CHCI IntervieweesCurrent Members

Joaquin Castro: 

Joaquín Castro, a second-generation Mexican American and congressional representative from Texas, was born in San Antonio, Texas on September 16th, 1974. His grandmother had immigrated to the United States in the early twentieth century and raised Castro’s mother, Rosie. Castro was raised on the West Side of the city and attended public school at Thomas Jefferson High School, graduating a year early in 1992. He then earned his B.A. with honors from Stanford University in political science and communication studies. Castro went on to law school at Harvard with his twin brother Julian Castro and graduated in 2000.

After law school, he worked with his brother at the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld until 2005 when they started their own firm. In 2002, he returned to San Antonio, running for and winning a seat in the Texas Legislature. He served five terms as state representative for District 125. In 2012, Castro was elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives as representative of Texas’ 20th Congressional District, which covers a large portion of San Antonio.

Joaquin’s involvement in public service is deeply influenced by his parents’ involvement in politics. His father, a retired teacher, and his mother, a renowned community activist, instilled in him a deep appreciation for the democratic process and the importance of serving one’s community. Now in his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Joaquin serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He was the 2013 Co-President for the House freshman Democrats and serves in House Democratic Leadership as Chief Deputy Whip. Outside of the legislative chamber, Joaquin has taught as a visiting professor of law at St. Mary’s University and as an adjunct professor at Trinity University.

Catherine Cortez Masto: 

Catherine Cortez Masto shattered ceilings when in 2016, she became the first Latina elected to the United States Senate, and became the first woman senator from Nevada. Cortez Masto was born on March 29, 1964 in Las Vegas, Nevada to Manny and Joanna Cortez. Her father, Manny Cortez, went from parking attendant to later on becoming the president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and commissioner of Clark County, laying a foundation for his daughter to enter public service. Cortez Masto went on to earn earn her law degree. Prior to being elected to public office, Cortez Masto worked as a civil attorney in Las Vegas, a criminal prosecutor for the US Attorney’s Office, chief of staff to former Nevada Governor Bob Miller, and executive vice chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

In 2007, Cortez Masto was elected Attorney General of Nevada, where she served until 2015. As Nevada’s Attorney General, Cortez Masto led the Methamphetamine Working Group to fight the drug epidemic, reached a $2 billion settlement with Bank of America in a case accusing the bank of predatory lending, and cosponsored a bill which made human trafficking a felony in Nevada.

In 2016, Cortez Masto ran successfully for former Senator Harry Reid’s seat. She currently serves on six Senate committees. Cortez Masto has been a vocal advocate for immigration reform and co-sponsored the DREAM Act of 2017. Her work has also included fighting for women, working class families, energy, and healthcare reform.

Henry Roberto Cuellar (D-TX 28th District):

Henry Roberto Cuellar was born in September 19, 1955 in Laredo, Texas to migrant workers and  has served as a U.S Representative for Texas’s 28th congressional district since 2005. He is recognized as the 5th most bipartisan member of the House for the 115th Congress by The Lugar Center and is the most degreed member of congress–having earned five degrees including a Ph.D. in Government from the University of Texas. As a result, Cuellar was able to open his own firm, become a licensed customs broker, and become a Professor in International Commercial Law before becoming a public servant.

In 1987, Cuellar entered public service as a Texas State Representative and later became Secretary of state for Texas in 2001. His most notable accomplishments include coauthoring the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), that ensured health-care for uninsured children.

In Congress, Cuellar is an advocate of commerce, trade, small businesses and is a recognized as a leader on border security, government transparency, and national emergency preparedness. He currently serves and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Homeland Security and Defense as part of the House Appropriations Committee, is a Region IV Representative of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, is a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, is chairman and founder of the bi-partisan House Pro-Trade Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and Institute (CHCI).

In the past, Cuellar has served as the ranking member of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee in the House Homeland Security Committee –where he worked closely with Customs and Border Protection to reinforce border security, was Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism, and has been the only Texas Democrat to serve on the House Agriculture Committee where he supported Texan agriculture and farmers.

Adriano Espaillat (D-NY 13th District):

Adriano de Jesús Espaillat Cabral was born on September 27^th, 1954 to Melbanée Rodriguez and Ulises Espaillat, and is a Dominican-American politician. Interestingly, Adriano is the great-grandson of the former Dominican President Ulises Espaillat. Adriano graduated from the Bishop Dubois High School He is the U.S. Representative for the New York 13^th Congressional District and previously served on the New York State Senate and as a member of the New York State Assembly. Adriano is also the first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve in the US Congress. He assumed the office of Representative for the NY 13^th District on January 3^rd, 2017.

