ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 begins with my personal experiences of the macro-, meso-, and micro-level obstacles I overcame on my path to becoming a professional. I then introduce the 31 Latinos interviewed throughout the country, demonstrating that a combination of public policies, people, and tremendous perseverance created opportunities that allowed them to become successful professionals. Their accounts in this book illustrate how supportive, equity-enhancing public policies like affirmative action opened up opportunities for these Latino professionals in the United States and how dedicated teachers and mentors helped many of them overcome the obstacles placed before them and guided them toward fulfilling, successful, and rewarding lives. I then emphasize that Latinos and other people of color are the demographic future of the United States, predicted to be 56% of the population by 2060, yet they continue to be underrepresented in key professions and in political institutions. This underrepresentation has implications for the health of our democratic institutions.
