José Quiñonez has spent most of the past decade helping the financially invisible build credit and obtain loans. Last week, his commitment to helping low-income communities, which are so often excluded from the mainstream banking system, earned him $625,000 in the form of a MacArthur genius grant. He’s one of 23 this year to win genius grants, which are given to people who have demonstrated unusual creativity, are highly accomplished in their field, and show they have significant potential.
Born in Mexico, Quiñonez came to the U.S. as a child after his mother died of cancer, having been unable to afford medical care; his father had passed away before that. Quiñonez is well acquainted with the hardships that can face poor, undocumented immigrants in this county. In 2007, he helped found the Mission Asset Fund, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that helps those without access to the financial system build credit and get zero-interest loans. Quiñonez has successfully expanded the organization and enlisted several nonprofit partners since its inception.
I spoke with Quiñonez about winning the award, how his childhood shaped his current path, and how the U.S. is progressing when it comes to serving underbanked populations. The interview below has been lightly edited for clarity.
[For more of this story, written by Gillian B. White, go to http://www.theatlantic.com/bus...n-asset-fund/501512/]
Comments (0)