First Gen: A Memoir

by Alejandra Campoverdi

An unflinching memoir about navigating social mobility as a first gen Latina — offering both a riveting personal story and an examination of the unacknowledged emotional tolls of being a trailblazer.

Alejandra Campoverdi has been a child on welfare, a White House aide to President Obama, a Harvard graduate, a gang member’s girlfriend, and a candidate for U.S. Congress. She’s ridden on Air Force One and in G-rides. She’s been featured in Maxim magazine and had a double mastectomy. Living a life of contradictory extremes often comes with the territory when you’re a “First and Only.” It also comes at a price.
 
With candor and heart, Alejandra retraces her trajectory as a Mexican American woman raised by an immigrant single mother in Los Angeles. Foregoing the tidy bullet points of her resume and instead shining a light on the spaces between them, what emerges is a powerful testimony that shatters the one-dimensional glossy narrative we are often sold of what it takes to achieve the American Dream. In this timely and revealing reflection, Alejandra draws from her own experiences to name and frame the challenges First and Onlys often face, illuminating a road to truth, healing, and change in the process.
 
Part memoir, part manifesto, FIRST GEN is a story of generational inheritance, aspiration, and the true meaning of belonging—a gripping journey to “reclaim the parts of ourselves we sacrificed in order to survive.” 

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Latinx, Biography, Politics

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Gigi Ropp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah! As a First and Only, I had no idea that SO many of my experiences were almost universal amongst others! I felt so seen while also saddened that many others had similar lived experiences to mine. Thank you to this incredible author for doing so much of her own healing work to pave a path for others when we’re ready to do our own.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

In First Gen, Alejandra Campoverdi shares her story of being a “First and Only”. She was raised by her single immigrant mom in LA. She dated a gang member in high school. She attended USC then got her masters degree from Harvard. She worked on the Obama campaign then, as part of his administration at the White House. She also ran for Congress. ⁣
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I felt stressed for Alejandra when she talked about having less than $100 and needing to get to Chicago to work on the Obama campaign. Or when her wallet got stolen and she had to borrow $20 from a coworker just to get home that day. ⁣
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My experience has been much different than Alejandra’s — I grew up in nice neighborhoods and was never worried about my next meal. I definitely felt for her when it came time to look for jobs after graduating and having no connections in your desired fields. It can be a real grind, stressful and taxing, and it’s one I’m familiar with. I could relate to the anxiety she experienced too, in general and related to imposter syndrome. ⁣
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Alejandra’s persistence in everything she has pursued is admirable and so is the truth she brings in sharing her story. Her resume is impressive but it doesn’t show the hurdles she’s had to clear over and over. I listened to First Gen on audio, read by Alejandra herself, and I’m really glad I did.

[Book Concierge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Campoverdi’s memoir details her experiences and that of her family, particularly the women. From growing up poor in a single-parent household with her grandmother, three aunts, and mother, the author writes about her path from Los Angeles to Harvard to the White House.

She speaks about her anxiety and her feelings of not belonging, her struggles with debilitating panic attacks, and feeling like an imposter. She frames all this in what she calls being “The First and Only.”

Her story is an interesting one, but I didn’t really connect with her experiences, and felt she was not fully identifying the causes of her feelings of inadequacy.

Were it not a book-club selection, I probably would not have picked it up.

[jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

alejandra campoverdi has certainly had a very interesting life! despite this, i feel like a few of things really hindered me from connecting with this memoir. the first is the writing style--i did not find it particularly compelling, and there were a few similes that did not feel appropriate and took me out of the writing. the writing seems sparse at points which prevented me from feeling the full emotional weight of it. the second thing that hindered me was the political tepidness of it all. campoverdi mentions going to BOTH "israel" & palestine during her time in grad school but offers absolutely no commentary about it beyond it being an illuminating experience for her--serving as an example of the kind of political "worldliness" that came with going to an elite institution like harvard. the last thing that took me out of this was my own familiarity with a lot of the concepts that campoverdi discusses (like imposter syndrome & epigenetics). the inclusion of these theories distracted me from the specificity of campoverdi's experiences and came across to me like a bunch of instagram infographics. i think that this might be appropriate for other audiences & might be more illuminating to others but it wasn't for me.

