Lets have a conversation between okay. A liberal and conservative but i think we share a love for puerto rico. We share a love for immigrants. We are committed to Immigration Reform. I found the book fascinating. A great story telling. You have a great sense of humor. Theres some fantastic antedote here. I strongly recommend everyone should read this book. T a fabulous book. Now as i read it, two words came to mind. Identity and empowerment. Two words that describe lewis. A commitment to your roots, and commitment to empower the Latino Community. Is that a Fair Assessment of who you are . Guest i think we try describe to the reader what is that is a vocation for immigration and Immigration Reform . Why has he made that a priority . And if you read the book, you begin to understand my mom and dad had nothing in portiere tow. They had nothing. They no future. It was very sad. They had gone to grade school and came to america without a coat, without language skills, without nothing except desire. As immigrants dont come to the country. They are puerto rican. Every other aspect they had to confront. They came in 52. In new york 60 years ago the headline in new york city we were bringing diseases. How do we stop them from coming to new york . They didnt want to speect language and wanted to get on welfare. How many times have we heard the same description of immigrants today . I wanted to inform people about how it is im brought up. I remember living look, i i was born in 35 ten years before the civil rights act. And ask you what were you doing . You were always a suspect in your own neighborhood. Number one. More other, there were beaches you knew better than to go to. There were swimming pools and neighborhood z that were inassessble to you because they were for whites only. They might have been in chicago. And going to puerto rico where im not puerto rican understand. Host we have to see your childhood, as you were saying growing up in puerto rican lincoln park. When you were 15, your dad tells you, son, were moving to part rocco. This is what you say in the book. I think moving wasnt a choice for my dad. It was an obligation. Were my parents tired of english language . Yes. It was the drugs, gangs, assassination. It was time to go to puerto rico. You were told you were going to puerto rico. You were living your friend, everything you knew. You went to puerto rico a place you heard about. Guest first of all, i grew up in a bi bilingual household. My parents spoke to me in spanish and i responded in english. They unmy english, i understood their spanish. I was never equipped to go to puerto rico. It was my dad and moms dream. It was their goal. My dad didnt call family meetings to discuss the future. You if what you were told. It wasnt hard. But you know what . As i describe in the book, there and later on, i mean, think about what activity like for my mom and dad. They came to america. They had two teenagers. My sister and i. What did i see around them . They saw gangs, drug, they were deeply and devote catholics. What did they see . They saw jfk. We had a picture of jfk. We had see us jesus. We had a picture of jfk and they saw him murdered and another good catholic, in their mind, robert f. Kennedy. Martin luther king. They had hippies, movements, and drugs. There was such a time in the United States, i mean, when Martin Luther king of assassinated, they saw the National Guard on our streets in the city of chicago. They saw riting rioting. I think my dad said its time to go back to the mountains of puerto rico. The place safer so i can finish raiding the children. Host because you grew up in puerto rican neighborhood you thought you were they see you as a guy from the u. S. As american. Guest right. Host theres a great story here. Youre in class and you talk to the girl and approach her and introduce yourself and she said [speaking in spanish] he was bothering me. Of she talking about me . You go puerto rico and youre the how do you deal with that . Guest it was very, very difficult. It was a painful time. I mean, i used to think that adolescence, you know, adolescence was the science of pain. Because i thought [speaking in spanish] pain and science. They are i learned some that its about growing. Its a very painful time. Adolescence could be the science of pain. Its a painful time for all of us. , to be rejected and isolated. I also write about my friend and how they took an interest in me. How people cape umm to came up to me from the report rei puerto rican welcome home. That was very, very important time in my life. How did i i learned spanish but, you know, i was in the spanish emergent. You and i understand that in 1969, to be in in the mountains as we talked about earlier, the mountains is really much more tradition of puerto rico and puerto rican and informs us more about who we are than the beaches. The beaches is more of a tourist phenomena. Were not a country of surfers and guest its a mountain culture. Host its coffee and sugar cane. And sugar cane was the life blood of it. When i get there i see sue sugar cane and coffee and agriculture and i said [inaudible] i begin the interesting thing is i describe in the book too it taught me, in chicago, one social class. You were all Puerto Ricans. There wasnt an upper class, a middle class, and lower class. We were all in the same class. The puerto rican class that liberalizeds in the city of chicago. Everybody drove a cab or worked in a factory or swept floors or washed dishes. You were workingclass people. In puerto rico i realize social class and the social structure and the division made on the color of your skin and income and who you are in term of your income. I try to describe some of that the unity you saw in the states, you know, among Puerto Ricans not necessarily there in the host no. Let say the greatest guy in my neighborhood, the entrepreneur, right, the top guy might have been owned the local grocery store. He probably was wealthy in comparison to the rest of us. We know he had more money. He had what at the counter . [speaking in spanish] how