I did not speak English when I began kindergarten. I did not know any other children with immigrant parents. My mother played Julio Iglesias records. When kids found out I spoke Spanish, they wanted to know if my mom made tacos. I did not know what tacos were. I had to figure out who I was and how my culture fit into my new life.

Before “Yes We Can” was a presidential campaign slogan, it was the rallying cry for Hispanic farm workers who chanted “Si Se Puede” as they fought for fair wages and humane working conditions. Historically, Hispanics have been told in numerous facets of American life that they could not.