what DID work for me in this memoir was the love that radiates from it. campoverdi avoids that pitfall that so many other memoirists fall into: of regarding their upbringing with contempt. it's obvious that being a "first and only" to campoverdi is not to disregard nor break with the upbringing that she received from her mom and grandmother. in fact, campoverdi views her trajectory as an extension (for better and for worse) of all that came before her. i found this to be a very nuanced viewpoint, and one that i appreciated.

[Reynasbookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4? I think I would’ve maybe enjoyed the book more if I would’ve read the physical copy and looked at the pictures that’s shown in the book.

I listened to the audio and for some reason I just did not enjoy the narration (even tho it was the author narrating it). Something about her expressions while reading, it kept making me roll my eyes (but this is a me thing- nothing against the author!!!)

Now, time for the book review. As a first gen, I really wanted to relate to her story, but I didn’t.

Campoverdi is an extremely successful first gen Latina who, after all the hardships growing up in a low income household in California, she persevered and obtained a Harvard degree. Alejandra was the first White House Director of Hispanic Media under the Obama Administration and even ran for office.
She worked her way from being a waitress, to being a model, living off of credit cards and taking care of her family while attending school to getting her first “real” job at the White House.

Alejandra is advocate for health and mental health since her grandmother, mother and aunts suffered breast cancer and generational trauma.

Still a good read!

[Emma B. (Emma's Bookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever been a first (like a first-gen college student, like me) or an only (like being the only person of color in your class or at your job), so many parts of this book will resonate with you. If not, there’s a lot you can learn about what it’s like to be first gen or first and only from Alejandra’s experiences. She writes with honesty and openness, painting a picture of a woman self-actualized enough to reflect critically on how her past has shaped her while also showing the reader she’s also still growing. She does a great job breaking down the impact of generational poverty and trauma, all the background and struggle and faking-it-till-you -make-it that we often don’t shine a light on when we hold up the stories of first and only’s who have “made it”. She also writes so well about social mobility, and about the tension of not fitting in to your family or “old life” while also not feeling like you belong in your new one. Highly recommend.

[Monica · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Another very young Obama staffer memoir. He certainly does seem to inspire very interesting, intelligent, passionate and diverse people. Campoverdi had a very unique path to the White House. First generation Latina American born poor but from a very supportive family. She was beautiful and a short time model as was her mother. This was a rags to middle class story where middle class was a choice. She went to Harvard. She had options. On another note, so hard to conceive of the idea that most of these 20 something Obama staffers are rapidly approaching or are already in their 40s now. Time truly has no recognizable context. Sigh. Has it really been 10 years since Obama left office? Anyway, I think it was a very good, inspirational memoir. Nothing earth shattering but a great storytelling about following your instincts and your passions. Worth a read!

3.75 Stars

Listened to the audiobook. Campoverdi was the narrator and she was excellent!

[Bree Doby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️! wow, i felt some of her experiences to my core! the way she was able to interweave experiences of parentification, growing up too young, people pleasing, etc. with her overarching impressive life story was pretty well done but sometimes teetered too much into self-help for my personal liking considering this being in the memoir genre (to my knowledge)

i still deeply appreciated her story and putting a voice to what i think many people feel (and what i feel as both a black & latina woman)

[Helen Pinch · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - Alejandra is really inspiring and I found her story v interesting with a lot of important messages on generational trauma and imposter syndrome. The book describes itself a “part memoir, part manifesto” so I should have expected it to feel more like an essay in style - but I would have liked either for the author to give us more depth/ exploration of her personal memoir stories, or lean more into the manifesto e.g. other people’s experiences or future change - I think overall it felt less impactful doing a bit of both. However I really like her and she really made me want to go campaigning with her.

[stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75⭐️ “It is a beautiful thing to be a First and Only, the one who disrupts deep-rooted generational patterns to become our ancestors’ wildest dreams.“

[Quinn's Quippy Quotes · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This was interesting. I wouldn't normally have looked for this if it wasn't on the Goodreads Challenge for Hispanic Heritage. That's what I've enjoyed about the added challenges, it encourages me to branch out and learn new things.

I have to be honest, I never heard of Alejandra Campoverdi prior, but while reading this, I found myself googling things and learning more about what she did during the Obama administration. I'm always in awe with people that come from little, persevere and make real change in the world. I don't know if I have that kind of gumption and it's always impressive.

[Marcela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book as a first generation Latin American, it really excited me before I read it, but then it just fell flat.

I ended up having a huge disconnect with this author, mainly because her entire personality was focused around trying to fit in. The majority of the anecdotes from this book were stories of her trying so hard to be accepted by different groups and I, fortunately, have never had trouble fitting in or any sort of identity crisis where I was looking to fit into a place where I don't belong.

What saddened me the most is that the author, to me, had little to no ties to her own Mexican heritage. She kept preaching about Latinxs, but she felt absolutely white-washed to me. This is where my own sense of identity clashed with hers. I've never wanted to be American, nor have I ever felt American. What I have fully and always embraced is my Colombian heritage with no care in the world about the country my parents immigrated to, because I come from their same homeland as far as I'm concerned.

What's prompted me to be able to do so, is being born in New York City, where roots are rarely, if ever, dismissed. I feel like where the author grew up, and having her own mother grow up in the states too, really did a number on her. She couldn't even pronounce "novena" right and it pissed me off the entire time I was listening to this audiobook.

Some parts of this book, especially when it came to generalized statements about a first gen's education were relatable, but then even her university experience was not. She joined a fucking sorority full of white girls for fucks sake, and then spoke about how she related more with the housekeepers than her sisters and yet she stayed there.

While a resilient and intelligent woman Campoverdi is, I related with the "cholas" who felt she had no business in their friend group more than her.

[Stephanie Salay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite a promising premise, First Gen felt monotonous and self-focused. Alejandra Campoverdi mostly recounts her own rise without offering the depth or vulnerability I expected from a story about resilience. The tone is often moralizing, and the anecdotes lack nuance or perspective. The message about being a “first-gen” success could have been inspiring, but the writing feels self-absorbed. When I finished the book, I felt no emotion or authenticity, only the fatigue of having read an extended act of self-promotion.

[Lckeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of meeting Alejandra Campoverdi at an intimate author talk sponsored by the Latino Colleague Network at my company, as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. She was so wonderful and impressive, I started her book right away. I particularly enjoyed the parts about her time campaigning for President Obama and working in the White House.

[Gabie Bernal · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a first gen Latine person, this book is for you. I felt seen and validated. Finally some of the things I had experienced were put into words that I had not been able to express. Thank you Alejandra.

[yours truly, jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Real rating: 1.75 at its worst, 2.25 at its best

To be honest, apart from this being a memoir and having decent ratings, I wasn’t sure why I picked this book up for the good-reads hispanic heritage month challenge — I think it was the cheapest on amazon. I wanted to come in with an open mind, but I should’ve known better when she described herself as an Obama aide and congressional candidate before other achievements. The first chapter of my used copy was difficult to get through with the juvenile annotations, as seeing scribles of “red flag every two pages is rather distracting. But I’m not here to judge the previous owner, and was grateful they stopped halfway into the second chapter. I had a gut instinct from the prologue that my expectations of a book written by someone who prided themselves on being a political aide to a neoliberal president was correct.

