Julian Castro, the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama administration, took to twitter to share a video next to his mom. In the video, Julian comments that his mom, Maria del Rosario Castro, is his “role model, my inspiration in public service, and the best part is, she’s my mom!” She then shares some thoughts with supporters and members of Castro’s campaign for the Presidency in relation to her own political past.
As she noted, she ran for city council in 1971. She explained that at that time, in San Antonio, “not everyone was represented.” But, Julian’s mom asserts that “Julian believes that everyone should be represented,” and she asks supporters to “help Julian be on that debate stage.” In order for him to join the debates, he’ll need “65,000 unique donors and that can be a $1 donation.”
Julian’s mother has received criticism for having socialist views, and La Raza Unida Party, a Chicano nationalist organization, also received backlash for having racist views.
Still, Julian has not responded to the controversial views and has instead praised his mom as being the influential figure that caused him to enter the political world.
As a student in Stanford University, Castro proudly described his mother in an essay as a person that “sees political activism as an opportunity to change people’s lives for the better.” Castro further explained that “perhaps that is because of her outspoken nature or because Chicanos in the early 1970 (and, of course, for many years before) had no other option.” In turn, “to make themselves heard Chicanos needed the opportunity that the political system provided. In any event, my mother’s fervor for activism affected the first years of my life, as it touches it today.”
As the election season continues with developments like the Mueller report changing the landscape of the upcoming election, Julian will continue to be fueled by his mother’s teachings in order to make it past the crowded Democratic primaries. However, whether or not voters will question those teachings is left to be seen.
