The son of a Mexican Catholic father with aristocratic roots and a mother of Eastern European Jewish descent, Carlos E. Cortés grew up wedged between cultures, living a childhood in “constant crossfire—straddling borders, balancing loves and loyalties, and trying to fit into a world that wasn't quite ready.” In some ways, even his family wasn't quite ready (for him). His request for a bar mitzvah sent his proud father into a cursing rage. He was...
