Hispanic Heritage Community Highlight: Jhoanna Astudillo | News [Video]

TULSA, Okla. — Jhoanna Astudillo immigrated to the United States more than two decades ago and has made it her mission to help others navigate life in a new country. 

She said her purpose is to give back because she said being bilingual or bicultural is not a challenge or something that should hold you back: it’s a competitive advantage that moves us forward. 

“As a first generation Latina here in the U.S., I understand how difficult it is to navigate the financial war and then you add culture nuances and language and it is very, very difficult,” said Astudillo. 

Jhoanna Astudillo moved from Ecuador to the United States with her siblings more than 20 years ago. 

She said leaving her parents was hard, but she was privileged to have many opportunities in the U.S., like joining the military, learning English and going to college. 

“For the first year, I felt like I was mute because not only the culture differences …