I am an American citizen of Mexican descent, born and raised in an area of South Texas where 87% of the population was of Mexican descent and 90% of the residents spoke Spanish as the primary language at home. Unlike most ethnic minorities in America, I grew up in an environment where I am actually a part of the majority position. It was considered commonplace to have immigrants in our public school classes and migrant workers for friends. Mexican culture thrived in my hometown as Spanish-speaking waitresses worked at every restaurant, taquerias served authentic tacos at every street corner, and Tejano music blasted from open car windows on every road. I was part of the predominant ethnic group in that area and, despite stereotypic beliefs to the contrary, the area thrived under our management.

Mexican-Americans in my hometown held varied jobs at every point of the socio-economic spectrum, ranging from custodians to CEOs and from bank tellers to district attorneys. Throughout my childhood I watched as the town burgeoned into a small city - new franchises were built, our local community college became a university, and CNN Money even ranked the region as the third fastest growing region in the U.S. I never had any inclination to view my ethnicity as a setback. My community refused to succumb to society’s stigmas and, as a result, we prospered as Hispanics led the majority of the city’s industries.

My parents epitomized these triumphs. They both transcended the financial and educational limits that were placed on the generation before them. Ever since my paternal grandfather crossed the river separating Mexico from the United States, no one in my father’s family had ever lived outside of the state of Texas. My mother’s family hailed from Washington as hardworking farmers. My father became a successful business owner while my mother attained her college degree, rising to be one of the top employees in her company. Both have exceeded each of their families’ expectations. Through their accomplishments, they instilled in me a desire to do the same.

I witnessed a society where ethnic minorities were not relegated to lower ranking positions as they so often are in many parts of America. Rather, they were given the opportunity to flourish and, more importantly, to lead. Our region was also unique in that having achieved leadership roles, we, as Mexican-Americans, did not ostracize the ethnic minorities of our region, including Caucasians and an even smaller percentage of Filipinos and African Americans, but welcomed them as equals. The public school clubs and sport teams reflected a mixture of races, our churches were interracially harmonious and our city council and school board had members from varying racial backgrounds. There was no special initiative to embrace ethnic minorities since they were so few, but racial prejudice was not an enduring quality of our society. This part of South Texas secured ethnic compatibility at every level and in every facet of the community by striving for the advancement of the region unified together in spite of ethnic differences.

Having been nurtured in this environment, I am inspired to keep proving that Hispanics can defy the institutional boundaries of racism and poverty established decades ago. I am proud to say that I will be the first in my family to attain a graduate degree and I truly believe my passion for higher education is the result of the uplifting and driven community of my childhood. My unique perspective is integral to my character and allows me to believe that with optimism and perseverance, I can help to achieve more ethnically inclusive societies elsewhere. I am committed to preserving the richness of our diverse, heterogeneous world both inside and outside of the scope of my law school education.