>>> IN 1971, OUR NEXT GUEST,
ROSY CASTRO, LAUNCHED A LONG
SHOT CAMPAIGN FOR A SEAT ON THE
SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.
SHE DID NOT WIN THAT RACE, BUT
ROSY CASTRO TOLD A LOCAL
REPORTER THEN, QUOTE, WELL BE
BACK.
HER CAMPAIGN INCREASED
REGISTRATION AMONG LATINO
VOTERS.
AND EXACTLY 30 YEARS LATER, HER
SON, JULIAN CASTRO, WON A SEAT
ON THAT SAME CITY COUNCIL.
JULIAN CASTRO WENT ON TO BE
ELECTED MAYOR OF SAN ANTONIO AND
LATER WAS CHOSEN BY PRESIDENT
OBAMA TO SERVE AS SECRETARY OF
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
ROSY CASTROS OTHER SON, JOAQUIN
CASTRO, IS NOW HER CONGRESSMAN.
JULIAN CASTRO RECENTLY TESTIFIED
TO A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
THAT THE POLITICAL ACTIVISM HE
LEARNED FROM HIS MOTHER IS
ESSENTIAL TO GUARANTEEING THE
RIGHT TO VOTE.
>> ITS FITTING THAT I JOIN YOU
TODAY TO DISCUSS THE VOTING
RIGHTS ACT, BECAUSE JUST UNDER
50 YEARS AGO, MY MOTHER WAS
COMPILING DATA AND RESEARCH ON
BEHALF OF THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN
LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND
FOR A PRESENTATION ON THE EXACT
SAME TOPIC THAT WOULD BE USED IN
PREPARATION FOR TESTIMONY TO
THIS VERY COMMITTEE.
SHE AND MANY OTHER ADVOCATES
BELIEVE THAT THERE HAD NOT BEEN
ENOUGH PROGRESS ON VOTING RIGHTS
FOR LATINOS AND THAT THE 1965
VOTING RIGHTS ACT HAD LEFT GAPS
THAT STATES AND LOCAL
COMMUNITIES WERE EXPLOITING TO
DISENFRANCHISE AND SUPPRESS
VOTERS.
UNFORTUNATELY, FIVE DECADES
LATER, IM HERE FOR VERY MUCH
THE SAME REASON.
>> TONIGHT, THE TEXAS HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES HAS STARTED
DEBATE ON A VOTER SUPPRESSION
BILL THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN
PASSED BY THE TEXAS SENATE.
THE BILL WOULD MAKE CASTING A
VOTE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT IN
TEXAS THAN IT WAS IN 1975 WHEN
ROSY CASTRO WAS WORKING FOR THE
EXTENSION OF THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT.
>> WHAT IMPACT DID THAT MAKING
SURE THAT TEXAS WAS INCLUDED AND
HISPANICS WERE ACTUALLY INCLUDED
IN THE EMPOWERMENT OF HISPANIC
VOTERS, WHICH ARE RACIAL
DEFINITION IN MANY INSTANCES,
WHAT DID IT DO FOR THIS STATE?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION,
REPRESENTATIVE JACKSON LEE, AND
FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THAT 1975 EXTENSION TO LANGUAGE
MINORITIES WAS GROUNDBREAKING.
AND WHAT IT MEANT WAS MUCH
GREATER PARTICIPATION,
PARTICULARLY IN MEXICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY, LATINO COMMUNITY
THERE IN TEXAS, GREATER ELECTION
OF FIRST CHOICE CANDIDATES FROM
THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT CHANGED
THE FACE OF GOVERNANCE ACROSS
THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND IN MANY
OTHER PLACES IT EMPOWERED
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
>> JOINING US NOW, JULIAN
CASTRO, FORMER MAYOR OF SAN
ANTONIO, FORMER SECRETARY OF
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT,
AND MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY,
JOINING US HIS MOTHER, LONG-TIME
POLITICAL ACTIVIST ROSIE CASTRO.
THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH FOR
JOINING US TONIGHT.
AND ROSIE, LET ME BEGIN WITH YOU
AND GIVE US YOUR VIEW OF THE
THREAT YOURE SEEING TO VOTING
RIGHTS IN TEXAS NOW COMPARED TO
THE CHALLENGES YOUVE SEEN TO
VOTING RIGHTS IN THE PAST.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, ITS VERY
SIMILAR TO WHAT WEVE SEEN IN
THE PAST.
THE WHOLE POINT OF SPREADING THE
BIG LIE, USING THAT TO SAY THAT
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT VOTES
ARE SECURE IS THE KIND OF
STRATEGY THAT IS USED OVER AND
OVER AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, SO ITS ALMOST LUCKY
GOING BACK 50 YEARS AND HAVING
TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE ALL OVER
AGAIN.
EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE THIS
LAST TIME DURING THE VOTING,
WHICH WAS VERY EFFECTIVE TO MAKE
SURE THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS AND
LATINOS WERE VOTING WELL HAS
BEEN THROWN OUT, OR THEYRE
TRYING TO THROW OUT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE BOXES THAT CAN
BE PUT AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AS
HOUSTON DID, THAT WOULD BE
COMING TO AN END.
IN SAN ANTONIO, THAT WAS NOT
DONE BECAUSE THE PERSON HERE IN
CHARGE OF ELECTIONS FELT THAT IT
COULD ONLY BE DONE WHERE SHE HAD
AN OFFICE.
BUT HOUSTON USED VERY
EFFECTIVELY.
THEYRE ALSO LOOKING AT
RESTRICTING NIGHT VOTING.
AND THAT WAS EFFECTIVE IN THEIR
COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT THOSE
AREAS OF TEXAS THAT USED IT.
IT MAKES SENSE TO TRY TO DO
THINGS THAT HELP EXPAND OUR
VOTING PRIVILEGES, OUR VOTING
RIGHTS, RATHER THAN TO DIMINISH
THEM.
TODAY WE HAD AN OP-ED BY ONE OF
THE REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS
HIMSELF FROM THEIR BEXAR COUNTY
SAYING THAT REPUBLICANS ARE
WRONG IN TRYING TO STOP THIS
VOTING, THEYRE WRONG TO DO THIS
VOTING SUPPRESSION.
>> SECRETARY CASTRO, MANY PEOPLE
WATCHING THIS UNFOLD THIS YEAR,
THIS VOTING RIGHTS CHALLENGE
THAT IS BEING FACED AROUND THE
COUNTRY DO NOT HAVE THE KIND OF
HISTORICAL VIEW OF IT THAT YOUR
MOTHER DOES, AND MANY PEOPLE
YOUR AGE, FRANKLY, DONT HAVE
THAT VIEW BECAUSE THEY DONT
HAVE YOUR MOTHER THERE TO TEACH
IT TO THEM.
WHAT HAS IT MEANT TO YOU IN THE
WAY THAT YOU FRAME THIS ISSUE
AND THE WAY YOU SEE THIS ISSUE
THAT YOUR MOTHER HAS BEEN
WORKING ON IT FOR DECADES?
>> WELL, ITS MEANT EVERYTHING.
SHES BEEN SO INSPIRATIONAL.
SHE IS THE REASON THAT I GOT
INTO POLITICS, AND MY BROTHER
JOAQUIN GOT INTO POLITICS AND
PUBLIC SERVICE IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
SHE GAVE US THIS SENSE THAT WE
SHOULD PARTICIPATE AND THAT WE
SHOULD MAKE SURE THE DOORS ARE
OPEN FOR EVERYBODY TO
PARTICIPATE.
AND SO I THINK ITS IMPORTANT
THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON OUT
THERE, BUT ESPECIALLY OUR YOUNG
PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF
THE POLICY DECISIONS THAT THIS
LEADERSHIP IS MAKING IN THE
STATE OF TEXAS, THAT THEY GET
OUT THERE AND MAKE THEIR VOICES
HEARD.
AND LAWRENCE, I WAS SO PROUD
TODAY TO SEE SOME OF THE IMAGES
COMING OUT OF THE STATE CAPITOL
IN AUSTIN, BECAUSE THATS
EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD.
WE HAD ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE
PUSHING BACK AGAINST THESE VOTER
SUPPRESSION EFFORTS.
>> ROSIE, WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING
FOR CITY COUNCIL IN SAN ANTONIO,
EVERY CANDIDATE HAD TO BE
ELECTED STATEWIDE.
YOU HELPED CHANGE THAT SO THAT
THERE WOULD BE CITY COUNCIL
DISTRICTS, AND THATS WHERE THE
PROGRESS STARTED TO GET BUILT.
THEN IT BECAME POSSIBLE TO ELECT
A LATINO CANDIDATE, FOR EXAMPLE.
WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF WAYS THAT
YOU CAN SEE FOR WHERE ACTIVISTS
HAVE TO GO FROM HERE IF THE
TEXAS LEGISLATURE DOES PASS THIS
BILL?
WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS
THAT VOTING ACTIVISTS ARE GOING
TO HAVE TO DO IN REACTION TO
THAT?
>> WELL, I KNOW ONE OF THE VERY
FIRST THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN IS
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY IN FLORIDA.
THERE IS GOING TO BE LAWSUITS.
I THINK MALDOV HAS BEEN VERY
GOOD AT DOING THAT.
