Join us in welcoming CNBC and Crooked Media contributor JULISSA ARCE, whose memoirs My (Underground) American Dream and the YA version Someone Like Me trace her journey from an undocumented Mexican immigrant to an executive position at Goldman Sachs.
In conjunction with AWM’s special exhibit My America: Immigrant and Refugee Writers Today, we present a series of conversations with leading contemporary writers about their latest work and their thoughts on themes of identity, home, belonging and the meaning of what it is to be American.
About Someone Like Me:
Born in the picturesque town of Taxco, Mexico, Julissa Arce was left behind for months at a time with her two sisters, a nanny, and her grandma while her parents worked tirelessly in America in hopes of building a home and providing a better life for their children. That is, until her parents brought Julissa to Texas to live with them. From then on, Julissa secretly lived as an undocumented immigrant, went on to become a scholarship winner and an honors college graduate, and climbed the ladder to become a vice president at Goldman Sachs.
This moving, at times heartbreaking, but always inspiring story will show young readers that anything is possible. Julissa’s story provides a deep look into the little-understood world of a new generation of undocumented immigrants in the United States today–kids who live next door, sit next to you in class, or may even be one of your best friends.
JULISSA ARCE is a political commentator, speaker, writer and best-selling author of Someone Like Me and My (Underground) American Dream, which is currently being developed as a television series with producer and actor America Ferrera. She was named one of People en Español’s 25 Most Powerful Women of 2017. She is a leading voice in the fight for social justice, immigrant rights and education equality, serving as co-founder of the Ascend Educational Fund (AEF) and on the board of directors of the National Immigration Law Center. She is a contributor for Crooked Media, CNBC and a host for Crooked Conversations. She was officially sworn in as an American citizen in August of 2014.
