Congressman Gregorio Casar began his term in January, and at 32 he is one of the youngest members of Congress. He is the son of Mexican immigrants and is part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. As a representative of Texas, his agenda includes the improvement of workers wages, the expansion of immigrants rights, the protection of abortion and voting rights, the protection of veterans and the elderly, and climate change. It is a series of concerns that has accompanied him since he made his debut in politics, when he was very young. While on the Austin City Council, Casar played a key role in advocating for tenant rights and fair job opportunities for people with criminal records, as well as affordable housing programs. He talked to LPO in perfect Spanish.

You have just concluded a thirst strike to draw attention to the injustices that Latinos face. Why, being such a key and strategic population for the economy, is it so difficult for them to get the most basic rights?

If you look at the history of the United States, the work of the immigrant community is accepted, but not their rights. We continue in that same fight. But we see that when we participate in actions like the thirst strike, when we organize and bring to light the problems that workers - immigrants and non-immigrants - face in our country, it is when we can change things.

Why do you say so?

In 2010 I worked for an organization called the Workers Defense Project, and after a strike we finally achieved the first protections for workers to rest and drink water in the entire state of Texas, in the face of opposition from large construction companies. Now the governor (Greg Abbott), 13 years later, is removing those protections. That's why striking from Washington DC, the nation's capital, was so important to start winning those protections for all workers at the federal level.

What space does the Latino agenda have in North American politics? What are the main challenges?

There is still not enough political power for Latinos in the United States. That is where many other obstacles come from. That is why we haven't had an immigration reform. And without that reform, there are a number of people who, after decades of living here, still do not have the right to vote. Without that right, there is less political power, there is more discrimination, and with this context they decide to participate less in politics and a ‘cycle of less' is created.

But that is changing. We now have more congressmen in the Hispanic Caucus than in the entire history of the country. There are more leaders who know that especially younger people want more power for a growing population. We all have to participate in the change. It is a challenge and we have to change this situation.

Greg Casar

How is that representation in Congress explained for Latinos? Who are the main allies in Congress?

I represent Austin and San Antonio. Two generations have passed since Henry B. González became the first Latino in all of Texas history to reach Congress. Since then, many have worked to open the door to finally have a decent number of Latinos in Congress. Now we have to use that power in new and creative ways. That is why we've done this thirst strike and why we are going to use different tactics. For Latinos to excel in the country, we need to pass more laws. We have to face the problems of the day before yesterday, invest in youth where there are so many Latinos and families.

"Cuando uno ocupa un cargo en el Estado, la prioridad es el sentido de la urgencia. Hay cosas que tienen que pasar ya"

There is much talk about the weight of the Latino population, but that change has not arrived. How is this transformation achieved?

We have to get to the Congress to produce benefits for the community. Now the Congress is set so that it does nothing. That only benefits people who already have power, corporations that already have money, and leaves Dreamers and immigrants unprotected. It leaves people without the right to vote, and people who have the least, with the less power at work. I think many of our allies are Latinos, but also the more progressive new congressmen who want to see government be active in changing the situation in the country. For example, this water break thing has been a government project for decades, but corporations, big farmers and also construction companies have blocked it for 30 or 40 years. We have to change that system from Washington DC because if nothing happens, Latinos will continue to suffer.

There is still not enough political power for Latinos. Without an immigration reform, there are many people who do not have the right to vote. But we have more congressmen in the Hispanic Caucus than in all of history and leaders who know that younger people want more power.

In such a federal country, what can Congress do about issues under local legislation?

That's a challenge, but the federal government has more than people realize. An example of this is what is happening in Texas with the "rest laws". The federal government has the power to implement a nationwide rule. There is already a law that says that workers deserve protection at work. But there is no rule that explains this law, what it is about and what it says. The law includes the right to have a break, the right to drink water, the right to have those breaks paid for. But since there is no rule, it cannot be said that workers have the right. Today that is a power of the president. As I was standing on Capitol Hill, Secretary of Labor Julie Su called me and told me that she and the administration were now especially dedicated to this federal law.

In the 1960s, they asked themselves that same question: why state governments didn't keep African-Americans, Latinos and white people in the same school. From the states they said that they did not want to implement civil rights, and the federal government at that moment became active and began to work on new laws so that all workers and students throughout the country would have the same rights. The same thing is happening now. At the federal level we have to implement more rights, because at this moment we see that there are more states that are trying to take rights away from their citizens.

Greg Casar

Is it possible to reach the necessary agreements with such a polarized policy?

We must agree, at least on this. If you have worked four or five hours in the sun and you feel bad, you should be able to get off the roof and drink water. That is something that the vast majority of people agree on. Democrats, Republicans, Left and Right. I think only the big corporations say no. Because in many of these companies the worker charges per square foot in construction or per kilo in agriculture. So they don't get breaks. They don't get paid for resting. It is a practice that causes suffering and in some cases even death. In these times of polarization we face many problems, but there are areas where we all agree. We just have to join the majority to beat big corporate interests.

"Los inmigrantes siguen llegando y la lucha no termina porque los retos todavía son monumentales"

You mention the immigration reform. Is it a utopia or is it possible to think of that change?

It is something that we have to work on every day. For it to be a reform, or for it to become any type of protection that gets rights for our people. What is happening is not acceptable. The last time the Congress voted on a measure to protect the immigrant community was before I was born, in 1989. There is a generation of young congressmen who have never seen an immigration law. It is ridiculous. So I think we are committed to passing what we can so that people don't end up being deported when they've lived in this country for 5, 15 or 25 years.

The Congress is set so that is does nothing, the last time it voted to protect immigrants was before I was born, in 1989. That benefits people who already have power and corporations that already have money, but it leaves Dreamers and Latinos unprotected.

Do you think Latinos should get more politically involved?

Absolutely. But I also understand why people haven't gotten involved. When they say that the system is not producing much, they say: "Why am I involved?." The system is going to get involved with you. Even though you are not interested in politics, politics is going to get into your life and when we don't participate, things get worse. We could change the country very quickly. If politicians had more commitment, they would change quickly.

With the electoral atmosphere that the United States is experiencing, do you think that the Latino vote will influence the next election?

Sure. If Latinos express their demands, get involved in the policies they want, ask the parties for them and go out to vote, they can be decisive. But above all, they can decide, choose a president and set the direction of the country.

Translator: Bibiana Ruiz.