The son of an immigrant father from Colombia and the grandson of Ellis Island immigrants, Richard Barrera’s story is one of sacrifice, opportunity, and the transformative power of public education.
Richard’s family came to the United States searching for a better life and quickly learned that public education is the single greatest equalizer in American society—when our schools thrive, so do our communities.
A San Diego native, Richard attended public school from kindergarten through college, graduating from the University of California, San Diego before earning a master’s in public policy from Harvard University.
After graduation, Richard returned home and spent years organizing domestic workers, healthcare workers, and nurses fighting for fair wages, better conditions, and respect on the job.
Through that work, he saw firsthand how deeply public schools shaped the futures of the communities he served. Determined to ensure every child had access to the same opportunities that had shaped his own life, he ran for the San Diego Unified School Board (SDUSD).
