The foyer at the Narciso Rodriguez atelier and offices is exactly what you’d imagine it to be – sleek and chic, a marriage of modern and minimal that perfectly exudes his design DNA.

As Rodriguez enters the third decade in business, he’s racked up quite the impressive résumé with said DNA. The room I interview him in is lined with magazine covers featuring style icons in his designs, from Angelina Jolie and Uma Thurman to Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, and Kerry Washington. These images bring to life the structural, elegant lines Rodriguez – one of American fashion’s greats – is known for.

Though born in Newark, New Jersey, the designer describes his upbringing as “super Cuban-American,” and credits his current perspective of the world to the colors, foods, smells and strong Cuban family values he was raised with.

“I always thought it [my upbringing] was one of the things that propelled me forward…seeing the Cuban community’s perseverance, how hard they worked and how creative they were with nothing at all,” Rodriguez told me. “To see my mom literally make things by hand, or cut hair…Or watching my aunt take apart her radio and weld it back together because there wasn’t an opportunity to have a new one.”

Rodriguez, whose astrological sign is Aquarius, is soft-spoken and reflective. During our conversation, several of my questions prompt him to think and reminisce about his family, and his responses are lined with tenderness.

He tells me about the summers he spent in Miami as a kid. “That’s my hometown,” I told him, excitedly. It occurs to me at that moment that we have more in common than being gay Latinos and first-generation Americans. Just like me, Rodriguez grew up in a Spanish-speaking household. His parents immigrated in the 1950s.

“We learned Spanish first,” he recalled. “However, I was very aware of how little English my parents spoke by the time I was in my teens.”

The reality for some first-generation Latinxs is that our parents will have a lifelong struggle with the English language because of a cerebral barrier in language acquisition – it’s not laziness, which is what some people have accused Latin immigrants of.

Because of this, first-generation American children often serve as translators for their families. We become the liaison between our parents and our teachers, bank tellers, their debt collectors, utility bills, hospital settlements, grocery clerks, restaurant servers – all at a very young age.

In the community Rodriguez grew up in, the “amazing Latin women that were bigger than life” inspired him.

“I looked up to them,” Rodriguez said. “We had a great aunt who taught everybody how to cook and she had amazing style without the means – the gold bangles and jewelry…the colors she wore…When you’re a child and you see that, you can’t help but be impressed by it.”

The definition of his customer is crafted by the diverse women that shaped him in his life. He never wanted to classify his girl as uptown or downtown, and never sought to dress only the “cool” girl. For Rodriguez, she has always been ageless.

Jessica Seinfeld, Claire Danes, Julianna Margulies, and Sarah Jessica Parker are among the women who have and continue to support him. They have also become close friends and, he said, “Nothing makes me happier that they’ve all become a part of my work. They are what takes me to the next season or next design because they’re all inspiring.”

Then there is Michelle Obama who, on the night President Barack Obama won his first term in 2008, wore a red and black dress from his Spring 2009 collection.

“There are no words for a moment like that,” he recalled. “I was so invested, as we all were, in an election that said so much about our country, humanity, and the world at large. This brilliant man marked the beginning such an important time. I try to stay focused on how good that was, and the fact that I was such a small part of it was so unbelievable. I felt pretty incredible.”

Needless to say, Rodriguez is highly respected by the Latin community. His humble self may not realize the extent of his impact on us.

Growing up, Narciso was a household name for me. My mother instilled me with a love for fashion, and although her knowledge of designers wasn’t extensive, she could always name the Latin ones with Narciso being at the top.

Why does representation like this matter? Because there are children like me who, when visiting museums, see work from creators who do not look like them. Rodriguez’s work – which has been shown in museums – inspires people like me to feel confident in their dreams.

When I share this with him, I can tell how moved he is. He takes a moment of silence to let it sink in, and we both hold back tears.

“It’s not only what you’ve done in fashion, but also what you represent to your community,” he said. “That’s a big honor, for so many reasons.”

Looking at his decorated wall, he added, “All of this, at this age now, is an incredible gift that I’m being given. It means so much to me because I never dreamed my work could touch lives.”

The day before my interview, I read that rates of detained children in migrant camps had skyrocketed, reaching its highest level ever. Such setbacks and the anti-immigrant sentiments in the current administrations are a worry.

Yet here I am, in front of Narciso Rodriguez, a successful, gay Cuban designer; a son of two immigrants, and a first-generation American. He is the proud father of two beautiful children, to which he now refers to as his most important and rewarding job.

“My children’s last name is Rodriguez, and I hope they’re very proud of that,” Rodriguez said. “The same way I’m proud of my parents for passing it down to me.”

He remains hopeful that the errors made by government will serve to lay the groundwork for a brighter future for his children.

For Narciso Rodriguez, this month is about celebrating the opportunities his parents gave him, and the opportunities he’s passing along to his children as a result. It’s celebrating all people of Latin heritage who come to America and thrive here thanks to the same shared dream of making their mark.

“I’m very American, but I’m also super Cuban,” he said with conviction. “I am incredibly proud that I can be both things and celebrate them at the same time.”

The accolades keep coming. In June, he received the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award at the CFDA Fashion Awards, and was named one of “25 Most Influential Hispanics in America” by Time magazine. He was honored for Special Achievement in Fashion by American Latino Media Arts Award, awarded for Excellence in the Arts by the iconic El Museo del Barrio, and, earlier this month, recently received the 2018 Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion by The Museum at FIT.

“I was just this year given two incredible recognitions,” Rodriguez said. “I couldn’t miss the opportunity to thank my parents who came here as immigrants and worked so hard so that I could have this chance to do my work, and to be the person and designer that I am today.”

Editor’s Note: This feature is part of an ongoing editorial series celebrating Latinxs in fashion during National Hispanic Heritage Month.  Click here to access the series.