SEVERAL OF THE GROUPS JOINED
TOGETHER TO TRY TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR VOTING
RIGHTS.
WE ALSO ARE FACING, OF COURSE,
REDISTRICTING.
AND THAT AS ALWAYS BEEN A
PROBLEM IN TEXAS.
WHETHER IT WAS THE DEMOCRATS
BACK IN MY TIME AND NOW THE
REPUBLICANS THAT ALWAYS TRIED TO
REDISTRICT AREAS SO THAT ARE
ELECTED.
THAT WILL LEAD TO LAWSUITS.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE
THE FIGHT.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE LOOKING AT
THE DATA, PRESENTING ARGUMENTS,
AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT
MORE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHATS AT
STAKE HERE.
IF YOU CAN DO THAT, THEN WE
SHOULD STOP SEEING SOME OF THIS
VOTER SUPPRESSION.
THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO DO,
IN MY OPINION, WE NEED TO ELECT
A WHOLE NEW GROUP OF LEADERSHIP
AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE STATE
BECAUSE LEADERSHIP IS NOT EVEN A
WORD OF WHAT WE HAVE IN THE
STATE OF TEXAS.
>> I THINK IN THE CONTROL ROOM
WE HAVE A PICTURE OF YOU,
SECRETARY CASTRO, WITH YOUR
BROTHER AND YOUR MOTHER BACK IN
YOUR COLLEGE DAYS, I GUESS.
AND IM WONDERING, AND IVE
ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THIS ABOUT
BOTH OF YOU WHEN IVE SEEN YOU
AND YOUR BROTHER AND YOUVE BEEN
ON THE SHOW.
WHAT DID THEIR MOTHER DO?
HOW DID SHE DO IT?
HOW DID SHE GET THESE KIDS IN
THEIR SUPER ACHIEVING -- BUT IM
GOING TO ASK BOTH OF YOU, BUT I
WANT TO START WITH YOU AS THE
SON, WHAT DID YOU FEEL YOUR
MOTHER WAS DOING THAT SET YOU ON
THIS ROAD TO SUPER ACHIEVEMENT?
>> I THINK IT WAS SOMETHING AS
SIMPLE AS ABSOLUTE LOVE AND
GIVING BOTH OF US A BELIEF IN
OURSELVES THAT WE HAD VALUE AND
THAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH
WHATEVER WE SET OUT TO.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS AN
ACTIVIST TRYING TO MAKE SURE
THAT IN OUR AMERICAN SOCIETY,
THERE WAS LESS DISCRIMINATION.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SHE GAVE
US A CONFIDENCE THAT NO MATTER
WHAT THAT WE COULD OVERCOME
OBSTACLES.
AND SHE SHOWED US THE WAY,
RAISING US AS A SINGLE MOM.
SO SHE SHOWED US YOU CAN
OVERCOME OBSTACLES.
SHE WAS A POWERFUL EXAMPLE TO
US.
>> ROSIE CASTRO, WHEN ARE YOU
GOING WRITE YOUR PARENTING BOOK?
BECAUSE IM SURE PEOPLE OUT
THERE WANT TO KNOW ALL OF YOUR
SECRETS.
>> TEN YEARS, IVE BEEN ASKED
THAT TEN YEARS.
>> PEOPLE ASK ABOUT THAT
SOMETIMES.
BUT I THINK IM GOING TO LEAVE
THAT FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO DO.
THEY MIGHT.
IM VERY FORTUNATE.
MY SONS AND THEIR WIVES ARE
REALLY GREAT PARENTS TOO.
SO ITS REALLY FUN TO WATCH THAT
WITH THE GRANDKIDS AS THEYRE
GROWING UP AND HOW NOURISHED
THEY FEEL, HOW LOVED THEY FEEL.
AND I THINK FOR US WHAT HAS BEEN
SUPREMELY IMPORTANT HAS BEEN
SOMETHING THAT WAS LACKING FROM
MY MOTHER, WHO CAME HERE AS AN
ORPHAN.
SHE DIDNT GET TO GET AN
EDUCATION.
AND SO SHE ALWAYS INSTILLED IN
US THAT IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO
GET YOUR EDUCATION.
SHE REALLY REGRETTED THAT SHE
COULDNT FINISH BEYOND THIRD
GRADE.
AND SO FOR US, EDUCATION HAS
BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE, ALL THE
FAMILY PUSHES FOR, NOT ONLY FOR
THE FAMILY, BUT FOR EVERYONE WE
KNOW.
AND WEVE ALWAYS WORKED IN THAT
FIELD.
I THINK THAT THATS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT, AND IM SO GLAD TO
SEE THAT FUNDING IS COMING MORE
TOWARDS THE EDUCATIONAL AREA NOW
AND PERHAPS EVEN THE FIRST FREE