ˈælvɚɹˌɛz wʌz sˈɛpɚɹˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌm hɪz fˈæmɪli æz ɐ jˈʌŋ bˈɔɪ dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə kjˈuːbən ɹˌɛvəlˈuːʃən wɛn hiː wʌz sˈɛnt tə ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts tə lˈɪv wɪð ɐ fˈɑːstɚ fˈæmɪli θɹuː ɐn aʊtɹˈiːtʃ pɹˈoʊɡɹæm wˌaɪl hɪz fˈɑːðɚ wʌz plˈeɪst ɪn ɐ kjˈuːbən pɹˈɪzən.
Alvarez was separated from his family as a young boy during the Cuban Revolution when he was sent to the United States to live with a foster family through an outreach program while his father was placed in a Cuban prison.