My name is Teri Castillo. I am a housing organizer, historian of urban policy, lifelong resident of District 5 — and I am proud to be your city council representative.
Growing Up, I have witnessed the realities that have shaped the erosion of our power in the political system. These realities have been stark, but we are not and have never been passive actors. We have built communities in which we take care of each other; and our communities are not for sale.
I am here to say that that time of political erosion must come to an end. The people of District 5 will be heard. Our issues will be addressed, and they will be addressed head-on. No more half-measures where actual solutions are needed.
I am the proud daughter and granddaughter of migrant workers who toiled in fields, who acquainted themselves with the soil and recognized the possibilities held within it, who understood their humble but very necessary role in a larger picture. It is this understanding of duty, in part, that moves me to want to serve my neighbors.
For as different as our lives may be from one another’s, we are bound together by community, physically, yes, but so too in the the deeper, more important cultural sense.
Creating a District 5 that works for all of us (and not just a select few) is going to require lots of work, but with your help, I believe we can accomplish just that. We owe it to each other to create a future that responds to our needs.
Please join us in building a District 5 that works for us!