The intellectual autobiography of a leading figure in the field of Latin American philosophy.In 1961 at the age of nineteen Jorge J. E. Gracia escaped from the island of Cuba by passing himself off as a Catholic seminarian. He arrived in the United States with just a few spare belongings and his mothers diamond ring secured in a hole in one of his shoes. With a Diamond in My Shoe tells the story of Gracias quest for identityfrom his early years in Cuba and as a refugee in Miami to his formative role in institutionalizing the field of Latin American philosophy in the US academy. Committed to integrating into Anglo America without forgetting his roots Gracia reflects on his struggles and successes as an immigrant and academic bringing a philosophers eye to bear on his personal and professional development as a leading Latinx scholar.