Unlike most ethnic minorities in America, I was born and raised in an environment where I believed myself to the majority. I am a Mexican-American citizen, born and raised in an area of South Texas, where 87% of the population was of Mexican descent and 90% of the residents speak Spanish as primary language at home. Having immigrants in our public school classes and migrant workers for friends was the norm. Mexican culture thrived in that area with Spanish speaking waitresses at any restaurant, taquerias serving authentic tacos at every street corner, and Tejano music was blasting from open windows of cars on the road. I was part of the predominant ethnic and socioeconomic group in that area, and despite stereotypic beliefs, under our management the area thrived.

Mexican-Americans held a variety of jobs in the region from custodians to CEOs of hospitals and banks to government official positions such as federal judges and district attorneys. From my point of view as a younger member of society, the area appeared to progress under the care of my fellow Hispanics as well. Throughout my childhood I watched as the town became a small city, new franchises were built, our local community college became a university, and CNN Money ranked the region as the third fastest growing region in the U.S. My mentality as a youth in a society where Mexicans worked every job in the career spectrum and did so in a way that I heard the elders around me speak of our progress was that I, as a Mexican-American, could do anything and everything. I never viewed my ethnicity as a setback. In addition, the majority of the population was in the lower or middle socio-economic class, so everyone worked hard together and earned what they received. Another rarity of American communities that my region possessed was that all the ethnicities lived amongst one another in harmony even though it was not an evenly split ethnic population and there was a minority present. The wealthy families were few and were comprised of both Mexican and Caucasian families. As the minority, Caucasians assimilated to the Latin culture and they were never looked down upon for doing so nor did they intimidate the Hispanic ethnic group since Mexicans were part of every socio-economic class. I did not experience racism nor did I display such ill feelings towards the minority ethnic groups in my area. My community strove to create a better future for everyone in it.

I am a witness to a society where ethnic minorities are not excluded, but are in fact immersed in the community at every level. This diverse perspective is integral to my character and allows me to view the possibility of achieving an inclusive society with more endurance and perseverance because I can testify to its existence. I am committed to preserving this social perspective both inside and outside of my law school education.