Linda Caballero-Sotelo: Empowerment Through Art

As the Executive Director of the New Americans Museum, Linda Caballero-Sotelo is deeply committed to the advancement of immigrants of all backgrounds, believing in the power of storytelling, civic engagement and exposure to arts and culture as powerful catalysts for the integration, inclusion and celebration of new Americans. 
Caballero-Sotelo is an immigrant herself. She was born and raised in Tijuana and describes herself as binational and bicultural because she, as many others, used to cross the border every day to go to school starting from elementary school all the way through college. 
“I really believe that the binational San Diego-Tijuana energy, the whole background, and exposure you have early on gives you a very interesting set of skills,” Caballero-Sotelo said. “Being binational makes you very resourceful. You make things happen, you are a problem solver, and you have to be because you navigate two worlds.” 
Caballero-Sotelo received her bachelor of arts degree in international relations and history after studying at UCLA and at U.S. International University. She also received her master of arts degree in international business and economics and marketing concentration from Webster-Regents College and UK and London School of Economics. 
Caballero-Sotelo also holds executive training and certificates in organizational management, and leadership studies from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. 
“I was always really interested in history, sociology but I also had a real neck for business because I come from an entrepreneurial family; my father always had his own business. I decided to study international business with minors in history and marketing,” Caballero-Sotelo said. “When I was in graduate school in England, I was approached about working on a visual arts project in San Diego. Prior to that I had already been working in editing and writing for local publications.” 
When Caballero-Sotelo came back from London, it was to work on InSite, an internationally acclaimed U.S.-Mexico public art initiative, in 1997. She also worked on InSite 2000, where she organized and collaborated in the development of over 80 original public art installations and educational exhibition-related commissions and works spearheading logistics, budgets, curatorial and artistic residencies and production teams. She handled all of this while overseeing the development and creation of a variety of works by both established and emerging international artists in two versions of the initiative. 
“As director of projects for InSite, I worked with artistic residencies to explore the dynamics of the binational, bicultural region of San Diego-Tijuana through public and visual arts,” Caballero-Sotelo said. “Essentially, it was a project about bringing artists from all over the world to see what the San Diego-Tijuana region is about through an artistic process.” 
Caballero-Sotelo has over 25 years of professional experience as a senior level executive, advocate and activist for high profile national and international projects and organizations. She is fluent in Spanish, conversant in French and has led initiatives and high performing teams in a variety of corporate, public and non-profit settings in both the U.S. and abroad. 
She has also led a successful strategic marketing consulting business with local and national clients and previously served in the following roles: President and Chief Executive Officer for the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Director of marketing and corporate communications for the San Diego Workforce Partnership. 
Linda is a graduate of LEAD San Diego, a fellow of Leadership America, and of the U.S.-Mexico Foundation’s Scholars program. She has been honored with various recognitions throughout her career including National Association of Women Business Owners’ Advocate of the Year, KPBS’ Hispanic Heroes award, Women Who Move the City, 40 Under 40, San Diego Magazine’s 50 People to Watch, and is featured in the City of Tijuana’s Walk of Fame corridor for her contributions to binational understanding, advocacy and cooperation. 
“I was always very committed to social change, and activism. I kept finding myself volunteering or working in activism related projects were I could improve or impact my community in some way,” Caballero-Sotelo said. “I think a lot comes from feeling very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study and do what I have done.” 
Caballero-Sotelo has already passed the U.S. citizenship civics test and is now looking forward to her oath ceremony to become a fully sworn U.S. citizen. Linda will be able to vote in the next U.S. elections for the first time in her life. 
“Many years ago you couldn’t have dual citizenship as a mexican citizen. Something very nationalistic deep inside of me was reluctant to give up my Mexican citizenship,” she shared with La Prensa San Diego. “But when the laws in Mexico changed to allow dual citizenship, I thought getting my American citizenship was something I should do.I knew that this election was coming, and I thought maybe this is what I was waiting for to become a U.S. citizen.” 
Caballero-Sotelo is married and has four children, and enjoys her time with her family, traveling, books, films and sampling new and exotic cuisines.