Victor Villaseñor was born in 1940, in a barrio (Spanish neighborhood) in Carlsbad, California. Until the age of four, he was raised by his Yaqui grandmother, a woman whose spiritual teachings and wisdom defined Villaseñor’s worldview. Villaseñor’s parents were immigrants, born and raised in Mexico, who had not received extensive formal education. The family moved to their newly built ranch at South Oceanside after Villaseñor’s father managed to build a successful business. Villaseñor’s family primarily spoke Spanish at home.

Villaseñor struggled with the “English only” policy of the American school system. He and other Latino children were subject to abuse and racial discrimination that marginalized them in class and often inhibited their academic progress. Villaseñor struggled with reading, as teachers and the overall ill-equipped educational system failed to recognize his dyslexia. Intimidation and cultural barriers frustrated Villaseñor and made him terrified of school. He failed in English but was a bright student in other subjects. Eventually, he dropped out of high school and found work in the fields using his ranch life experience.

Villaseñor traveled to Mexico as a young man, where he reconnected with his cultural heritage. There, he discovered the rich Mexican culture, art, literature, and music and saw Mexicans holding various prestigious jobs, which formed an important contrast to the Mexican immigrants limited to agricultural roles back in the US.