Award-winning, former advertising executive and creative director, Hank Olguin, not only talks about the thrill of playing in the Rose Bowl, he also provides a unique account of growing up and growing old as a Mexican American. His informative and entertaining story describes the challenges of overcoming negative racial stereotypes and erroneous perceptions to successfully fit in and function in mainstream American society.In a journey spanning more that eighty years, Olguin describes the road to becoming a successful college athlete at a major university and how he became an advocate, to this day, for changing the damaging negative images of Mexicans and other Latinos and Latinas in the media.This genuine American story will appeal to all Hispanics and Latinx who are tired of being stereotyped, demeaned, or ignored by the entertainment and news media or of hearing and reading only about immigration problems and drug dealers. It will also interest many non-Hispanics who care and want to learn more about cultural diversity, race relations, and multiculturalism issues. Hank Olguin’s life story is a must read for Americans who want to understand the American Latino experience…depicts a family which has been in America for decades, and in the face of discrimination, figured out how to succeed. -Federico Pena-Former Mayor of Denver, Former U.S Secretary of both Transportation & Energy.
…a spell-binding account…an insightful, often humorous look at the twists and turns of being of Mexican ancestry in the modern United states…required reading for anyone interested in an analysis of Latino identity… -Kevin R. Johnson-Dean, UC Davis School of Law-Author of How Did You Get To Be Mexican?-A White/Brown Man’s Search for Racial Identity
Hank Olguin’s beautifully written memoir of growing up Brown in America is full of insight, poetry and soul…written with tenderness, humor and great affection. This is a story of family, community and country. This is an American story.
-KJ Sanchez-Founder and CEO of American Records, a theater company, and Associate Professor and head of Playwriting and Directing, University of Texas at Austin.
