Julissa Arce
Julissa Arce
Julissa Arce is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and social justice advocate. Alongside America Ferrera, she is currently developing and executive producing a television series for a major network optioned from her bestselling memoir, My (Underground) American Dream. Her young adult memoir, Someone Like Me is used in classrooms across the country. Her new book, You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation is a dual polemic and manifesto, where Julissa dives into and tears apart the lie that assimilation leads to belonging. Instead, Julissa offers a bold new promise: Belonging only comes through celebrating yourself, your history, your culture, and everything that makes you uniquely you. Through unearthing veiled history and reclaiming her own identity, Julissa shows us how to do this.
Julissa Arce has spoken at major Fortune 500 companies. Those include Google, Intel, Proctor & Gamble and more. In addition, she has actively engaged dozens of colleges and universities. From Yale and Harvard to community colleges alike. She gave a captivating TedX Talk at Texas Tech University, and has performed numerous times at The Moth. Julissa Arce has also delivered keynotes at prestigious conferences such as the White House Latino Summit, UnidosUS, and education gatherings across the country.
People en Español named her one of the 25 Most Powerful Woman of 2017 and 2022. And the City of Los Angeles named her the 2019 Woman of the Year. Julissa Arce is a leading voice in the fight for social justice, immigrant rights and education equality. She has contributed to The New York Times, TIME, Buzzfeed News, Crooked Media, CNBC, among other outlets. She has provided political commentary across numerous TV networks including NBC News, Bloomberg TV, CNN, and MSNBC.
Mentorship
In order to help other young people in similar circumstances, Julissa co-founded the Ascend Educational Fund (AEF). AEF is a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students in New York City, regardless of their ethnicity, national original or immigration status. She also serves on the board of directors of the National Immigration Law Center. She was officially sworn in as an American citizen in August of 2014.
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Trade Paperback
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AN INDIE BESTSELLER
Most Anticipated by ELLE • Bustle • Bloomberg • Kirkus • HipLatina • SheReads • BookPage • The Millions • The Mujerista • Ms. Magazine • and more
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The American Dream: From Undocumented to Wall Street & Immigration Advocacy
Julissa’s inspiring story of how she rose through the ladder at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch and eventually became a nationally best selling author and prominent advocate for immigrant rights, Latino representation, and education equality.
Debunking the Myth of Assimilation in the Workplace
Julissa discusses the challenges of Latininad in the workplace and what this new generation of talent needs to truly be empowered and what past generations can come to terms with and all reflect on a new way forward of inclusivity, leadership, orgullo, and celebration of our uniqueness, origins, and the beauty of the differences that actually make us Americans.
The Case for Rejecting Assimilation
Powerful discussion against the myth that assimilation leads to happiness and belonging for immigrants in America.
Fireside Chat with Julissa
Julissa’s education story as an undocumented Mexican student- and what educators did to help her belong, and what they didn’t do that would have helped her to feel included. Some brief Latino history, children’s books statistics, and conclude with some food for thought to implement in the classrooms and schools.
“CMAS Speaker: ‘History Emboldens Us and Empowers Us’”
“Telling the Truth Wasn’t an Option”
“Borders Kept Our Family Apart—So We Had Three Weddings”
“The Undocumented Woman who Prevailed on Wall Street”
“Julissa Arce: undocumented at Goldman Sachs and breaking a stereotype”
Follow Julissa Arce on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Praise for You Sound Like a White Girl
“With bold, clear writing, Arce calls for immigrants and communities of color to reject assimilation, turn away from the white gaze, and embrace their unique cultures, histories, and identities, which deserve celebration. This book is a confident step forward for Arce as a writer and public thinker.”
— BookPage, “2022 Preview: Most Anticipated Nonfiction”“I’m so glad Arce wrote about this important topic, and how we should resist the insidious ways colonialism affects the world.”
— Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, The Meteor“In this unflinching book, Julissa Arce guts the idea that to live in America means immigrants must abandon their own histories, cultures, and languages and assimilate to dominant norms.”
— Ms. MagazineBook This Speaker
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