much you took and credit that day and how much you owed. And but he was an institution. And you know what . I never i remember him charging interest. He kept you as a client. And of it a little part of puerto rico in the united. And every now and then they would show up and host when you go to places like that. In puerto rico, i read the book its where your political conscience awaking. You become involved with an independent [inaudible] puerto rico Independence Party. What was it about Independence Party which was a Minority Party . Your parents, as i understand, were the party power that supports the political status. What was it about Puerto Rico Party that excited you and lead you to get politically involved . Guest two things. Number one, remember, [speaking in spanish] its like and they come doctors, lawyers, architects. Many men of women and industry of commerce. Do you know, how many they were women and men. And so i listened to them. Plus, they didnt call me begin go. They saw a fellow portiere con exiled of the colonial status. Ton of people fled the island in the 50s to find a better future. The island didnt sustain a better hope. I would like to say there was you had to be there. To see the young man and he could take an extended metaphor and build to a speech to the point. There was that. As i real layed in the book. Maybe i could be an education. If so you a son and he comes to you and ask you for political advice. Be careful what you tell him not to join. [laughter] maybe thats where hes going. As i relayed in the book. Host before we continue with your political career. Theres something that struck me about the book which says a lot about you and immigrant families and your work ethic. Where it certainly comes from your father. When you move back from chicago to puerto rico, he starts a restaurant didnt go very well. After that, he went to college, after college you were always working. At what point you started driving a cab because you needed to make money to go back to puerto rico to meet up with your future wife. And seems to me, from reading the boob, i book, i think you say at one point it was important to show you were hard working. That the Puerto Ricans have a good work ethic. There are many still today, that like that use racist characterization of puerto rican of immigrants saying lazy and on welfare. You were always working guest i was always working. I like when a told a story of my dad and his restaurant, there was many times as you relay and go back and become sad tonight think, you know, they worked so hard. To have the restaurant. My dad never even gave it a name. Never even gave it a name. He, worked so hard. I can imagine howdies allusioned he was. How heart broken he must have been. He continued forward. Indian theres a time when you need the government. I understand that. I dont question. I dont judge people if they fall upon hard time. Ive always felt and strived at every part of my life. When i couldnt find im in chicago. Im married. Its 1977, i my bachelor degree. Im latino. You think they are looking for young, bright, articulate people to work for you and your company. No, one application after another. I thought to myself, i did this in college. I drove a cab. I have to tell you, it was hard. Because i was driving a cab and so many plans and so many and i remember when i went back to see my dad that christmas and he said after all of the effort and the expense for you to wind up doing exactly what i did. I kept saying, dad, its a stage. Its a moment i have to work and keep selfrespect and dignity. I have to work. Its something that puts food and pays the rent. Having said that, it was good for me. Right. And right now. Every day from all over the world, lawyers, doctors, probably because i have to do it. To sustain their family. They do all kind of work. They are the substantiate to the assistant in the medical office when they have a degree. A medical degree. They are legal aid; right. Some paralegal when they were a lawyer. This happens but they worked their way back. I think the story of america, to tell you the truth. I mean, part of sometimes i look at the immigrant community and i always they dont want to work. Are you kidding . They get one job and many times with immigrants think what am i going to do for the next eight hours. Maybe i need a second job. They are always looking for a way toed a van economically. Advance economically. Host the political interest was there. Commitment to the community. And something happens when you get back. You marry the love of your life. How many years . Guest 35. Host congratulations. At that time, you went back to chicago. Just like your parents did. Looking far better future. You were not necessarily politically but something happens that makes you think i have to get involved . Can you describe about what happened . Guest i think its a very important moment in my life. We would not be having this conversation had it not been if that. In chicago there was an election for mayor in 1983, the incumbent, richie bay lay, the son of the mayor is the state attorney. They fight. Harrold washington, who was a freshman member of congress is compelled by the commune toy run for mayor. And he wins the democratic nomination for mayor. They called it subsequently beirut on the lake. At that time what they called it. He wins the nomination. On my door come knocking officials from dan who is dan roth skin ski . The congressman also the chairman of the ways means committee. Probably power of the commie. Powerful committee. A leader in the democratic caucus. What it is precinct workers doing . Supporting the republican nominee. Under the scenes before its too late. And im sitting there in my home listening to the guys ask me to be a big got, to be a racist, to somehow be prejudice. I said no, he won the democratic nomination. Youre in the Democratic Party. You and dan and all of the White Democratic Party should be ashamed of yourself. They didnt want an africanamerican. Glg they didnt want a black man to be the mayor of chicago. The lights