It is fitting that Luis was born in Peru, a beautiful land of copper and zinc, because he is a man made of metal. Luis lived and went to school in Peru’s capital, Lima, until he was eight. That is when his father made the great sacrifice of trading in his position as a successful banker in Peru for a position as a janitor here in Florida.
The move to America came on the heels of a period of terrorism and militarism which plagued Peru in the early 1990s, and when Luis and his family came to Town 'n' Country, Florida, in 1996, it was with the hope of giving Luis and his sister greater opportunities. The sacrifice his parents made to better his own life is one that has colored Luis’ character and greatly influenced his path in the States.
Life in America presented the early challenge of learning English as a second language, but Luis picked it up easily enough while attending elementary school. By the time he reached Wesley Chapel High School (in Pasco County), he was an exemplary student who was fluent in two languages and had a passion for history.
So much so that when he took his test for United States Citizenship at age 18, his response to the question “who was the first President” was met with a question: “Are we talking about the one who was named under the Articles of Confederation, or the U.S. Constitution?” Needless to say, he passed the test and officially became a citizen on July 4, 2007. He now enjoys dual citizenship here in the United States and in Peru.
Following high school, Luis enrolled at the University of South Florida where he studied as a political science major from 2007-12. In 2010 he had his son, Benjamin. Luis describes it as one of the busiest times of his life – working on the dock at Macy’s unloading trucks from 5:00 to 9:00 a.m. each morning, interning at a law office from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m., taking classes in afternoons/evening, and balancing the responsibilities of being a new father. Like his father before him, Luis made countless personal sacrifices in hopes of creating a better life with more opportunities for his son.
After graduating from USF in 2012, Luis enrolled at West Virginia University College of Law, where he represented victims in domestic violence proceedings, was a member of the tax moot court team, and even beat a well-known West Virginia law firm in a contract dispute while representing a WVU fraternity through the law school tax clinic. He then returned to Florida where he enrolled in the University of Florida’s prestigious tax program and graduated with his LL.M. in tax law. After graduating he made the move to Pinellas County to practice alongside Michael Faehner.
I asked Luis what challenges he’s encountered being a dual citizen, a single father, and a Latino man living and practicing law in Pinellas County. “Have I felt it?” he asked rhetorically, “Sure. Do I think I have had my knowledge or abilities questioned due to ethnic reasons? Yeah. But I think it is subconscious. If I can think the best of people over the worst, I’ll always think the best.”
When I pressed him further on hot-button issues like securing American borders, tightening immigration restrictions, or separating child immigrants from their parents at the border he became deeply pensive.
“That could have been me at any point in my life,” he said, becoming tearful, “I am just thankful I had a lot of great people in my life. A lot of people who supported us, who gave us chances. And now the best thing I can do for my community and me is be the best lawyer I can be. I may not change this person’s mind, but maybe I can change their kid's mind, or the next generation’s mind.”
When I asked him about the superhuman task of being a full-time lawyer and single father, Luis acknowledged it is a never-ending balancing act. Thankfully, Luis’ son Ben, now eight, wants to be a doctor and not a lawyer. “He lives in a home with a swimming pool in America,” Luis smiled proudly, “he has more opportunity than my dad or me could have ever hoped for, but I always try to impart humility – to remind him that ‘you’re one generation away from being no one.’”
Volunteering to be the focus of a diversity piece is more intimidating and personal than you might expect, and I am grateful to Luis for opening up and telling me about his path to becoming a lawyer. It was an enlightening and fulfilling experience.
12/21/2018
