Marin, Rosario 1958-

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Marin, Rosario 1958-

PERSONAL:

Born August 4, 1958, in Mexico City, Mexico; married Alvaro Marin; children: Eric, Carmen, Alex. Education: California State University, Los Angeles, B.S., 1983, LL.D., 2002; Harvard University, completed Senior Executives State & Local Government Program, 1998.

ADDRESSES:

Office—State and Consumer Services Agency, 915 Capitol Mall, No. 200, Sacramento, CA, 95814. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Government official, administrator, and writer. City National Bank, Beverly Hills, CA, 1981-86; California Department of Developmental Services, chief of legislative affairs, 1992-93; California State Council for Developmental Disabilities, chair, 1994-96; City of Huntington Park, CA, city council member, beginning 1994, mayor, 1999-2000; California State Department of Social Services, assistant deputy director, 1996-97; Governor's Office of Community Relations, Los Angeles, CA, deputy director, 1997-98; U.S. Department of Treasury, Washington, DC, U.S. Treasurer, 2001-03. Also worked for AT&T as public relations manager for the Hispanic market. California Integrated Waste Management Board, Sacramento, CA, chair, 2004.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Prize, 1995; Alumna of the Year, California State University, 2002; Outstanding American by Choice, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. State Department.

WRITINGS:

Leading between Two Worlds, Atria Books (New York, NY), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

Rosario Marin is the first Mexican-born American to hold the office of U.S. Treasurer. In her memoir, Leading between Two Worlds, the author recounts her life from growing up as a young girl in Mexico to her move to California when she was fourteen years old and on through her trailblazing career. Her successes include becoming the first in her family to graduate from college, having her signature appear on the U.S. dollar bill, and being the first Latina in California to run for the U.S. Senate.

While much of the book focuses on Marin's accomplishments—which, in addition to being U.S. Treasurer, include serving as mayor and councilwoman of Huntington Park, California—the author also provides insights into her personal life and struggles, from betrayals and depression to her strong advocacy for people with disabilities. Nevertheless, as Marin recounts in her life story, she makes clear that she has lived the "American Dream." Marin reveals in her memoir that she spoke no English and had few resources upon her arrival in California from Mexico. Nevertheless, she was determined to succeed and describes the many sacrifices she had to make along the way to reach her goals.

Although the general public perceives much of Marin's accomplishments to be in the realm of politics and government, Marin describes how having a son with Down syndrome led her to become involved with issues and programs concerning people with disabilities. In addition to developing a support group for Latino families who had children with Down syndrome, the author also worked as a state official for the California Department of Developmental Services and California State Council for Developmental Disabilities. Much of her efforts in these two state agencies focused on keeping budget cuts from affecting disabled services. Ultimately, her work in the area of developmental disabilities led to her receiving the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Prize in 1995. She was only the second person to receive this honor.

The author also describes her years in the administration of George W. Bush and how she first met Bush while serving as mayor of Huntington Park, a largely Democratic and Hispanic city. Marin, however, was a Republican and decided to work as an unpaid volunteer for Bush's presidential campaign. The author goes on to write about her decision to resign her position as U.S. Treasurer in 2003 and her subsequent unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate in 2004. Noting that the author's "warmth and humanity emerge in sections of the book," a Kirkus Reviews contributor also wrote in the same review that the book is "filled with love for America and advice for young Latinas."