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Scenes from early voting: Believing in the American dream

Enrique Loyola strode out of the polling place at the Karsh Alumni Center oozing enthusiasm — eyes wide and smiling.

Loyola, 28, is a first-generation American. His parents came as undocumented immigrants to Los Angeles more than 30 years ago from Mexico, where much of his extended family still lives. He attended Wake Forest University on a full-tuition scholarship, and after graduating in 2018, went back to L.A. to work in tech sales.

His biggest issue is immigration. His parents spent the first decade of this millennium on the path to U.S. residency, which they finally achieved in 2010. That was after Loyola was accepted to a prestigious all-boys prep school in Los Angeles — Loyola High School (the name is a coincidence).

His family’s story was covered in local news at the time, but the stories incorrectly reported a crucial detail: Loyola himself was never at risk of deportation since he was born in the U.S. Only his parents would have been sent back to Mexico if they hadn’t obtained residency, but as they were Loyola’s only relatives in America, he would have gone back with them. 

The judge on the case — a first-generation Cuban-American — granted Loyola’s parents residency because of their son’s achievement and potential. According to Loyola, the judge told his parents that he did not want to take away their son’s educational opportunity by deporting them.

Loyola’s parents gained citizenship in 2019, 19 years after beginning the naturalization process.

During the pandemic, Loyola and a friend started a company renting out food trucks for days to weeks, adopting a short-term rental approach “similar to Airbnb’s business model.” Through pitch competitions, public grants, and accelerator programs, including Grid110, they raised $250k. They had a fleet of four food trucks after three years of running the business.

“It’s very remarkable to have those experiences… when I started that business, I was only 24,” Loyola said. He sold off his share of the company in 2023 before coming to business school, where he is now.

To be successful in life, Loyola said, you have to build connections and have a gritty mentality. “People sometimes just don’t have the drive.”

Yet, as an MBA student, Loyola worries about the job market. He took out loans to go to business school and is very aware he will need to pay those back down the line. The better the economy is, the greater his confidence that he’ll be able to pay off his debt. He wants to “work hard, contribute, but at the same time, get paid fairly.”

Loyola was driven to vote because he wants to ensure his future can mirror his past — hard work equals success. “I look at my cousins in Mexico, they don’t have the same opportunities as me.” 

All this has influenced Loyola’s outlook on the election, America, and life. He did not want to disclose who he voted for, just that immigration and economic policy were the main factors.

He said he still believes in the American dream.

“I’m very lucky to be an American.”

Above: Enrique Loyola pauses after emerging from an early voting site on Tuesday. Photo by Kulsoom Rizavi — The 9th Street Journal