Ruben Navarrette, Jr. is a graduate of Harvard College. He has done doctoral work in education, has served the College Board as a consultant for Latino student affairs, and has worked as an assistant to a federal appellate judge. Mr. Navarrette has also taught in elementary and secondary schools and, at twenty-three, as an instructor at California State University, Fresno.

Mr. Navarrette has published nearly one hundred editorials for newspapers and magazines. His work has appeared most regularly in the Sunday "Opinion" section of the Los Angeles Times, though he has also written for the Chicago Tribune , Albuquerque Journal , Kansas City Star , Arizona Republic and dozens of other newspapers. He also recently had a weekly column at The Fresno Bee, where he was the first Latino columnist in that newspaper's history.