Early life José Serra

serra in 1947

josé serra born in são paulo s neighbourhood called mooca francesco serra, italian immigrant corigliano calabro, calabria, , serafina chirico, brazilian born italian parents. serra comes lower middle class family. father semi-illiterate , worked fruit vendor in market of são paulo, able enroll child in college. in arly 1960s, prominent member of socio-political movement ação popular opposed conservative political system existed.

serra interrupted studies in engineering @ age 22 , left country in 1964, after coup established military government era in brazil. serra had come attention of authorities having served president of união nacional dos estudantes (une), (national student union) opposed conservative regime existing while 4th year engineering student @ polytechnic school @ university of são paulo.

josé serra in exile 1964 1978 in bolivia, france, chile, , united states. in chile, did masters in economics , taught economics @ university of chile (universidad de chile). there married monica allende (1967), top ballerina @ national ballet of chile. had 2 children, veronica (1969) , luciano (1973). in united states josé serra awarded masters , ph.d. in economics @ cornell university (ithaca, ny) , later spent 2 years @ institute advanced study in princeton, nj.

on returning brazil after political amnesty in 1978, serra lectured economics @ university of campinas, did research cebrap, , wrote newspaper folha de s. paulo.