Julissa Natzely Arce Raya is a Mexican-American writer, speaker, businesswoman, and advocate for immigration rights. She is the co-founder of Ascend Educational Fund (AEF) and the author of My (Underground) American Dream (2016), Someone Like Me (2018), and “You Sound Like a White Girl” (2022).
Arce was born in Guerrero, Mexico. [1] Her parents migrated to the United States for work, after which she began using a travel visa at age 11 to move between her parents' home in San Antonio and her grandmother's home in Mexico. [1] [2] At age 14, she remained in the United States after her visa expired making her undocumented. She remained undocumented for nearly 15 years. [2]
Arce was able to attend college through the Texas DREAM act. She obtained a degree in finance from the University of Texas, Austin. [1] [3]
In 2005, Arce moved to New York to start an internship at Goldman Sachs. [1] Within seven years, she was a Vice President at the company. She left Goldman Sachs for Merrill Lynch in 2011. [2]
Arce obtained a green card in 2009 after marrying and became a United States citizen on August 8, 2014. [2] [3] She shared her immigration story in a 2015 Bloomberg interview. [4]
Arce is co-founder of the Ascend Educational Fund (AEF), a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students regardless of their immigration status. [2] The organization has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships since 2012. [4]
Arce has authored two books about her immigrant experience; "My (Underground) American Dream" (2016), and "Someone Like Me" (2018). Her most recent book is “You Sound Like a White Girl” (2022).
Arce was named as one of People en Español’s 25 Most Powerful Women of 2017 and 2018 Woman of the Year by the City of Los Angeles. [5] She was awarded the Los Angeles Times Latinos de Hoy Emerging Leader Award, the NAHREP's Vanguard Award, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation Inspira Award. [6] [7] [8]
Arce lives in Los Angeles with her husband. [9]