Early in his career, Adriano was the Manhattan Court Services Coordinator for the NYC Criminal Justice Agency and later worked as the Washington Heights Victims Services Community Office. Prior to his election to the New York State Assembly, he served as Governor Mario Cuomo’s Dominican-American advisory board from 1991-1993.

Adriano served in the state assembly from 1997 to 2010. Over that time, Espaillat chaired the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus. He played an important part in representing veterans and immigrants during assembly meetings and passed laws encouraging the construction and preservation of affordable housing and the right to workers to organize and demand health care coverage. Despite conservative criticism, Adriano strongly supported appeals for undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Espaillat serves as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the Selected Committee on Small Business. He is also a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and was appointed as chairman for the CHC Task Force for Transportation, Infrastructure, and Housing.

Luis Gutierrez:

Born on December 10, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois, Congressman Luis Gutierrez has emerged as a fierce political advocate for Puerto Ricans and Latinos alike. Spending much of his childhood years in Lincoln Park– a then immigrant and working class community within Chicago– Gutierrez moved to Puerto Rico with his parents in the 1960s but returned to the mainland in the 1970s to attend college. After graduating from Northeastern Illinois University in 1975, Luis Gutierrez spent the next ten years working as a social worker and teacher in both Illinois and Puerto Rico. In 1984, Gutierrez acquired an administrative assistant position under Chicago’s first black mayor, Harold Washington, where he served on the mayor’s subcommittee of infrastructure. Two years later, Gutierrez was inaugurated into Chicago’s City Council as an alderman and served on the board until 1993.                                                                                                                                          In 1992 and with 60-percent of the vote, Luis Gutierrez successfully won a seat in the United States Congress as Chicago’s Fourth District representative. With the help of Latinos who compose the majority of the district’s population, Gutierrez has been consecutively re-elected in the House of Representatives, and currently serves as the district’s incumbent. While in Congress, Gutierrez has participated in a number of organizations. He has served on the Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Committee, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the Ways and Means Committee, and the Judiciary Committee. Additionally, Gutierrez has participated in the Congressional Caucus on Central America and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, both of which engage in pertinent issues for Gutierrez and his constituents. Over the past two decades, Gutierrez has worked fiercely to improve immigration reform. Whether it be introducing amendments for IRCA in 1993 or getting arrested in 2013 for protesting immigration reform inaction, Luis Gutierrez has tirelessly lobbied to improve the lives of Latinos and their families across the United States.

Robert Mendez: 

Bob Mendez’s story starts in Union City; Mendez was the son on Cuban immigrants who would later in life become a Senator New Jersey. Bob Mendez makes clear his position as an advocate for families and education. On his website, Mendez describes his formative political experiences at Rutgers University. Mendez advocated for students at Rutgers who couldn’t afford their textbooks, and reformed the policy of the school which did not provide financial aid for text books.

Mendez is heavily involved in foreign relations, and had a hand in resolutions which changed the way we interact with countries around the globe. Mendez takes a position to provide opportunities to impoverished peoples in Central America and Africa. Mendez achieved bipartisan support to pass resolutions to increase the presence of U.S. forces in Syria; after a private meeting with President Obama, the country watched as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman delivered an impassioned defense of limited military action in Syria[1]. Mendez intends to strengthen the national security posture of the U.S. in the face of Cuba, Russia, and China; he advocated the passage of the bipartisan Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 and lately has been advocating for a reexamination of Trump’s policies towards easing penalties for Chinese companies.

Mendez’s extensive track record as author of the most bills passed in the 113^th Congress, attempting to combat the numerous disapproval ratings by commentators of the 113^th Congress. Mendez’s contemporary action includes furthering is action towards U.S. foreign relations by serving on the Committee on Foreign Relations; furthermore, Mendez serves on the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and the Committee on Finance. Mendez continues to support immigration, a hot-button issue in 2018, and currently strongly supports the DREAM Act.

[1] https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/syria_robert_menendez_us_senate_nj.html

Nydia Margarita Velázquez:

Nydia Margarita Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, was born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, a small town of sugar-cane fields, in 1953, and was one of nine children. Velázquez started school early, skipped several grades, and became the first person in her family to receive a college diploma. At the age of 16, she entered the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras. She graduated magna cum laude in 1974 with a degree in political science. After earning a master’s degree on scholarship from N.Y.U., Velázquez taught Puerto Rican studies at CUNY Hunter College in 1981.

In 1983, Velázquez was appointed Special Assistant to Congressman Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn). One year later, she became the first Latina appointed to serve on the New York City Council. By 1986, Velázquez served as the Director of the Department of Puerto Rican Community Affairs in the United States where she initiated a Latino empowerment program – “Atrevete” (Dare to Go for It!).

