Through July 4, The Post, in conjunction with the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, is featuring US citizens explaining what the American dream means to them in 2026 — including Maria Contreras-Sweet, the former United States Administrator of the Small Business Administration.

I was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I had this beautiful grandmother who believed in the power of “yes.” In everything that I’ve done, I’ve always remembered beautiful Emelia and the power of yes. Yes to whatever I could do to help others. Because she believed that if you helped others and brought others along that, somehow, it would come back to you.

I arrived [in the US] at the age of five, and I couldn’t speak a word of English … One of my frustrations growing up [was], I never saw a young little Latina girl from Mexico making it big. That was just not the book that was out there. And so I started a little organization called HOPE: Hispanas Organized for Political Equality. And now program that has women around the country who are playing leadership roles …

I was very interested in working for my local state senator and then moved up in that process and from there I was hired by a large corporation to represent them in government affairs. Eventually I became California’s Secretary of Education, and then started a bank. And then President Obama asked me to serve on his cabinet as America’s Administrator of the US Small Business Administration.

The reason I’m so committed to small businesses is … because of the important role that it plays in our economy. If you start a business, you’re expanding the middle class … And when you expand the middle class, you’re deepening democracy. You’re creating folks who can become decision makers and become leaders in communities.

When I hearken back to what my grandmother’s lesson was … She was a migrant worker, and she always said, if you work hard and you bring others along, someday you might be able to work in an office and be a secretary. The good Lord heard her — and allowed me to hold office and to be a cabinet secretary. That’s the American dream.

The American Dream Video Project showcases real stories that illuminate pathways to opportunity. Featured at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD), this series is part of the Center’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. MCAAD is Washington, DC’s newest cultural institution, offering interactive exhibits and stories about achieving the American Dream. For more information, visit mcaad.org.