Julissa Arce

Julissa Arce is a bestselling author, speaker, and public thinker whose work challenges the myths of the American Dream and the cost of assimilation. She immigrated from Mexico at age 11, was undocumented for more than a decade, and rose to vice president at Goldman Sachs before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2014.

From Undocumented Student to Wall Street Executive

Arce built a career on Wall Street at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch while undocumented, then left to share her story. She co-founded the Ascend Educational Fund, a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students regardless of ethnicity, national origin, or immigration status. People en Español named her one of its 25 Most Powerful Women in 2017 and 2022, and the City of Los Angeles honored her as 2019 Woman of the Year.

Bestselling Author and Trusted Media Voice

Arce is the author of My (Underground) American Dream: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive; Someone Like Me: How One Undocumented Girl Fought for Her American Dream; and You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation. She is a trusted voice on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR, and her essays have appeared in The New York Times, TIME, CNBC, Vogue, and BuzzFeed News.

Julissa Arce delivers keynotes and fireside chats on the American Dream, immigration, identity, and belonging.

What does Julissa Arce speak about?

Julissa Arce speaks about the American Dream, immigration, identity, and the cost of assimilation. Julissa Arce draws on a journey from undocumented immigrant to Wall Street executive to bestselling author and advocate.

What is Julissa Arce’s background?

Julissa Arce is a bestselling author, a former Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch executive, and co-founder of the Ascend Educational Fund. Julissa Arce wrote My (Underground) American Dream, Someone Like Me, and You Sound Like a White Girl.

Who books Julissa Arce to speak?

Colleges and universities, associations, and corporate teams book Julissa Arce for keynotes, fireside chats, and heritage month and inclusive leadership programs. Julissa Arce brings a candid conversation about belonging and assimilation.

The American Dream: From Undocumented to Wall Street & Immigration Advocacy

Arce traces her path from an immigrant who became undocumented as a teenager to a vice president at Goldman Sachs and a bestselling author and advocate. Her story shows how the American Dream is defined, who gets to claim it, and what it costs those who chase it, and it leaves audiences with a more nuanced view of immigration, identity, and belonging.

Key takeaways:

• How the American Dream is defined, and who it leaves out
• What a Wall Street career looked like while undocumented
• The case for immigrant rights, Latino representation, and education equality

Fireside Chat with Julissa

A conversational format built for schools and universities. Arce shares her experience as an undocumented Mexican student, what educators did and did not do to help her belong, and practical takeaways for the classroom.

Key takeaways:

• Her experience as an undocumented student in U.S. schools
• What helps students belong, and what gets in the way
• Practical classroom takeaways for educators