
astronaut."
What's the power in that?
What do you want people to see
beyond that?
What is the message there of...
in essence, of your life?
I think it's a... it could serve
as a good example of what is
possible here in America, of any
individual, if given the
opportunity to obtain a good
education, and work in this
country, as much of our people
want to do... I think there's a
lot of misinformation being
given out to the American people
with respect to what these
individuals are... for example,
being a burden to the
government, which is probably
farther less than the truth, in
the sense that a lot of these
individuals will work, pay...
you know, get withheld from
income taxes, and because of
their documentation status,
won't fill out any income taxes,
and the government gets to keep
all that money.
So in essence I think they do
pay their taxes, and they do try
to live good lives here.
They're just seeking an
opportunity.
And, you know, this country was
built upon migrants, immigrants
from Europe and all over the
world.
And that's what made this
country so great.
So why change the formula now?
>> HINOJOSA: You're very proud
of your Latinoness, of your
Mexicanness, of your migrant
worker background.
And you've just talked about
that.
You... when you came back from
space, you made a statement that
got a lot of attention.
Basically you said that
undocumented immigrants should
be not seen as, you know,
horrible people, they should be
treated well, right?
But most people were just like,
"Oh, my God, an astronaut just
said that?"
Why choose to kind of get out in
front of this issue?
Was it on purpose, or why?
What motivates you to be out in
front of this issue?
>> HERNANDEZ: I'm not sure if it was on
purpose.
I think the question was just
posed to me, and I answered it
as honestly as I could.
And, you know, I still stand by
those statements of what I said.
I think the media misconstrued
my statements by saying that I
was supporting the legalization
of 12 million undocumented
workers, which wasn't what I
said.
I said there should be a path,
an opportunity for them to be
able to move forward.
And, you know, I caveat that by
saying that that's my personal
opinion, because that's the
other issue, is that as an
astronaut I also have an
obligation to NASA and the
government in terms of making
sure, you know, undue attention
doesn't come to them because of
what my statements are.
But, you know...
>> HINOJOSA: But there was a
tremendous authenticity.
I mean, people could in essence
get that you were just speaking
from the heart.
You were not taking an official
position, just speaking from the
heart.
Now, you... when you got up
there what you said was, "What
struck me the most was when I
was down looking at Earth that I
was seeing Earth as it really
was, as it really is, as one.
I mean, you couldn't tell where
Canada ended, the United States
began, where the U.S. ended,
Mexico began, throughout Latin
American and Europe."
And you just said, "What we
really need to do is get every
world leader to see our planet
from this perspective."
So for you it's not just... it's
literally a world vision.
>> HERNANDEZ: Exactly, that's right.
It's not a U.S.-Mexico issue, or
a U.S.-Latin America issue.
I think it's more of a... going
into space created that "a-ha"
moment, you know?
You get that "a-ha" moment where
you say, "I get it."
And that's what we're trying
to... you know, that's what I
was trying to capture by saying
that statement, is that it would
be great to give that
opportunity to every world
leader so they can... they too
can get that "ah-hah" moment.
>> HINOJOSA: So for you this is
still very emotional.
>> HERNANDEZ: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: I mean, you allow
yourself to get teared up about
this, because you don't feel
like... I mean, you feel like
our world is divided, and...
tell me.
>> HERNANDEZ: No, I think there's always
room for improvement in our
world.
You know, there's conflict
throughout the world, and, you
know, I think we ought to all
try and strive and work to make
it a much better place.
And if making statements like
those can help... I hope it's
not hindering.
I don't think it's hindering.
But if it's able to help, or at
least gets one... the President
of Mexico or the President of
the U.S. to think about it a bit
more, than to me it's worth it.
>> HINOJOSA: So you have become
this... you really have
understood how to use technology
in every sense of the world--
not only in terms of spaceships,
but in terms of tweeting.
And you have 150,000 followers.
