The Changing Face of Power

By Claudia Alarco Alarco

The Changing Face of Power explores the power, influence, and visibility of the new generation of Latinx leaders and their profound impact on the trajectory of the United States. It examines the contributions of Millennial and Generation Z Latinx leaders to our c

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Release date: Dec 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781636760865

Book preview

Part 1

Education

I don’t give advice to Millennials and Gen Z Latinos, I get advice from them.

- Antonio Tijerino,

CEO

of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation

We can all think back to a time that ignited a fire within our being. A time when we took a leap of faith with something we had never done before. And although we didn’t quite know it at the time, it ended up being the start of something incredible, something you would’ve never even had the possibility to imagine.

When I first started thinking about the direction of this book, I knew that in order to encapsulate the power of Millennial and Gen Z Latinxs, I needed to grasp and showcase its very inception for each and every person.

Surely, none of these individuals became the disruptors, thought leaders, and agents of change without having that very first experience with the grandiosity and responsibility of power. What I find most remarkable about Millennial and Gen Z Latinxs in this journey is how early in their lives they’ve experienced these moments.

To us, as children of immigrants or immigrants ourselves, these circumstances shaped what would be our entire lives. As I listened to these stories, I couldn’t help but to feel deeply moved and overcome with absolute admiration for the limitless privilege behind these circumstances.

Yes, privilege.

In understanding the privilege behind these circumstances, what I found most egregious about the largely accepted narrative that has been created around these instances in American culture is that it has cast a negative and undesirable light on these so-called hardships.

I welcome you to challenge your own perspective and do away with the confines of viewing these experiences as hardships and rather see them for what they truly are: the beginning of an unveiling of the opportunity and potential to transform, influence, empower, and impact.

Chapter 1

Marisol Samayoa

In 2010, in the midst of a deep nationwide recession, in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights, Marisol Samayoa embarked on a journey that led her to an unthinkable and unimaginable path toward change.

When I first spoke to Marisol in March 2020, I instantly felt that this person would be different than anyone else I interviewed. She had just finished serving as Deputy National Press Secretary for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign and there was just something about her. Her story made me feel so grateful to have had the pleasure of coming across her and made me feel so immeasurably excited to have a vessel to share her story.

I had never met Marisol before, but we did have a few mutual friends. She was warm and generous: made me feel welcome, which was something that up until that point no one had really transmitted so effectively the way that Marisol did.

I was, after all, a complete stranger to all of the people whose stories you see showcased in this book. And I made that decision purposefully. I trusted that this book would lead me to the people that I was truly meant to meet.

I still remember the jitters that I would feel when I looked at the clock and knew that it was time to physically pick up the phone and conduct an interview. I was so subtly and radiantly jumping straight out of my comfort zone. In the beginning, I had no idea what to expect. Here I was, a complete stranger who had come across their work and their story and had reached out to them to be a part of this. They didn’t know who I was, where I came from, or how deeply I felt about this book. Yet, they agreed to hop on the phone with me and share a piece of themselves, share a piece of their story—even amid the COVID-19 global pandemic. That, to me, was and will forever be the most sacred gift I’ve received on this