The common motif that Campovedri continuously brought up was a phrase she seemed to coincide with herself: “First and Only”. I appreciate the constancy in use, however the consistency in meaning confused me, which began in her defining it, where the term clear states “and” but she says it includes first gens “or” people who are the only in their fields, which makes you wonder what the true definition is if the original is so wishy washy. The inconsistency comes to light when she describes Barack Obama as a “First and Only” which if you utilize it as a fact that he is the first and currently only black president, sure but he is not a first generation student, nor a first generation — both his white American mother, whom he grew up around, and his Kenyan father met while attending University, and his father went on to go to Harvard during his early years. This was during the seventh chapter where I took issue with this reoccurring motif because the use on Obama is questionable regarding his privilege and not being First Gen (what was defined as what the “First” referred to), but also how I felt that referring to someone as the “only” discounts the possibility of others making the achievement such as other family members or members of the community, and also isolates the community of those that make the achievement of being the first gen which Campoverdi’s accounts also disputes when she met other first gen Mexican classmates at Harvard. While I don’t want to discount the fact that she felt isolated as the first person in her family to achieve her feats, it really bugs me with the inconsistency or poor semantics of a term she really wants to push.

My next issue with the book is how a point or anecdote is made and is supposed to be some sort of big deal and never goes anywhere. One of the selling points of the book was that she had a boyfriend in a gang, and she leads up to reconciling with said boyfriend before going to the prestigious USC, and describes fantasy. But after saying she met him at a party she does not ever go anywhere with it. Many anecdotes in this memoir go exactly like this. One that irritated me was her story about going to Palestine (West Bank) and Israel, where she describes seeing the IOF bases then having to go through their military checkpoint that they control to go to Palestine and visiting a refugee camp and a divided city. Although I am admittedly and rightfully biased towards the plight of the Palestinian people against their colonial oppressors, I was frustrated that Campoverdi wrote down the inequality between the two and the main takeaway was that she got to see different perspectives and it made her see her place in the world. The next paragraph was not an elaboration on what perspective she gained but instead all the fun things she got to do. If she truly wanted to make it about herself, could’ve been an amazing moment where she goes back to the interview that the interviewer grills her on what countries she’s visited and talk about how she now has the opportunity to jump over a previous hurdle but doesn’t. Much of the anecdotes feel so self centerd at times, such as how she got slut shamed by a peer, and another classmate dogpiled onto her where she goes on about people not taking her seriously because she is pretty (which is awful to have people embarrass you in front of your class and I’ve been there with people not taking me seriously because of my looks) but it reminded me of the Adrianna Lima anecdote that became a joke copypasta on gay twitter about how kids chased her on the playground calling her pretty face, and that the complaint about how people think you’re pretty feel like such a “humble-brag” that she got oppressed for being pretty. She discusses this as sexism, but it still didn’t sit right with me and I had to re-read the entire passage again, where she boomerang’s back the classmates criticism, which rubbed me the wrong way because I wasn’t sure that the classmate could’ve been taken advantage of by the man who she had the affair with (although with further research Paula Broadwell doesn’t seem like the best person in the world and that she was active in cheating on her husband whom she had kids with). What bothered me most was about how she primed it with a much more concerning story — a friend who has a visible disability and was called a cripple by a professor, and instead of questioning how people in prestigious institutions perpetrate and get away abusing and harassing those at the bottom of the food chain, she makes this about herself, she enrolls in the class and she gets a whole section about herself. I think the story would’ve been less agitating to me if the orders were switched from: dogpiled in class for being pretty —> people at harvard suck and even professors will harass you in front of your peers because a disability which in this society has very few privileges is a much more cause for concern than being attractive and people being jealous.

I had to question thought my entire time reading this book, who is this book for? At times I thought it was for someone who was more privileged like me and did not have to have periods where there were no food, or navigate college all on my own. But then I see the resources and the genealogy chart and think it is for other first gens. A quarter into the final chapter I thought I had been through enough that I won’t be swayed by a review on my takes for the book definitely answered the questions. The overwhelmingly positive reviews were often from other white folks who are impressed by the accomplishments than the writings. The more critical ones were from other Latinx folks who didn’t feel their culture was represented as the author became more accomplished. But on recent review agreed with the hunch I had that this book is likely utilized to promote another future congressional campaign, where books are an unspoken requirement. It explained the need to make “First and Only” as a term happen like “Critical Race theory” so that she can claim she coined it. The same review questioned if it was ghost written since they listened to the audiobook and it felt disconnected, however I cannot attest to that as I’ve never seen her other work. But, it does frustrate me that the biggest accomplishments were working for Obama driving a BMW and going to Harvard, when going to college and working for a war criminal aren’t considered success stories or what we should all attain for if we want to move towards upward mobility. Reading about her work with the BRCA gene advocacy, specifically with Latinas is much more admirable in my opinion and it was barely written about. She is still very young in her career and is currently up to the minute doing things much more worth writing and advocating for. I think there were certain ways she presented herself that shoots herself in the foot with this book and her career where she prided herself on being an Obama aid for a rep campaign when people want someone who is hands on than a washington insider which her work with teaching incarcerated minors should’ve been who she presented herself as, while the Obama work would’ve been a footnote for such campaign. I think that this follows the curse of neoliberal self branding and the values that our late-stage capitalist society has forced upon us.