You tweet bilingually.
You in essence... part of what
your mission would be is not
just in terms of reaching out to
students in this country, Latino
and non Latino, but you want
Latin America, you want Latin
American young people to look at
you and say, "We need our own
space programs coming out of
Latin America as well."
What's your motive?
What do you want to inspire?
>> HERNANDEZ: I think what I want to
inspire is give... create an
environment in Latin American
countries where the young kids,
the young talent in those
countries, one day graduate from
the universities, can develop
their careers in their own
countries.
Because I think the... and I
keep saying that the wealth in
every county is not the natural
resources.
It's the intellectual resources.
And we should cultivate that.
Technology is going to be the
future of prosperity for
countries.
And the sooner Latin American
countries get on board with that
idea and start nurturing the
intellectual resources that they
have, and creating... not just
creating opportunities for the
kids to study, but creating
opportunities for companies to
form in those countries, so the
kids when they do graduate don't
feel a need to have to leave the
country to Europe or the U.S. to
work in their careers, that's
what we need to do.
And that's what I'm pushing for.
>> HINOJOSA: So your dad would
say something often to you when
you would get out from picking
the vegetables, and he would
say, you know, "How do you guys
feel," right?
>> HERNANDEZ: That's right.
>> HINOJOSA: And you guys would
say?
>> HERNANDEZ: "Tired," or "Dusty, sweaty."
>> HINOJOSA: And then he would
say, "Remember, because if you
don't go to school, this is what
your life is going to be like."
>> HERNANDEZ: Exactly, exactly.
>> HINOJOSA: At the same time,
your parents... there might be
some people who say, "Well, but
your parents were migrant
workers, and they were making
you work in the farms, and your
parents were moving you around
from place to place."
And it wasn't until one teacher
actually made the effort to come
to your house and sit down with
your mom and dad in what I
imagine was a very nonjudgmental
way and actually just took the
time to explain to your mom and
dad, "You need to stop moving,
you need to stop traveling
between two countries, you need
to stay in one place so that
your kids can go to school..."
>> HERNANDEZ: That's correct.
>> HINOJOSA: And then your mom
and dad were like, "Oh, okay."
>> HERNANDEZ: That's right.
>> HINOJOSA: That time of one
teacher to come without
judgment, how important was that
in your life?
>> HERNANDEZ: Well, I think it's very
important.
I always like to tell this story
to teachers, because I realize a
lot of teachers, you know,
sometimes get frustrated.
They certainly aren't paid what
I think they should be paid.
They're severely underpaid.
It's a very noble career.
And I like telling this story,
because, you know, to that
second grade teacher, Mrs.
Young, you know, what she did,
you know, she considered very
insignificant.
But then you look at the
results, and, you know, they're
pretty significant.
And so that's why I like to tell
it to the teachers, so that they
can reflect upon that and say,
"Hey," you know, even the little
things that they do will make an
impact on a child.
And so, you know, imagine what
would have happened... you know,
I'm sure I would have gone to
college and did all right for
myself even if she hadn't come
and visited.
But the fact that she did I
think gave me all the
opportunities to basically focus
on what I really wanted to do,
which was become an astronaut.
And, you know, to end the story
on a happy ending, I'm happy to
say that, you know, I sought her
out, and I did invite her to my
launch, and she appeared at my
launch.
>> HINOJOSA: Oh, my god, oh, I
get chills.
>> HERNANDEZ: Yeah.
>> HINOJOSA: Now, a lot of
people think, "Oh, well, you
know, you just went to school,
and you got a degree, and then
you became an astronaut."
And in fact, you tried for 12
years.
I mean, I'm sure NASA was
probably like, "Who is this Jose
Hernandez?
He doesn't stop."
Because you actually have to
apply to be allowed in.
And 12 years you were rejected.
>> HERNANDEZ: Mm-hmm.
>> HINOJOSA: And you just said,
"Okay, I'm going to try one more
time."
