Carmen Tafolla was born in San Antonio, Texas on July 29, 1951 to a family with a history in San Antonio going back to the early eighteenth century. A resident of the West Side Barrio of the city, Carmen had a happy childhood immersed in Mexican American culture but was also keenly aware of the discrimination and injustice that those in her neighborhood faced. As part of a long history of neglect by the city, her neighborhood had a severe lack of books and literature, and Carmen was extremely eager to get her hands on anything and everything that she could read.

Cecilia has a BA in Teaching Credential from California State University – Fullerton and a Master’s Degree in Policy Studies in Higher Education from the University of California – Riverside. Some doctoral course work was complelted at the University of La Verne.

After moving to Washington, D.C., in year, Cecilia became a Foreign Service Intern for the U.S. Information Agency and a Program Officer for the Interagency Committee on Mexican-American Affairs. She also worked a Commissioner for the US Commission On Civil Rights, and as a teacher in the Chino School District.

Jane Garcia was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1948. She attended public and parochial schools, and is a graduate of Wayne State Community College. She is a licensed social worker, a former cosmetologist, and a constant advocate for positive social change in Detroit. Garcia has spent decades working for the United States Bureau of the Census, focusing on the Midwestern Hispanic population.