Lastly, because I don’t want to make this review longer than it should be if someone wants to read it, I find the Gen X/Y neolib references incredibly irritating. The first was the Hillary Clinton genogram example that the therapist used, which is the most white feminist cringe thing ever. I feel bad for dogging on it in reference for this book because it seemed to be a very revealing event in Campoverdi understanding her family and her roots. However, In my previous classes the main example used was Slavery specifically regarding epigenetics, Beyoncé even used such concept for Lemonade but I feel like Slavery would’ve been a much more profound example with empirical evidence rather than fan fiction about a war criminal. The other millennial cringe moment was the Lin Manuel Miranda Disney song reference but that’s just me being a hater.

[Lania Akhmetzyanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt drawn into the life of a woman who was the first in her family to achieve so much, and it really made me think about the challenges she faced. Following her journey from humble beginnings, I felt the weight of her struggles and the courage it took to step into spaces where she often felt out of place. Her story made me reflect on the sacrifices that come with ambition, the constant push to prove oneself, and the quiet strength required to carry the hopes of a family while forging one’s own path.

What struck me most was how honestly she shared both triumphs and vulnerabilities. I could feel the tension of navigating elite institutions and professional spaces as someone from an underrepresented background, and the emotional toll of balancing cultural identity with societal expectations. Reading about her health challenges and personal hardships alongside her achievements made her resilience feel even more remarkable, and I couldn’t help but empathize with the complexity of her journey.

Beyond the accomplishments and obstacles, I connected with her reflections on identity, belonging, and the pressure of being a trailblazer. She wasn’t portrayed as perfect; she made mistakes, experienced fear, and had moments of doubt, which made her story feel authentic and human. By the end, I felt inspired and challenged, reminded of the courage it takes to break barriers, stay true to oneself, and navigate the intersections of ambition, family, and heritage.


she is me. read this like I talk deep with her. heartwarming book ❤️

[Sarah Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

impactful. i couldn’t stop reading it. Being raised by immigrants and describing the hard journey of being a female First and Only was touching and inspiring.

[Roxanne (The Novel Sanctuary) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine, I wish she had unpacked her politics more but I guess if she hasnt grown past them that's a silly thing for me to wish for

[Elizabeth Camarena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have soooo many thoughts and will probably rewrite this when I am able to contextualize them, but this was PHENOMENAL!!

[abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
idk if i would call her a first gen.. her grandmother immigrated to the US and established a home in LA.. and even though her mom lived in mexico, she went to school in the US so can she technically be 2nd gen? idk but overall she’s a baddie ig

[Stacey Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. As a first gen, I found myself identifying and being being able to empathize with so much of what Campoverdi was saying. Many times in my life I thought that there must be something wrong with me but Campoverdi was able to label all those feelings and help me realize that I am not alone and the feelings I had were completely normal for a first gen.

[Reverend Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was fortunate enough to meet the author when she came to campus which is the only reason I read the book
While I may have bias, I did not enjoy this read as I rank it as equal to the Ross Perot memoir
It came across really whiny and acted as if the first generation experience was unique to her when there are many many people who are first generation who reach great heights
I wasn’t deeply touched by this story in the way I was by Jennet Walls and felt that First Generation honestly shouldn’t have been written
Still accomplished women though 💃💃💃

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon, thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy.