>> HERNANDEZ: That's correct.
>> HINOJOSA: Where did you get
that ability, that "I'm not
going to back down"?
>> HERNANDEZ: Well, I mean, it's kind of
like the... you know, it's a lot
different when you're shooting
for that... it's similar to,
like, shooting to become a major
league baseball player, or major
league basketball player or
football player.
But the big difference in
shooting for being an astronaut
was that for me to be an
astronaut I had to first become
an engineer, which means I had
to get a good education.
And then I had to maneuver my
career, which I did, consistent
with what I thought NASA would
look at me in terms of favorable
with respect to the experience I
was gaining.
And using that formula, every
decision I made in my career
throughout those 12 years before
getting selected as an
astronaut, as an engineer I was
making those decisions.
But those decisions were
resulting in me having a great
career as an engineer at
Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
And so the consolation prize to
me, I kept trying, because my
career was going in a great
trajectory.
The formula I was using was
helping my personal career.
And so the consolation was,
what's the worst that's going to
happen?
I'm going to be a great
engineer, which isn't too
shabby.
>> HINOJOSA: No, not at all.
>> HERNANDEZ: On the other hand, this is
what I tell the kids, is you
have to be careful if you want
to be a professional soccer
player, professional baseball
player, what's the fallback
position?
My fallback position is I'm an
engineer, and I'm going to have
a great career as an engineer.
They need to have a fallback and
make sure they get a good
education.
>> HINOJOSA: Right, but you also
basically say if you knew how
long it was going to take and
what you needed to do and all
the studying, you might have
walked away.
Sometimes... do you feel that
sometimes young kids,
particularly Latino kids, kids
of color, sometimes close the
doors on themselves?
Although, of course, when they
see you, when you come to their
schools, like you did here in
Boston, these kids must just be
like, "Oh, my God, I could do
this."
But is there a part of you that
worries that sometimes, you
know, maybe some of these kids
are thinking, "I can't, I'm not
smart enough"?
>> HERNANDEZ: Well, yeah.
I mean, I think... you know, I
look back and see what motivated
me, and it was this astronaut,
Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz, who I
never had met up to that point,
yet he had such a profound
impact in... I guess in
believing in yourself, to be
able to achieve that goal, that
now, you know, I sort of use
that as a tool, or as a
justification that says, "Well,
imagine... I didn't meet him in
person.
Imagine what kind of effect I
can have if the kids do meet me
in person, and do see me, and do
see the similarities between
themselves and myself?"
And I think what you're trying
to do... what you end up doing
is you're empowering the young
kids to believe in themselves,
and I like to think that I'm
giving them a license to dream.
>> HINOJOSA: And you also like
the fact that... to kind of
remind them that you're a very
real human being, that you have
flaws, that you came from this
humble background.
But the reality is even today
you were like, "Yeah, I look
great right now, but two days
ago, I was washing dishes."
>> HERNANDEZ: At my wife's restaurant,
that's right.
>> HINOJOSA: At your wife's
restaurant.
An amazing partnership, you and
your wife, and your family likes
to say that they keep you
grounded.
So in the last minute that we
have, the importance of family?
>> HERNANDEZ: I think it's very important.
I think it's important for the
kids to see that, you know,
regardless of what the parents
are able to achieve, you know,
that all said and done, you
know, we're still their parents,
and they still have to... you
know, we have expectations that
they need to do, you know,
chores they have to do, and we
have responsibilities in terms
of activities that support their
activities, and it's very
important, very important to
provide that nurturing
environment, to give them their
chance to... or their license to
dream, and their chance to
achieve those dreams.
>> HINOJOSA: And thank you for
inspiring not only your kids,
but so many kids around the
country and around the world,
Jose Hernandez.
A real honor.
And congratulations.
Thanks for joining us.
>> HERNANDEZ: The pleasure is mine, Maria.
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