Joseph’s grandparents immigrated to California from Mexico to labor in tomato fields and canneries in the 1960s. Through hard work and determination, they climbed into the middle class to build opportunities for their family. Joseph’s mother struggled with addiction, so he spent most of his childhood living with his father, who raised a family of five in Riverside on a truck driver’s salary. But when Joseph came out as gay at 17, he had to move out. Though his early years were marked by hardship, trauma, and housing insecurity, Joseph excelled in school, participated in the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Conference, and worked part-time as a dishwasher.
The pandemic showed us that no matter our circumstances, we may get sick. One unfortunate outcome of the pandemic is a widened gap between the ultra-wealthy and working people. I grew up without stable health care or childcare because we couldn't afford it. No family should be put in a position to make these choices. In the State Senate, I will focus on delivering on basic needs that help to lift people into the middle class such as increasing access to affordable, quality childcare and expanding paid sick leave.