Made in the barrio

Jaime Casap credits his Argentine mother, Catholic educators and basketball with keeping him in line as a child.

Casap, now business operations manager for Google in Phoenix, grew up in Hell’s Kitchen, a seedy Manhattan neighborhood ruled by pimps, drugs dealers and organized crime.

Casap says he saw his first murder when he was nine years old. By 18, he’d attended a dozen funerals, and never thought he’d live to be 21.
Now 40, Casap uses his life experiences to reach disadvantaged youth, with the message that they, too, can make something of their lives – and that technology will help them get there.

“Technology levels the playing field in many ways,” says the dark-haired, bright-eyed Casap. “If you can learn to use the tools of technology [like the Internet] there is almost nothing you can’t do. You can be just as knowledgeable as the next kid. You don’t need a fancy library or special tools,” he added. “Information is power and now anyone can get to it.”

Casap, who teaches Leadership and Organizational Behavior at Arizona State University, who was named one of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s “Top 40 Under 40” leaders. He also acts as a bridge between Google and ASU, and spends time raising awareness of Google within the community – from volunteering at math and science fairs to encouraging young Latinos to pursue a college education.

A recent study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, “Getting Ahead or Losing Ground: Mobility in America,” found that Hispanic and black Americans are falling behind non-Hispanic whites and Asians in earning college degrees, making it harder for them to enter the middle class.

“I just want to get in front of as many kids as I can, who are growing up the way I grew up, and show them that ‘if I can do it, you can too,’ “ he said.
Casap grew up on welfare, while his mother put herself through nursing school. He said he understands the challenges poor Latinos face and he’s determined to make a difference.

“The reason that I teach is that I went through high school, through college and through graduate school without ever having a Latino in front of me,” he said. “I never liked that.”

Now, he’s trying to be “that guy” in and out of the classroom. He estimates some 300,000 Latinos work in technology compared with millions of non-Hispanics.

At Google, a company known for its diversity (although a company rep said it doesn’t release the demographics of its employees), Casap doesn’t see himself as a “token.”

He also points out that cultural diversity is a bonus in the workplace, for the employer and the employee, and he encourages Latinos not to hide their origins at work.

“You can’t be ashamed of who you are and where you come from,” he said. “I think that’s a mistake, because I think those are the things that make you different and give you a different perspective.”

But he warns Latinos not to isolate themselves in the process of being proud of their heritage, because learning how to navigate beyond one’s own culture and values are just as important to be successful.

His jobs have included working for the New York Department of Social Services on welfare reform, to working as a senior manager for Charles Schwab’s technology services department.

Both were jobs he enjoyed, he said, but with Google he feels like he’s found a home — one that allows him to get out into the community and be on the cutting edge of technology.

“I guess what speaks to me about technology is that it doesn’t discriminate,” he said. “It doesn’t set low expectations. The computer doesn’t look at you as a Latino and only give you access to limited sites. It’s the same to everyone.”