wouldnt come on, the garbage wouldnt be picked up. There would be cay use and up and down pandemonium in the city. They were visually booed when they visited a church an sunday. So i just want you to think of a time in which the city was really stood up, you know . I like [inaudible] i had just gotten my first house. We used to watch [inaudible] and watch how they sanded the floors and how they refinished the wood work. How do you do the dry walling and rerouted your bathroom. We were happy. We played dominoes with my friend, i had a job. I was happy. You know, a Birthday Party here. A baptism there and a wedding and your life was complete. We also planned flowers in the front yard. Then they knocked on my door and said, you know, maybe im going have a fewless game of come knees on weekend and the water my life will change. I need to get involved politically. I supported harrold washington. The next year i ran against dan got beaten. For Word Committee man and got 24 of the vote. It changed my life. Host you were taking the chicago Democratic Political machine. Supporting harrold washington and challenging dan. Guest right. Host congressman were going to have to cut it shut. Youre being called to a vote on the floor. On the go . After words is available via pod cast through i tune and x lm. Visit booktv. Org and click pod cast on the upper Social Security on the page. Select which you would like to dpownl and listen while you travel. You decided to take dan and the Democratic Political machine in chicago im sure they were not happy with you. How was that . Guest number one. I was very angry and disallusioned. At the same time very motivated with the high level of spirit to say, you know, we need a Democratic Party that doesnt use racism barometer. I kept thinking of Martin Luther king, you know, and how people were going to be judged by the content of their character not the color of their skin. Yet in chicago in 1983, we were still judging people on the color of their skin. And the Democratic Party of doing it. Guest the incredible thing. You decide to fight them and win in the precinct. Host in 1983, harrold washington had thousand of volunteers just like me. Young people with grownup in the 60s and 70s and ready for change. Harrold was a larger than life figure. He was eloquent. At the same time, he was inspiring. He inspired me. I went and won my precinct 280 to 220. Toirm this day, winning that precinct. And the next year, i run against dan. The Committee Man and think i have to replicate this in 50 more precinct and im a sure winner. It wasnt quite that way. I got 024 of the vote. I want the public to understand the next time you say he got 80 of the vote l. A. November. It wasnt always that way. I got 24 of the vote i want to underscore. Every one of my neighbors had a dan poster in their window. They were orange and blue. What a color. What a color combination. Host you get your reputation as a rebel. But somebody who stands as principle and willing to go again your own party and the machine if you believe in what youre doing. Guest i did the right decision to make. Washington, after that campaign, invited know join his administration. He becomes a mentor. Host he does. We get to meet and talk. Kids like me, im 30 years old. Im sitting down with the mayor of the city of chicago. Hes mentoring me, teaching me, im learning. He gives mae job. The responsibilities that i have. And he my story is not unique. There were hundreds of other young men and women that were give their first job he opened it up for women, gays, for latinos, and for black people to finally have positions of responsibility and, you know, all he asked was to do a good job and make sure that everyone regardless of the color of their skin or what neighborhood they lived in this chicago got a fair and square deal. Host he won the office of mayor but didnt control the city council. And he asked you to run to see if he could control the city council. You basically delivered. Guest i won. I won. In the city council, there are 50 members. 25 to 25 is a tie. Guess who breaks the tie . The mayor of the city of chicago. Hes the presiding office. I was the 25th vote. Once i become the 25th vote, the commissioner on the board of education and the Park District and the Commission Economic development board. He gets a budget that is his budget. He sells general Obligation Bonds so we can help with housing and streets and curve and gutters and bridges and begin infrastructure that the city needed. I loved working as an elderman, but i have to say one thing, i had a lot less power and influence as one of the 50 than i did as a member of his inner circle working in his administrative substantiate in the mayors office. The executive branch of government wheels a lot of power and influence. Host washington was important to you dies unexpectedly. And everything goes back to what it was before. What was that moment for you . Guest to say that i cried is to understate what happened. The sadness that i felt. I was uncertain whether i wanted to stay in politics. Even though i was just getting elected. It was like what for . My leader died. I ran for committeeman a few months. You know what i was lucky because my wife and i went to see him in november in three weeks before he died. And we told him we were going name our son harrold if it was a boy. Not to expect us to call her harrold it wasnt going to happen. And, you know, he passed away knowing that. But thats how much my wife and i thought of him. We would name our next child if it was a boy. And we a girl. So her name is jessica washington. Her middle name and jessica is so proud because she later in her life she said, dad, i want to find out it was a teenager already. I researched it. Thank you. What a great man you named me after my middle name. So that was the kind of experience. He passed away, the city council really fell apart. Then in 1989, i had to make a decision about my future putted to congress. Come to congress. I wanted to continue to work. There was an election, and daily the attorney is going