U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday to discuss the impact immigrants have on the U.S. economy.

There may be no better spokesman on the issue than Gutierrez.

The 53-year-old Commerce Secretary was born in Havana, Cuba, and fled to the United States with his family when he was six. He learned English, became a U.S. citizen, and later studied business administration. He took an entry-level sales job at the cereal manufacturing company Kellogg's, where he rose through the ranks to become Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer before President Bush nominated him to his current post.

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