With help from an uncle, Joe decided to come to America to make a better living in 1948.  Adjustment to life in the new country was not easy, especially given the harsh and lonely conditions of a sheepherders life, but life at the Basque Uberuaga boarding house helped ease the transition.  Fortunately, Joe soon found successive employment in sawmills, mines and farming.  He was very cautious with his money and so was able to save a lot.

Joe wed Rita Astorquia in 1958--he always felt more comfortable with Basque girls--and the couple raised 2 sons, who chose to integrate completely into the American lifestyle.  He is actively involved in the Boise Basque culture, and has even taken a trip back to Euskadi to see his homeland.  Jose Luis Zabala feels that although his Basque heritage will forever be a part of his identity, he has chosen to be an American.