Julián Castro: The Now Generation of Latino Leadership

By Dr. Henry Flores, NewsTaco

It appears that Latinos have arrived, again, on the national scene. 

We’ve been declared the Sleeping Giant every decade since the 1980s and nothing seems to happen.  Just the other day, however, we arrived on the national scene once again, this time to great fanfare and promise.  One of our favorite sons, Julián Castro, was nominated by President Obama to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 

Full Disclosure requires that I divulge that I have known Julián and his brother since they were little boys being dragged to political rallies and functions by their activist mom.  Mayor Castro is telling the truth when he says he was bored when his mom made him attend those gatherings, but the experience paid off in the long run.  Now he loves political rallies, they are his life blood.

Questions have been raised as to who this young man is?  What he has accomplished as mayor of San Antonio, Texas?  What does his nomination mean for himself, Democrats, and Latinos? 

New Latino Leadership 

Mayor Castro’s nomination brings attention to a new generation of Latino leaders that has emerged in the 21st Century.  Julián represents the generation of our children.  He is the son of a prominent civil rights advocate who pushed the buttons of San Antonio’s and South Texas’ establishment from the late 60s through the 70s.  His mother, Rosie Castro, is a formidable woman who brought up her sons thinking that public service, service for and to the people, was a high calling. 

Mayor Castro is a reflection of a generation that grew up humbly, was educated in our public school system and took advantage of the educational opportunities offered through affirmative action at some of the most prestigious and exclusive universities in the United States. 

Julián Castro has served with distinction as both a city councilman and the Mayor of San Antonio for quite a number of years.  As the current city manager put it, he is a policy leader; he leads a sometimes contentious council in the development of policy that works for the entire city.  He understands the difficulties big cities encounter in almost every policy area from transportation to energy, from education to crime, and from human services to physical amenities.  So, he is a good choice to be our nation’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 

What  the Appointment Means 

Although his primary function will be to serve as a cabinet minister and adviser to the president on urban matters, his appointment also possesses various levels.  One of them is it positions Mayor Castro in a higher profile locus that will give him more exposure to the national agenda and how the national government functions or malfunctions.  Julián will get a close-up look at how congress functions and the relationship between the three major branches of government. 

This exposure will position him nicely for two other options: If the Dems win the presidency in 2016, Mayor Castro would be in line for a higher profile cabinet position which would give him additional experience and credentials for a possible future vice-presidency or presidential run of his own.  On the other hand, his appointment to HUD positions him for a vice-presidential appointment in 2016.  Either option places him in a position for being the first credible Latino presidential candidate for either party.  Yeah, I really mean what I just said, either party.

 Vast Right Wing Conspiracy 

Of course, running for national office is fraught with perils of all sorts, including having to deal with the lunacy of the “vast right-wing conspiracy” nuts (From now on, I’ll call them the “vast right wing-nuts” because it speaks to their general level of lunacy).  The problem is that sometimes lunatics draw attention to themselves and some folks believe their rantings and ravings.  Mayor Castro is going to have to deal with this lunacy and they have fired their first shot criticizing his mother for her civil rights activism.  Well, I’ve got news for the “wing-nuts.”  The worst thing you could do is alienate all Latinos by criticizing a woman who sacrificed so much for her children, family and people.  That is no way for the “right-wing” to appeal to Latino voters.  But, hey, keep it up and see where it gets you!

[Photo by The Texas Tribune/Flickr

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