DNC keynote speaker Julian Castro follows mother's tougher path

Now Julian Castro is at the forefront of his party's effort to attract Hispanic voters, just as his mother had labored to register them to vote nearly 40 years ago. To Rosie Castro, the strides made in the span of just one generation don't seem to have come quickly.

On the eve of his keynote speech, the mayor told reporters in Charlotte that he hopes his life's story will inspire younger Hispanics.

"As my family story shows, Latinos have been a blessing for USA for many generations," Julian Castro said. "The future of America depends in part on the success of the Latino community, and this opportunity is just one more signifier of that."

Fouhy reported from Charlotte, N.C. Associated Press writer Luis Alonso Lugo in Charlotte, N.C., contributed to this report.

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