Ruben Gallego, Arizona's first Latino U.S. senator, reflects on his childhood struggles and his determination to overcome adversity.
Gallego, who recently became the first Latino elected to Senate in Arizona , tells PEOPLE about his hard-fought journey to a better life after things went 'very wrong very fast' for his family when he was young. He prepares for the biggest moment of his career on Jan. 3, his swearing-in as Arizona 's first Latino U.S. senator, acknowledging it's a once-improbable fulfillment of the American dream — one he unknowingly set the stage for in his childhood.
While growing up in Chicago, Gallego's middle-class life took a drastic and unexpected downturn when his father, who had a fairly successful contracting business, abandoned the family for a life of drug dealing. 'Even before my father left, he was a horrible man,' the senator-elect, now 44, tells PEOPLE. 'He was very emotionally abusive, physically abusive to me and my mother.' This upheaval led to Gallego's mom, a secretary, moving her son, then in seventh grade, and his three younger sisters into an apartment where he slept on the floor because a bed was unaffordable. 'It sucked, there's really no other way to describe it,' he says, adding: 'And when you're poor, it hurts.' 'I was angry and also a little frustrated at that point just because I felt that things had gone very wrong very fast in my family,' he continues, 'in a very short period of time.' Ruben Gallego (left) helped take care of his younger sisters Liza, Alejandra and Laura (pictured with him on the right). However, Gallego was determined to make things right, for himself and his family. 'I'm like, okay, I need to figure out what I'm going to do. Either just focus on how to get out of it, or you just kind of languish in it,' he recalls. Gallego set his mind on working as hard as he could to change his circumstances — both for outstanding grades and at jobs to support the family, juggling algebra and history homework after school with shifts at a pizza parlor, a meat plant, flipping burgers, and as a bouncer
Politics Senator Ruben Gallego Arizona Latino American Dream Overcoming Adversity
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
It’s bizarre for the California Latino Legislative Caucus to exclude Latino legislatorsWe doubt calling attention to this is why Gonzalez ahd her fellow Democrats have failed to do a remotely competent job of governing the state of California.
Read more »
Arizona family builds a life full of love and hope with help from Child Crisis ArizonaLATEST FROM ABC15's KALEY O'KELLEY:
Read more »
What Arizona coach Brent Brennan said about Arizona State rivalry gameBrennan on Cam Skattebo: 'The thing I love about him is he's just a football playing fool.'
Read more »
Arizona State vs. Arizona FREE LIVE STREAM (11/30/24): Watch college football, week 14 onlineNo. 21 Arizona State faces Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 (11/30/24) at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.
Read more »
Arizona State vs. Arizona football predictions, betting odds, point spreadAnything can happen in a rivalry game
Read more »
Arizona weather forecast: Warmer temps coming to ArizonaWe are expecting warmer temperatures in the coming workweek for the Valley.
Read more »