[Hannah Fuhrmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved her vulnerable writing and explanation of invisible inheritances and being parentified children. Lots of lightbulb moments and very beautiful writing!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

For context, I read this all in one day - meaning, today as the snow falls. Is it just me or do I get a heavy itch/thirst for reading during inclement weather? It's as if I can finish up two books in one day. Is that normal? Anyway..

I really enjoyed "First Gen." Alejandra talks about her family ties, drama, and a lot of trauma. I especially liked how she did not resent her family for being toxic, but remained neutral in many aspects. I like how she is transparent in recognizing how her mother got a certain way, instead of bottling anger and frustration. I like how she grew up despite it all.

There are several mentions and references to Catholicism, breast cancer, and being a first generation American. I would like to think that Alejandra appears to be more American socially and Mexican via blood. She mentions much of the Virgin Mary and Her guidance, but yet she's so self reliant that I applaud her efforts to break her family curses!

I also like how she includes stigma against Mexican women - how they dress, act, and move around. I think it was impressive how she could recollect her younger, adolescent years and one night affairs with Spider and Calm (names unknown). I like to say that what really catches me, though, is her ability to recount her experiences as a female reporter. I think it's definitely still stigmatized for how women should dress, but we are slowly paving our way out into wearing suits and ties, instead of dresses. Really reminds me of "Boat Baby" and "Connie."

Despite all these positives, I think there's some detail that needs to be tweaked: I want to see more of her Harvard days: how did she manage to pay the tuition? dorming experience? academics? I also want to see how she experiences romantic and platonic relationships in her 30s? 40s? Clearly, there is some more I want to see!

Personally, I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the concept of dysfunctional family ties and the tendency to be better than the other generation. It gives me more understanding of Mexican-American upbringing, hope, and female resistance to becoming one with the mold.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know who Campoverdi was before I picked up her memoir, but I quickly grew to love her after reading this. As the first in my family to do many things, I resonated with parts of her story, including the daunting task that is college/graduate school applications as a first-gen applicant, impostor syndrome, and her incredibly close relationship with her grandmother, who she calls Abi.

Her story also shed light on things that I resonated with less: being born to immigrant parents who struggled financially and personally, as well as undoing years of trauma from parentification and abuse, to name a couple. I'm left in awe of her strength, resolve, and courage to chase a future for herself and do the work to understand how her upbringing shaped her - for better and for worse.

Long story short, this quickly rocketed to a top spot on my list of favorite memoirs. Campoverdi is an incredible storyteller, and has quite a story to tell that I'm sure resonates with many of her readers.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably a book I will recommend over and over for years to come. I stumbled upon it after watching an Instagram or something that just was showing different books that you should read that were Latino authors and I cannot begin to tell you what a great book it was. Her descriptions were just so easy to relate to and I was so happy to see someone speaking about something that maybe not a lot of other people realize. I had Book Club today and recommended it to everybody there then recommended it to my family members and I just cannot say enough about this. It is so nicely written and it’s definitely something that I think not just Latinas will understand, but also first born also anyone who felt a certain way while growing up like if they had to be the parent maybe. It was just such a well written book and such a inspiring one as well.

[emoneyferndawg · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh i loved this! getting to meet her in person and hear her speak about her life was the cherry on top to this book. she is an angel and so smart and so cool and i am fangirling hard. the way she reflects on her experience as a first generation american, first to go to college, first to “make it” is so full of empathy, honesty, self-awareness, and self-love. great book to learn about latina experience in the US. she takes you through every up and down, every precious family moment, every point of self doubt. it’s so real and human and inspiring eep.

[Sofia Riker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for work before our staff discussion…but it was an easy read. A really important story about being first generation to college, navigating imposter syndrome, childhood trauma, etc. The idea of navigating an “invisible curriculum” was particularly interesting. At times it felt she was writing an argumentative essay rather than a memoir, and I didn’t feel that she needed to create labels/neatly categorize all of her experiences in order for it to still be powerful. But that’s just me being picky