“When my grandmother arrived here almost a hundred years ago, I am sure that I would never have imagined that only two generations later, one of your grandchildren would be a member of the United States Congress and the other would be here in front of you saying these words“, said Julian Castro In January 2019, when he launched his candidacy for the Democratic presidential race to the White House. A year later, the Mexican politician of Mexican origin has abandoned the contest after failing to take off in the polls.
That of Castro It is not just any resignation. It means that the White House will not have a Latin tenant in 2021, since the 45-year-old politician was the only Hispanic who aspired to the presidency of the United States.
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Castro He was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the administration of Barack Obama (2009-2017) and Mayor of San Antonio between 2009 and 2014.
“I am very proud of the campaign we have led together. We have shaped the conversation on so many important topics in this race, we gave our faces to the most vulnerable people and offered a voice to those who are often forgotten“, said Castro in a video released Thursday for his campaign.
It’s with profound gratitude to all of our supporters that I suspend my campaign for president today.
I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished together. I’m going to keep fighting for an America where everyone counts — I hope you’ll join me in that fight. pic.twitter.com/jXQLJa3AdC
– Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) January 2, 2020
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Although it made its Mexican roots and humble origins the axes of its campaign, Castro did not achieve significant percentages in the surveys or large donations. Nor could he participate in the most recent debates.
Castro He had placed himself in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and had highlighted immigration as one of the priorities of his proposal.
MEXICAN ORIGIN
Julian Castro, a lawyer by profession, was born and raised in the West Side of San Antonio, Texas, a humble neighborhood of single-family homes, located in an area where the Mexican-born community of the city of Texas is concentrated.
Her grandmother was a Mexican immigrant who came to the United States as an orphan when she was a child and could not study beyond third grade. He worked all his life as a maid, cook and babysitter to support his family.
Castro He recounted in “An Unlikely Journey: My Awakening from the American Dream,” his memoirs published in 2018, how difficult his childhood was and the hardships his mother Rosie Castro, a single mother and activist for the rights of Hispanic immigrants, went through.
He studied with his brother at Stanford University and graduated from Harvard Law School. His twin brother Joaquin Castro is a federal congressman from Texas.
In July 2019, the politician wrote a column for CNN in which he told how complicated it was for him and his brother to carry out their university careers.
“April 3, 1992 is another date I will never forget. Two identical white letter-size envelopes arrived with a special message: ‘Welcome to the Stanford class of 1996’. A brief euphoria erupted then. A few weeks later, the bill arrived, and that was a less cheerful occasion“he says.
He adds that his mother’s salary was less than half the cost of tuition for siblings Castro. “But closing the gap between media and expenses was an investment of the federal government: the Pell grant, the Perkins loans and working and studying at the same time would make this educational opportunity a real possibility. Generations of sacrifice and hard work had led to this moment“He said.
From the beginning of his political life Castro, who speaks perfectly Spanish, was considered a young Hispanic promise. In 2012, Obama He was granted the honor of being the first member of the Latino community to open a Democratic convention, says the Spanish newspaper “El País”.
The politician has been pruned by various media outlets such as the “Latino Obama” for his eloquence and presence before cameras.
DID NOT TAKE OFF
Despite his efforts, and several good performances in the Democratic debates, Julian Castro He had trouble raising his profile, strengthening his fundraising and excelling in a close fight. Of the more than 20 Democratic candidates, only 14 remain.
At the time of your withdrawal from the dispute Castro it did not achieve more than 1.2% of intention to vote nationwide, according to the average of the RealClearPolitics specialized site.
Castro’s departure from the race for the presidency comes one month before the first election date that will take place in the Iowa “caucuses” on February 3.
“I have determined that it is simply not our moment,” he said Castro when announcing his withdrawal from the contest.
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