Arturo Vargas was born in El Paso, Texas and grew up in the Pico Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. His office — where he is executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials — is still there today. “When we first moved there it was in transition from being largely African American and white to being Mexican, and by the time my family moved out it had become the heart of the Central American community,” Vargas said. Read more about Vargas below.

Q. What music have you listened to today?

A. I just came from a restaurant in Olvera Street, where I was listening to Mexican trio music.

Q. What is your favorite word?

A. Excellent.

Q. Who is your favorite fictional character?

A. Jean-Luc Picard.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A. A doctor or a lawyer or a priest.

Q. What is your favorite cocktail?

A. Ketel One up, dry, with a twist.

Q. If you could take only one more journey, where would you go?

A. It would be between Italy and Australia.

Q. What is your fondest childhood memory?

A. I don’t remember if it was my sixth or seventh birthday, but my mom threw me a party with all the frills.

Q. If you were about to be executed, what would you want for your final meal?

A. My mother’s taquitos.

Q. Who is the one person living or dead you would most want to meet for dinner?

A. Franklin Roosevelt.

To read about Vargas’ panel on the Census, click here.

*Photo by Aaron Salcido.