Maria del Rosario "Rosie" Castro (born 1947) is an American civil rights activist and educator from San Antonio, Texas, who has been involved in several prominent groups, such as the Young Democrats of America, the Mexican American Youth Organization, the Committee for Barrio Betterment, and the Raza Unida Party. She is the mother of Democratic politicians Julian and Joaquin Castro.
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Early life and education
Born to Victoria Castro and Edward Perez, Rosie was raised by her mother and a guardian, Marcia Garcia, in San Antonio. Growing up in the San Antonio barrio, Castro cited the beginning of her interest in social justice in witnessing the racial and economic boundaries that affected her family, especially her mother.
With a scholarship from her valedictorian title and other financial means, she successfully enrolled at Our Lady of the Lake University, intending to become a teacher, before earning a degree in Spanish in 1971. At OLLU, she joined with the Catholic Youth Association, but took issue with the organization's lack of minority membership.
As an undergraduate, Castro first became involved in student activism through the Young Democrats, and organizing the campus-required Young Republicans chapter in response.
Castro earned a Master of Public Administration from University of Texas at San Antonio