Julián Castro | |
---|---|
16th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | |
In office July 28, 2014 – January 20, 2017 |
|
President | Barack Obama |
Deputy | Nani Coloretti |
Preceded by | Shaun Donovan |
Succeeded by | Craig Clemmensen (Acting) |
Mayor of San Antonio | |
In office June 1, 2009 – July 22, 2014 |
|
Preceded by | Phil Hardberger |
Succeeded by | Ivy Taylor |
Personal details | |
Born |
September 16, 1974 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Erica Lira (m. 2007) |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater |
Stanford University Harvard University |
Julián Castro (/ˌhuːliˈɑːn/ hoo-lee-AHN,Spanish pronunciation: [xuˈljan]; born September 16, 1974) is an American Democratic politician who was the the 16th U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017.
From 2009 to 2014, Castro served as the mayor of his native San Antonio, Texas, until he was invited by U.S. President Barack Obama to join the Cabinet in Washington, D.C. Castro was mentioned as a possible nominee for vice president in 2016 under Hillary Clinton.
Julián Castro was born in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Maria "Rosie" Castro and Jessie Guzman. He is the identical twin brother of current United States Representative Joaquín Castro. His mother was a Chicana political activist who helped establish the Chicano political party La Raza Unida, and who ran unsuccessfully for the San Antonio City Council in 1971. Castro once stated, "My mother is probably the biggest reason that my brother and I are in public service. Growing up, she would take us to a lot of rallies and organizational meetings and other things that are very boring for an 8-, 9-, 10-year-old". His father, Jessie Guzman, is a retired mathematics teacher and political activist. Never married, Rosie and Jessie separated when Castro and his brother were eight years old. Castro's Texan roots trace back to 1920, when his grandmother, Victoria Castro, joined extended family members there as a six-year-old orphan from northern Mexico.