Emanuel Pleitez was born and raised on the East side of Los Angeles. He grew up in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles and was raised by his single mother, Isabel Bravo, an immigrant from Mexico. Isabel worked long hours for low pay to provide for Emanuel and his younger sister, Saray. Before Emanuel turned 10, the family had to move more than 10 times in order to make ends meet, and their meager circumstance forced Emanuel to take on responsibilities beyond that of his young age, including managing the family budget, acting as a translator for his mother, and caring for his younger sister. Isabel's devotion and optimism shaped Emanuel, and he committed himself to serving his community to honor her sacrifice and make his own contributions.

Although Emanuel's youth was far from privileged, his upbringing exposed him to the cultural diversity of East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. He delved into his mother's Mexican roots, explored the Latino and Asian communities in the Valley, and discovered the El Salvadoran heritage of his absent father. He studied at Wilson High School and become a celebrated athlete. Emanuel became Wilson High's first-ever recipient of both the prestigious Warren Christopher Scholarship and the National Hispanic Heritage Youth Award for Sports. Thanks to the support of his community, he became the first member of his family to go to college. He attended Stanford University, where he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Urban Studies.

College endowed Emanuel with the leadership skills needed to effectively serve his community and introduced him to partners who shared his vision. He became involved with the Quest Scholars Program, which helps high school students from underserved communities. Along the way, Emanuel found others who, like him, shared his commitment to service and believed that they could change their communities for the better. Many of these people are driving his campaign for Congress today.

Emanuel's expertise in economics has been recognized at the highest levels. After the election of President Obama, Emanuel was selected to serve on the President's Treasury Department Transition Team. The skills he developed while working in finance and his experiences growing up in El Sereno allowed him to see how the complexities of financial policy connect with the lives of everyday working Americans. These insights allowed him to assess the policies of the Treasury Department and provide frank and honest evaluations to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

Emanuel Pleitez has advocated increasing opportunities for working Americans during his entire career. Currently, Pleitez serves on the boards of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the New Leaders Council, the Salvadoran American Leadership and Education Fund, and the Woodrow Wilson Alumni Scholarship Foundation. He previously served as a board member for Voto Latino, the League of Women Voters, C.E.O. Women, and Equal Rights Advocates. If elected to the House of Representatives, he will continue to fight for working families in East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley, and he will work to bring to everyone the same opportunities that he was so fortunate to have.

Emanuel currently resides in El Sereno. He is engaged to Cynthia Carrasco, the daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants and first-generation college and law school graduate.