Rosie Castro facts for kids

Maria del Rosario "Rosie" Castro (born 1947) is an American civil rights activist and educator from San Antonio, Texas. She has worked with many important groups. These include the Young Democrats of America and the Raza Unida Party. Rosie Castro is also the mother of well-known politicians Julian and Joaquin Castro.

Rosie Castro's Early Life and Education

Rosie Castro was born in 1947. Her parents were Victoria Castro and Edward Perez. She grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Her mother and a guardian, Marcia Garcia, raised her. Rosie lived in a part of San Antonio called the barrio. She saw how racial and money differences affected her family. This made her want to work for social justice.

Rosie was a top student in high school. She earned a scholarship. This helped her go to Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU). She planned to become a teacher. In 1971, she earned a degree in Spanish. At OLLU, she joined the Catholic Youth Association. But she noticed there were not many minority members.

While in college, Rosie became active in student groups. She joined the Young Democrats. She also helped start a Young Republicans chapter on campus. Later, she earned a Master's degree. This was in Public Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Rosie Castro's Career and Activism

Rosie Castro started her career as a volunteer. She worked for Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential campaign in 1964. Later, she joined the Mexican American Unity Council. With this group, she helped organize a boycott. This was against a savings bank in San Antonio.

In 1971, Rosie was active in the "Free Angela Davis" campaign. During this time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation watched her.

Castro also worked with the Raza Unida Party. This party wanted to help Mexican-American candidates run for office in Texas. Rosie was the party chair for Bexar County. The Raza Unida Party worked with the San Antonio Committee for Barrio Betterment. Together, they tried to win positions in the city government. In 1971, Rosie herself ran for the San Antonio City Council. She finished second in the election.

From 2008 to 2013, Rosie worked at Palo Alto College. She was the interim dean of student affairs. She retired in 2013. In March 2023, Rosie was appointed as an interim councilperson. She served for City Council District 7. Her term ended in June 2023.

Personal Life and Achievements

Rosie Castro continues to be involved in her community. She works with groups like Latinas Represent and the Texas Organizing Project. She is also part of AARP.

In 2015, she was honored. She was elected to the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2017, she received an honorary Ph.D. from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Rosie Castro is also a poet. She wrote four poems for a book. The book is called Entre Guadalupe y Malinche: Tejanas in Literature and Art. It was published in 2016.

Rosie's sons, Julian and Joaquin Castro, are both politicians. They say their mother's activism inspired them. Julian once said that his mother fought for civil rights. This helped him achieve his goals. He also noted that because of her work, more people from their community are now doctors, lawyers, and teachers.