Mexican community sets down roots in Big Sky

The looming peaks and small-town vibe in this growing resort community remind Jesus Espinoza Amezcua of home, even though that home is thousands of miles away in the southern state of Michoacón, Mexico.

A United States citizen since 1997, Espinoza is comfortable in Montana and in Big Sky, where he lives and works as a carpenter.

He grew up around cows and horses and even owns a small ranch near where he was born.

The 42-year-old acknowledges he entered the United States illegally, walking across the border with the help of a smuggler when he was a teenager,

But Espinoza became a legal, permanent resident of this country in 1986, when President Reagan signed a law granting illegal aliens amnesty. He was sworn in as a citizen at a ceremony in Salt Lake City several years later.

"I love Montana," Espinoza said, wearing a straw hat, jeans and boots.

"It fascinates me," he said of the state, where he and several male relatives have lived and worked together for three years.

By BETH SLOVIC Chronicle Staff Writer

Full Story: http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2005/08/08/news/01mexworkers.txt