pérez grew up in el sereno and highland park before attending the university of california, berkeley. he did not graduate from berkeley but dropped out after his junior year citing family medical reasons in mid-1990. early biographies of pérez dating back to the 1990s called him a berkeley graduate, a misstatement that was repeated in several press releases issued by los angeles mayors and in 2004 remarks inserted by congresswoman hilda solis into the congressional record. when the "san francisco chronicle" wrote about these inconsistencies in may 2011, pérez's office verified that he was not a berkeley graduate.