Johnathan is a lifelong resident of Santa Ana, born and raised in the Artesia Pilar neighborhood, where his family put down roots after being displaced from their home in Chávez Ravine to make way for Dodger Stadium. Like so many working-class families in search of community and opportunity, they came to Santa Ana and began rebuilding their lives, creating the foundation for a future that would define Johnathan by resilience and service.

Johnathan is the proud grandson of Mexican immigrants and the great-grandson of proud union laborers. His grandfather retired after more than 40 years with Laborers International Union Local 652, and his great-grandfather José earned his citizenship after being drafted to serve in World War II and then went on to join the labor movement. His father also joined the laborers’ union but later fell into the cycles of incarceration that so many young men of color face. Despite these challenges, Johnathan was raised to value education, community, and the power of becoming something bigger than yourself.

As a student in Santa Ana Unified schools, including Fremont Elementary, Spurgeon Intermediate, and Santa Ana High, Johnathan learned firsthand the strength of community and the urgency of change. During his senior year of high school, he became a father and turned to Planned Parenthood for healthcare services. As a young parent, he worked multiple jobs in retail, took warehouse shifts, and later was employed by a nonprofit in El Salvador Park in order to support his daughter, Evoni and raise her as a single parent.