Primary Movement:
Anti-Nationalism
Position:
Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, 2001-
Primary Historical Role:
Opponent of the Bush administration's post-9/11 civil liberties abuses.
Date and Place of Birth:
July 9, 1965 in New York City
Life:
For most of his early childhood, Romero lived with his working-class parents in a Bronx housing project. His father, having been denied a promotion on the basis of his Puerto Rican ancestry, found a good union lawyer and sued for it--gaining the promotion and increasing the family's standard of living in the process. This gave Romero a firsthand appreciation for civil rights law. He would go on to attend Stanford University School of Law, then work in the nonprofit sector for ten years before being tapped to lead the ACLU.