In 1992, after months of running a grassroots political campaign, Velázquez was elected to the House of Representatives to represent New York’s 7th District. Her district, which encompasses parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Lower East Side of Manhattan, is the only tri-borough district in the New York City congressional delegation. Encompassing many diverse neighborhoods, it is home to a large Latino population, with pockets of Polish communities, and parts of Chinatown. She is the top Democrat on the House Small Business Committee and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee (where she is the most senior New York Member on the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity).

Past Members

Xavier Becerra:

A prominent political and legal figure who continues to serve Californians, Xavier Becerra was born on January 26, 1958 in Sacramento, California. Raised by Mexican working-class immigrants, Becerra was the first in his family to graduate from college, and received his bachelor’s degree and J.D. from Stanford University in 1980 and 1984 respectively. In 1985, Becerra began to practice law, and after working in administrative positions for State Senator Art Torres and in the Office of the Attorney General of California, Xavier earned a spot in the 1989 California State Assembly.

Three years later and with 58 percent of the vote, Becerra was inaugurated into the U.S. House of Representatives as California’s 30th district representative –a position he held until 2013. Under his tenure in Congress, Becerra aligned with the Democratic Party, and was a major proponent of educational reform, social welfare programs, and civil rights. Additionally, Becerra strongly advocated for comprehensive immigration reform, showed support for women’s’ reproductive rights, and heavily opposed tax cuts that would undermine federal programs. Xavier Becerra also participated in a number of organizations within the U.S. House of Representatives. He served on the Judiciary Committee, Economic Opportunity Committee, the Education and Labor Committee, and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Becerra also served on the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, whom of which he was previously the chair of.

Three years after he left Congress in 2013, Xavier was inaugurated as California’s Attorney General. While in office, Becerra has tirelessly lobbied against the Trump administration, and has pushed against the President’s conservative legislation regarding immigration and environmental issues. Attempting to preserve the liberal and progressive nature of Californian politics, Xavier Becerra has emerged as one of Trump’s biggest political adversaries in 2018.

Solomon P. Ortiz: 

Solomon P. Ortiz is the former U.S. Representative for Texas’s 27th congressional district, who served from 1983 until 2011.[1] Some may say that Ortiz story is an unlikely success story, and it shows his drive to overcome challenges. Ortiz was born of Mexican immigrants who left their home to start a life in Robstown, Texas. He dropped out of high school before earning his GED in order to support his family financially. He joined the army in 1960 and earned his GED while serving. Ortiz maintained a decorated military career with training in multiple sectors. After his service ended Ortiz returned to Texas and was pushed to run for the Nueces County Constable position. In 1965 he defeated his opponent and later went on to become the first Hispanic to be elected to the County Commissioners Court of Nueces County.

Based on the statistics of the support of Solomon Ortiz during the height of his political career, it is hard to argue against the fact that Ortiz was well liked and supported in the 27^th District. Ortiz put a focus on labor and education which gained him support of more than 60% of the vote a majority of his re-running for office. In the 111^th congress Ortiz served on the Committee on Armed Services as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness, and on the committee on Transportation and Infrastructure..

In the latter half of his political career Ortiz served as the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) from 1991-1993. He served as chairman during a time of growth in the CHC history. Ortiz is quoted saying “It used to be that we were very new to Congress and really didn’t know our way around.… Now that a lot of us have been here for several years, we’re more knowledgeable and self-confident.”[2] During his time as Chairman of the CHC the organization advocated for the Voting Rights Improvement Act, and the Hispanic Access to Higher Education Bill of 1991 (H.R. 3098). The Voting Rights Improvement Act became law in 1992.[3]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_P._Ortiz#Early_life,_education,_and_business_career

[2] https://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo47748/PDF%20version/Hispanic_Americans_in_Congress_1822-2012.pdf

[3] Ib id.

William Blaine Richardson III:

William Blaine Richardson III was born in Pasadena, California, on November 15, 1947 to an upper-class family. His mother was born in Mexico and his father was a Nicaragua-born Citibank executive. Richardson went to primary school both in Mexico and the United States, citing his appreciation for both cultures.

In 1970, Richardson earned a bachelor’s degree from Tufts and earned a master’s degree in international affairs from Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1971 where he then worked as a Congressional staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Department under Henry Kissinger.

In 1978, Richardson moved to Santa Fe and in 1982 won a seat in the newly created Third District with a majority Hispanic population. During his 14 years in Congress, Richardson served as the Chairman for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in the 98th Congress (1983–1985), the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Native American Affairs in the 103rd Congress (1993–1994), and was highly involved in foreign relations where he represented U.S. interests. For example, he was involved in a variety of high profile political negotiations such as the releasing of American prisoners from Iraq. In addition, Richardson is recognized for sponsored bills such as the Indian Tribal Justice Act that expanded Native American rights. Through his political success, he became a member of the Democratic leadership serving as majority whip, where he worked closely with Bill Clinton on several pieces of legislation like NAFTA.

