Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
Attorney J. Gonzalez once worked alongside his parents in Minnesota’s sugar beet fields, far from his current role as one of South Texas’s best-known personal injury attorneys. Those early experiences, described in previous reporting, shaped his outlook and deepened his appreciation for the Rio Grande Valley. On November 22, 2025, he said that the success he has achieved only strengthens his commitment to give back.
Last Friday marked the sixth celebration of his firm’s Thanksgiving turkey giveaway and close to two decades of giving turkeys. Speaking outside his firm’s headquarters at 4601 S. I-69C, Edinburg, TX 78539, Gonzalez said he was distributing 200 turkeys at this location and 600 across South Texas, repeating the event at his offices Valley-wide. “Every year we have a tradition around Thanksgiving, and that is to show appreciation or gratitude and to give thanks,” he said. “Thanks to the Valley, across the Rio Grande Valley, for their amazing support and trusting us with all their personal injury needs. And so, this is our way of showing appreciation for all the incredible support that the Valley has shown us.”
He added that the day carried personal meaning. “Obviously, it brings me great joy to be in a position to bless others this time of year,” he said. “Again, to give thanks for everything that all the great fortune and amazing things that have happened here in 2025. And moving forward to 2026.”
Gonzalez’s gratitude is closely tied to his childhood. As documented in earlier Texas Border Business features, he was born in McAllen and, as a child, traveled with his family between the Valley and Minnesota to work in the sugar beet fields. His father, Arturo Gonzalez, was born in Peñitas, and his mother, Criselda Hinojosa, in Alice, Texas, though both grew up in Reynosa Díaz and Díaz Ordaz, Mexico. These humble beginnings, he has said, shaped his work ethic and his commitment to South Texas families.
Professionally, Gonzalez has practiced personal injury law for nearly 25 years. “We’ve been doing this for 25 years. This coming June, we’ll be celebrating the firm’s 25th anniversary. We’ve won thousands and thousands of cases. We’ve paid clients millions of dollars,” he said. Over time, his firm has grown to six locations in Rio Grande City, McAllen, Weslaco, Harlingen, Brownsville, and Edinburg, where he held the final turkey distribution of the day.
He explained that the tradition is longstanding. “This tradition started a long time ago, I would say over 15, maybe 20 years ago,” he said. He noted that the idea came from understanding families’ needs during the holiday season. “There are some families that are not as fortunate as others. And so, this is basically inspired by the fact that some families cannot afford a turkey during Thanksgiving. So, this is our way of helping those families to ensure that they do have a Thanksgiving lunch or dinner.”
As the sixth celebration of the month concluded at his headquarters, Gonzalez emphasized the simple message behind it. “Just that I’m incredibly thankful and grateful to everyone here in South Texas for all the incredible support that we’ve received over the last, almost 25 years, to put me in a position to give back as I am this year,” he said.
For Gonzalez, the Thanksgiving tradition reflects the gratitude he carries from his earliest days to his life today as a successful attorney serving the region he calls home.
