Book Review: The Immigrant Survival Guide to Silicon Valley

When you hear the word immigrant, what usually comes to mind? Is it a farm worker? If I’m honest, that’s what usually comes to mind for me. I need to work on getting rid of this stereotype because I know many immigrants, and none of the ones I know are farm workers. 

So, when I came across Carlos Quezada on LinkedIn and saw that he had a book about Silicon Valley, I immediately bought it. I also messaged him to see if he would be willing to share his story on my podcast. And he said yes! 

His book, The Immigrant Survival Guide to Silicon Valley, is about his journey to becoming Vice President of a leading global Fortune 100 tech company. Not only does he share the steps and journey to get there, but he also provides life lessons that anyone can use to better themselves and their current position. I like that he made this a collaborative project and had industry leaders share their wisdom too. 

Expanding Your Horizons 

Right in chapter one, Carlos warns that our community will shrink as we work on growing ourselves. We will notice that there are people in our community who will either add to our success or hold us back. He then says, “Most immigrants are very family-oriented and weigh the family’s opinion very heavily. Many times, it is our own family who are the biggest crusher of dreams.” 

I’ve definitely noticed this with my own family. This is why I’ve withheld projects I’m working on or things I’m planning on doing because of the negative comments I know I’ll get. But Carlos also lets us know that as we lose people from our community, we will also gain a new community as we grow. 

Elevate Yourself 

One thing that stood out to me in chapter three was Carlos's statement, “People can only see you through the lenses of their own limits, so being intentional about surrounding yourself with people who have unlimited mindsets is really the key.” When someone is telling you that you cannot do something, it’s because they are seeing you through their own limits. In reality, they cannot see themselves doing what you are trying to do. Also, it’s your vision and dream; they don’t have to understand. 

I’ve had to learn this in my own life, and I've learned who I share my visions with and who I don’t. 

Finding a Mentor 

Carlos shares a story of his father’s friend being his father’s mentor and actually Carlos’s too. Because of this friend, Carlos’s dad was able to leave the landscaping business and land a job at a high-tech company. Also, every time Tony came over, he would bring his laptop, and Carlos was fascinated by it. So much so that Tony encouraged Carlos to get into computers. And this encouraged Carlos to get into tech. 

In the book, Carlos says everyone needs a Tony, and I’ve written before about the importance of having a mentor, so I completely agree! 

In Conclusion

The book has great personal development content and the lessons there are for everyday life, not just Silicon Valley. You also learn about Carlos’s upbringing and family. I had the privilege of interviewing him for my podcast - his episode is scheduled for 03/25/2025, so stay tuned for that and learn more about him. 

With Love, Heidy 

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