Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my mother, Joaquina; my brothers, Roberto, José Francisco, Juan Manuel, and Rubén; my sister, Avelina; my sister-in-law, Dartene; my wife, Laura; and my friends Smokey Murphy and Emily Bernabé for providing me with their own personal recollections of the period I write about in this book. Special thanks to my immediate family—Laura, Francisco "Pancho," Lori, Carlo, Dario, Camille, Miguel, Susanna, Tomás, and Nova—for patiently listening to drafts and offering helpful comments.

I wish to thank the community of my childhood for being a constant inspiration to me in my writing and in my personal and professional life.

I have a lasting gratitude to my teachers, whose guidance and faith in my ability helped me break through many barriers. I thank them for reaching out to me and for responding when I reached out to them for help in my educational journey. They inspired me to reach out to other learners, especially first-generation college students.

Thanks to my colleagues and friends, especially Father Paul Locatelli, S.J. Don Dodson, Alma Garcia, and Susan Erickson, for encouraging me to continue writing.

A special thanks to Ann Rider, my wonderful editor, for her valuable suggestions for improvements and her gentle insistence that I write from the heart.