A California Democrat is the first LGBTQ immigrant in Congress. Now he’s ready to work

Gaby O’Donnell raised her son to be a hard worker, to love the United States and to give back to the communities that welcomed them when she was a young mother who immigrated from Peru.

She made it look easy, even when it was not — like when they struggled to put food on the table, bounced from house to house or had to work long hours to make a better life for her son, future Congressman Robert Garcia. His love of public service comes from his mother, Garcia said in a January interview.

“My mom always wanted us to help neighbors out, be good neighbors, and so we always helped all the local folks in whatever neighborhood we lived in,” Garcia, 45, said. “My mom taught us really early to be grateful to be here in the United States and that it meant something for us to be here.”

They lived the typical immigrant experience, Garcia said. He grew up undocumented, earning his citizenship in his early 20s before running for public office.

To read the full article, please click here.