Mauricio L. Miller Releases His New Book, "The Alternative," Revealing Most of What We Believe about Poverty is Wrong

Mauricio's Alternative Approach Challenges Basic Assumptions of Low-Income Families as Lazy or Victims Needing to be Saved

Available today, "The Alternative," the premiere book by MacArthur Fellow and founder of the Family Independence Initiative, Mauricio L. Miller, outlines his simple, evidenced-based and alternative solution to poverty—to invest in people's demonstrated strengths, rather than weaknesses.

Throughout "The Alternative," Mauricio asks readers to challenge the very basic assumptions--across political spectrums-- that low-income families are either lazy or victims needing to be saved. Mauricio weaves in his personal experience growing up in a low-income, single-parent household as well as his professional experience in the social service sector, evidence-based research, and stories of families themselves.

Inspired by his Mexican mother, Mauricio worked in social services for over 20 years. Although he provided direct services to low-income populations, he knew his mother wouldn't have participated in these programs because they didn't respect or recognize her own initiative. Everything changed when he received a call from then-Mayor of Oakland, Jerry Brown. Brown asked Mauricio, "If you could do anything to have an impact on poverty, what would it be?" Mauricio realized he didn't know, but his mother figured out how to get him out of poverty. And so began his life's work to prove that mothers, fathers, and guardians know how to get their own families out of poverty by directly asking them.

Mauricio's Alternative approach to eliminating poverty illuminates that low-income families are contributors rather than takers from society, which begins to break the negative stereotypes that divides people and helps bring our society together.

"Mauricio's honest and forceful call for self-determination could not come at a better time," says Clara Miller, President of the Heron Foundation. "He challenges conventional ‘fixes' for poverty by urging us to invest directly into people – recognizing resourcefulness, not deficits – and look to these communities for leadership and solutions."

Founded in 2001, the Family Independence Initiative brings a new approach to fighting poverty by trusting and investing directly in low-income families so they can work individually and collectively to achieve prosperity.

Learn more about "The Alternative" and purchase the book at TheAlternativeBook.org.

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