Hillary Clinton
Castro writes, “The evening before, I was at the Jacob Javits Convention Center for Hillary Clinton’s election night watch party. I had front-row seats to the electoral disaster in more ways than one. Hillary Clinton had been expected to win the presidency, and although no official list was ever released, I’d learned in the summer that I was one of the ten potential running mates the Clinton campaign was vetting.” Although Castro does not become Clinton’s vice president, in the 2016 elections, he still supports her unconditionally. Clinton’s contesting is remarkable due to her gender and her past as a first lady. Her impressive performance, especially in the popular vote, is a motivation for young girls and contemporary women leaders.
‘Presidential tickets’
Castro explains, “A Clinton-Castro ticket had a certain political logic to it. Presidential campaigns often “balance” their ticket along demographic, geographic, and ideological lines. The 1960 Democratic ticket of John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson was a classic case - a young man and an experienced one, a New Englander and a Texan, a progressive and a moderate." The presidential tickets are intended to appeal to voters in various demographic groups, geographical locations and philosophies. Accordingly, parties select presidents and vice presidents in a way that would ensure they would complement each other when appealing to voters in various cohorts.
Companions
Castro recalls, “Outside of a competitive environment, my brother and I were steady companions. We would run around the neighborhood, a strange urban wilderness populated with trailer parks, abandoned cars and refrigerators, packs of roaming dogs, and eccentric folks.” The brothers’ companionship rises above the competitive spirit that is inherent in human beings. Their bond is strong because of the love they share, and their friendship endures to adulthood due to the closeness they enjoy throughout their childhood.
Studies
Castro explains, “Before the split, Mom had begun a master’s program in urban studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She’d study and then do the required internship with the city government and take the bus home after six.” Castro’s mother studies to empower herself. She wants to lead a better life than Mamo who was not adequately educated. Castro’s mother trains her sons that education is mandatory for one to triumph in life.
Emptiness
Castro recalls, “As Joaquin and I headed home from school on Wednesday February 9, 1983, we didn’t have the slightest clue what our parents’ split would mean. Even though Mom had explained that dad was leaving, I couldn’t have imagined what it would be like without him. When Joaquin and I walked into the house that day, the space felt empty in a whole new way.” The emptiness ensues when they realize that their father would no longer be actively present in their home and lives. They adore their father; hence, they are saddened at the separation. Castro’s recollection confirms that separations of parents cause emotional pain in children; the pain leaves unconscious emptiness that cannot be filled easily.
