Q: How did your family and culture influence who you are today?
Imagine being peacefully sound asleep only to be woken by the sound of a vacuum being rammed at lightning speed into your closed bedroom door. My parents woke me up with the world’s loudest alarm clock, the crashing sounds of the vacuum assaulting my door! My siblings and I shared the household chores while my parents managed our rental properties. Like many, if not most, Mexican Americans, we all take care of each other. This includes chores, finances, education, anything that contributes to the well-being of the family. Family is the core of our success. It is important and expected that we think about the family with each decision we make.
Q: Why is ACEE important to you?
My brothers and I were raised to develop of a strong work ethic but we did not discuss finances, the importance of voting, or how either affects the economy. I am raising two young men. I use the tools that ACEE has given the community to continue the cycle that I have broken. I want my sons to understand opportunity costs, easy credit rip-offs and interest rates. Conversations around finances are not feared but rather embraced. If I do not have the answers, I refer to the experts like ACEE. Reliable informative resources are critical as the internet is inundated with misinformation from entertainment news personalities to influencers and TikTok reels.
Q: Why do you care about financial and economic education?
My grandparents immigrated to the US to make sure their children and grandchildren could have better lives through education that was available to all in the US. As a result, I became a teacher. I became their dream. From as far back as I can remember, my parents and grandparents stressed the value of education. They taught all of us that the way to prosperity was through education. All professions require the ability to manage finances and to make informed decisions using basic economic principles and strategies. As does managing a household, meeting basic needs we are making sure you have the tools to create a comfortable retirement. I have sat in too many board rooms where leaders have no sense of finance. It is long past time to educate our youth and provide resources, so they at least understand basic economics.
