Rafael Agustín

Rafael Agustín is best known for his work as a writer on the award-winning TV show Jane The Virgin and as the author of his bestselling memoir Illegally Yours. Born in Ecuador, Agustín moved to the United States at the age of seven and began his educational journey in public schools and community colleges. He earned his AA from Mt. San Antonio College, which later named him Alumnus of the Year in 2015, before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles, where he received both his BA and MA from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television.

Beyond his writing career, Agustín has been a force in media and advocacy. He served as the founding CEO of the Latino Film Institute for Edward James Olmos and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Center for Investigative Reporting, which publishes Mother Jones and Reveal. He is also a member of the National Film Preservation Board at the Library of Congress and an Executive Producer of the upcoming rock documentary Los Lobos Native Sons.

Agustín’s impact has been widely recognized. In 2018, LA Weekly named him one of the fifty most essential people in Los Angeles. That same year, the United Nations invited him to speak at its 70th Anniversary Celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2022, the LA Times declared him a “Power Player” in its inaugural LA Vanguardia class, and in 2023, he received the Spirit of Los Angeles Award from the Program for Torture Victims.