“With just an elementary school education, my father worked as a short order cook for forty years before retirement. He liked to boast that his kitchen 'never failed an inspection.' For the same forty years, my mother worked tirelessly as a housekeeper for a group of families in the affluent communities of Studio City and Sherman Oaks.”

American politician and engineer

Alex Padilla is an American politician and engineer. He has served as the senior United States senator from California since 2021, after earlier holding state and local office in California. A Democrat, Padilla was California’s 29th secretary of state from 2015 to 2021. Before that, he served in the California State Senate and on the Los Angeles City Council, building a career in public service across city, state, and federal roles.