After his time in Congress, Richardson served as a U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations between 1997 and 1998 and was Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Energy from 1998. In 2002, Richardson served two successful terms as governor of New Mexico where he was the only Hispanic Governor aside from Sila Maria Calderon—Governor of Puerto Rico.

Ken Salazar:

Ken Salazar was born in Alamosa, Colorado on March 2^nd, 1955 to Emma Montoya and Henry (Enrique) Salazar. Ken’s family has lived in the Colorado area since the 16^th century and claim ancestry to the Hispanos who settled in New Spain. Ken grew up in Manassa of the San Luis Valley area of Colorado, and graduated from St. Francis Seminary and Centauri High School in La Jara in 1973. He then attended Colorado College for his B.A. in political science and received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981. Later, he began a private law practice.

Ken’s involvement in politics began in 1986, when he became the chief legal counsel to then Governor Roy Romer. He was then shortly appointed as the Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. In 1998 he was elected as the state attorney general. He is known for streamlining the state police force and creating several new branches of law enforcement, including the Gang Prosecution Unit, the Environmental Crimes Unit, and the General Fugitive Prosecution Unit.

In 2004, Ken declared his candidacy for the vacated US Senate seat in Colorado and considers himself a moderate. During his first term, he was a part of the group of democrats that forged a compromise to address the Republicans’ attempt to block filibusters through the use of ‘the nuclear option’ where only a 51 majority would be required for a judicial appointment.

In 2008, Ken left the senate to accept Obama’s offer to join the cabinet as the Secretary of the Interior. During his time as Secretary of the Interior, he introduced and supported many initiatives to regulate greenhouse gases and promote alternative energy sources, such as the Cape Wind offshore wind farm and many nuclear energy initiatives.

Lastly, Salazar was selected by President-nominee Hillary Clinton as her White House transition team if she were to be elected.

Hilda Solis:

Hilda Solis was born on October 20, 1957 to Juana and Raul Solis and was raised in La Puenta, California. Solis’ parents immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua and Mexico.

As the third oldest sibling of seven, Solis played a key role in helping raise her younger siblings, and became the first in her family to attend college.

Solis’ professional career began with her service in the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs under President Carter and first became elected to office in 1985 to the Board of Trustees of the Rio Hondo Community College. From 1994 to 2001, Solis served in the California State Legislature, first as Assemblymember, then as the first Latina state Senator. In the state legislature, Solis fought to increase educational opportunities for undocumented immigrants, successfully advocated a raise in California’s minimum wage, and brought voice to environmental issues.

In 2000, Solis beat 18-year incumbent Matthew Martínez for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In Congress, Solis continued her work on environmental issues, reformed labor laws, and pushed for affordable healthcare. Solis remained an active representative of Latinos in Congress, but left the Caucus in 2007 feeling that the women members of the Caucus were not fairly respected.

In 2009, Solis became the Obama Administration’s first Secretary of Labor, and became the first Latina in history to serve as a Cabinet secretary. As Secretary of Labor, Solis pushed to empower working class families, unions, and immigrants. Notably, she championed fairer treatment for Latinos in the work force.

After finishing her tenure as Secretary of Labor, Solis successfully ran to represent the first district on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. She has served in the role from 2014 to present, and is credited with helping create the $10 million L.A. Justice Fund, a fund which allocates resources to protect undocumented immigrants from deportations.

Potential CHCI Members:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:

Born in New York on October 13, 1989, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an educator and Democratic Socialist running for the New York’s 14th District Congressional position. Having experienced the reality of income inequality in the most powerful country in the world, Ocasio-Cortez began to organize her efforts around a Congress that works for all and provides all Americans with the healthcare, education and future they so deserve.  

Ocasio-Cortez’s platform is based on providing healthcare to all, improving our current housing system, enforcing importance to our current environmental situation, and allowing every one of her constituents to be treated with the justice and rights they are entitled to in the United States. Ocasio rose to light due to her 100% civilian-funded campaign, which refused any big company and PAC contributions. On June 29, 2018, Ocasio-Cortez made history by defeating incumbent Joseph Crowley, in a major democratic upset. Her victory sent shocking waves across the nation, showing the potential of people-funded campaigns and restructuring the possible future of the Democratic party.

Ocasio-Cortez will be running for the 14th Congressional seat in November, an election many see as an easy feat for Ocasio-Cortez. If elected, Ocasio-Cortez will become the youngest female member ever to serve in Congress, and the new Democratic party environmental champion.