Meet Josof Jo Jo” Sanchez | Motivational Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josof “Jo Jo” Sanchez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josof “Jo Jo”, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
Having grown up in the heart of East LA in the late 50’s and 60’s, it was a difficult period where gang violence and drugs were rampant. Being born to a father who was addicted to heroin, I suffered extreme trauma as an infant and during early childhood. Having to protect myself going to and from school, I ended up in a gang and experienced much violence. I was 12 when I first went to juvenile hall. Upon release, I was re-arrested and sentenced to Probation Camp. While incarcerated in camp, I began to listen to the stories of other young men who were locked up with me; many never received visits from family members. I began reaching out to them and encouraging them. This experience made an impact on my life, and I made a decision to dedicate my life to helping young people so they would not be incarcerated. I saw the hurt and pain in these young people, but also knew that they were intelligent, artistic, creative and had so much potential if they were given the opportunity. The Probation Officers and staff saw my talent, told me that I had great leadership skills, and began to encourage me. That was a positive seed that was planted in me. They saw that other kids respected me, and began to refer kids to me so that I could talk to them. I was later promoted to the highest leadership position in the Camp, which was Camp Governor.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In addition to motivating young people, I am also very passionate about opening doors in the film and entertainment industry for underserved people of color. I come from a creative, artistic family. Growing up in East LA, I was keenly aware of the barriers that existed for our people in breaking into the entertainment industry, and the racism that has always been so prevalent. I have always said “Hollywood is our backyard— we ought to let our children play there.”

I am also the Founder and Executive Director of a community based non-profit organization, Operation Street Kidz (OSK). My involvement in the film and entertainment industry began over 20 years ago, when my partner Julie and I collaborated with the beautiful Mexican feature film, “La Otra Conquista – The Other Conquest.,” written and directed by the acclaimed Mexican born filmmaker, Salvador Carrasco. We established a partnership with Salvador and his film as it had a theatrical release in the U.S., and we established an educational partnership with the film. This collaboration evolved and grew, as Salvador was given the opportunity to build a film school/ film production program from the ground up at Santa Monica College (SMC). This program is a highly acclaimed film school that has trained hundreds of students from around the world. I am proud to say that I have served as Associate Producer on many of SMC’s thesis films, many of which have screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and other festivals around the world.

Having been involved since the inception of the SMC Film Program, OSK launched its “Mentoring Through Film Production Program,” which introduced kids, teens and young adults to film production and filmmaking, by allowing them to not only visit our film sets, but to participate hands on, by shadowing crew members in every department, and being exposed to all of the crew positions that contribute to the making of a movie. Kids often find something that they love, that they never knew existed before, as a job in the industry. This program has evolved and expanded through the years, and gradually expanded its network of filmmaker mentors. Each of these filmmakers possesses a heart to encourage and inspire up and coming young filmmakers, and volunteer of their precious time.

What distinguishes our program from others is that we are very small, and are hands-on with each and every mentee. We are also completely voluntary, and also mobile (the program is free to all participants). Our mentees are located throughout the County of Los Angeles, and during the pandemic, we also began mentoring virtually through Zoom. One of our highlights was collaborating with Nickelodeon, where we were excited to have the opportunity to cast 18 kids,ages 8-12, who were all part of the television show, “The Substitute.”

I would say that our journey has been slow, but steady and solid. Always keeping focus on the individual mentee and his or her needs. I am most proud of seeing young people accomplish the fulfilment of their destiny.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite places to take visitors is the Eastside’s classic, historic landmark restaurant “El Tepeyac,” on Evergreen. It’s a small hole-in the wall family run restaurant that has been in the community for as long as I can remember. Over 50 years ago, when I was being deployed to Vietnam, I remember going there with family for my last meal The food remains as good as ever. Other places I’d take visitors is Olvera Street in downtown LA, as well as Little Tokyo and Chinatown. Olvera Street has a wonderful cultural museum, “La Plaza de Cultura y Artes,” which currently has a beautiful Chicano Art exhibition, as well as a historic exhibition of The Chicano Moratorium. In the summer, they also offer great outdoor concerts and film screenings.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to Rex Morningstar, who was a probation officer and fire instructor when I first went to probation camp. I’d also like to give a shoutout to my Mother Alice who endured much pain, due to my rebellious childhood, and supported me while going in and out of juvenile hall. In an effort to get me on the right track, my Mom put me in a mentorship program with my cousin RIP, Gilbert “Magu” Lujan, artist and muralist who had me painting murals with him in East LA. Through this experience, I first heard of the word “Chicano,” which later on, I participated in the August 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium. At age 18, I joined the Marine Corps and was shipped off to combat in the Vietnam War. It was here that I studied the writings of journalist Ruben Salazar, who made a major impact in my life, and inspired me to advocate for better conditions and justice for my people. Sadly, he was killed by the LA County Sheriffs during the Chicano Moratorium of 1970. The burden to reach children became prevalent when I witnessed many children who were massacred in the Vietnam War.

Website: www.operationstreetkidz.org

Instagram: sanchezjosof

Linkedin: Josof Sanchez

Twitter: _JojoSanchez

Facebook: josofsanchez

Youtube: Operation Street Kidz

Image Credits
Pasadena Star News, Julie Matsumoto