Relatable Role Models: Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia
Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2018, becoming the first Latina ever to represent the Texas 29th Congressional district. She has been a fierce advocate for girls and women, people of color, and those most vulnerable in her community for decades, starting with her career in social work and law before lawmaking. A native Houstonian, Congresswoman Garcia has fought as a supporter of working families and made certain Harris County took care of its most defenseless, and led the way for new jobs and economic development.
As a dedicated public servant, Congresswoman Garcia has been using her voice for those who needed her for decades, but she describes this trait as innate, stating, “from an early age, I remember always standing up for someone who for example, was being pushed around or bullied” or “having to be the one to speak up when something wasn’t going right, or the teacher wasn’t doing something appropriate.” She attributes her strong sense of right and wrong to her family who always raised her to do right and her Catholicism which places an emphasis on social justice and caring for others. Her courageous and moral attitude followed her from childhood where her friends described her as “the one who usually speaks up for [everyone else]” to her eventual career path.
After years defending her community as a social worker and lawyer, Sylvia decided to continue her dedication to public service by running for elected office. Becoming a Congresswoman wasn’t easy, however. During her first campaign in 1992, Sylvia realized that getting funding was going to be challenging as most PACs were controlled by men and donated to other men, and most people associated women with behind-the-scenes in politics rather than as candidates during this time. Despite losing the race in 1992, she never gave up. Sylvia ran again in 2018 after realizing her ultimate goal was still to be a congressperson and won her race. Her determination and belief she could achieve her goals played a huge role in her success. She notes that the most common roadblock for girls today, especially girls of color, hoping to build careers in politics and public service is “always people not being sure whether or not you can do it.” She added, “Even though you set a goal and don’t immediately succeed, keep trying if that’s what you really want to do. And I’m the perfect example of being able to attest to that. I didn’t realize my goal for almost 20 years. I ran in 1992 and didn’t win until 2018.” Congresswoman Garcia’s emphasis on self-efficacy, an important tool in being a successful leader, made her an obvious choice for Girls Empowerment Network’s keynote speaker at the Spark Change Day.
Spark Change Day, hosted by Girls Empowerment Network, inspires youth in grades 6-12 to be civically engaged and helps them develop their unique voice to advocate for themselves and their community. The event included a training on the power of advocacy, a review of the legislative process, interactive exploration of issues which impact girls in our nation and the opportunity to hear from local and national policymakers. Congresswoman Garcia served as the keynote speaker for this event where she discussed roadblocks for girls and provided advice on how to become a community advocate. The full interview with Girls Empowerment Network’s Vanessa Beltran and Adreayn Torrez can be found here.
Congresswoman Garcia uses her position in Congress to continue her path as an advocate in her community. She uses her power to make immediate changes for those who need her and bases her policy making choices on the Golden Rule. Sylvia advises young folks hoping to run for office to do the same saying, “if you see someone being mistreated, say something… You don’t need to be educated to do that. You don’t need to have a degree to do that. You just need to be a good person.”
Congresswoman Garcia has dedicated her life to being a powerful defender of the most vulnerable in her community, all while breaking barriers for girls and women everywhere after becoming the first Latina to be elected to Congress in Texas’ 29th district. After working hard and believing in herself, she maintains in her everyday life that her roots and morals guide her to making both immediate and long-term differences for her community. In short, “she’s the one who usually speaks up for all of us.”
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