The American Dream is alive and well, as David Morales illustrates in his powerful, new book, American Familia: A Memoir of Perseverance. David spent his childhood in Puerto Rico and moved to Massachusetts when he was 11, where he was surrounded by the love of his family but also widespread poverty and despair. Determined not to be a statistic and instead to seize the opportunity this country offers, David began embracing an attitude of self-reliance and self-improvement in his early teen years that would ultimately lead to his personal and professional success. His tenacity and grit enabled David to rise above his impoverished beginnings and achieve the American Dream.