José Luis Castillo (activist)

José Luis Castillo (born April 19, 1968 in Den Haag, Netherlands) is a “Colombian-American activist” [“County Commission Candidates Line Up Endorsements” "Miami Herald", August 24, 2000 ] , politician, and non-profit community liaison in south Florida. He is the founder of the Colombian American Foundation in Miami and the Pan American Coalition, “an umbrella organization comprised of 14 groups representing an array of immigrants from Central America and the Caribbean,” [“Police Officer Enters County Commission Race” "Miami Herald", June 11, 2000 ] and is active in the community fighting for the rights and liberties of his fellow Colombian-Americans. He has been awarded the title of "Gran Caballero" con la Orden de la Democracia Simón Bolivar from Colombia.

Early Years:

in the valley beneath Popayán. There Castillo enrolled in the prestigious Colegio Aleman [http://www.dscali.edu.co/es/] at the age of six. While already speaking fluent Dutch and Spanish, he began studies in the German language.

In 1979, at the age of 11, Castillo moved to Miami, Florida. There he attended Henry M. Flagler Elementary and Kinloch Park Middle where he learned to speak English. Later he moved back to Cali and received his diploma from Santa Librada Bachillerato. Castillo completed his education back in the states by receiving a bachelor's degree (B.A.) in History and a master's degree (M.A.) in Public Administration from St. Thomas University.

Professional Years:

In 1999 Castillo began a long history of dedication to non-profit charitable organizations. While working with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation he helped to organize the Kayak Challenge which raised funds to benefit the foundation [“Hurricane Has Put Kayak Race In Limbo” "Miami Herald", September 14, 1999 ] . In 2002 he was the district director for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and also acted as development director and grant-writer for the American Cancer Society.

In 2000 Castillo ran for a Miami-Dade County District 11 commission seat as “the candidate with the most public officials in his corner." [“County Commission Candidates Line Up Endorsements” "Miami Herald", August 24, 2000] He ran on a platform of battling corruption in politics - "Corruption not only breaks the public's trust in government, it discourages new businesses from relocating to our area and affects tourism, which are primary sources of revenue." [“Miami-Dade Commissioner Races” "Miami Herald", August 20, 2000] In 2002 he ran for the State house seat for District 116 wanting to improve the quality of life for residents of Kendall - "There needs to be a refocus on how the state is handling the allocation of funds and additional programs needed in the public school system." [“Seven Candidates Vying For Open Dist. 116 Seat” "Miami Herald", September 1, 2002] Castillo also ran for the Southwest Miami-Dade County District 7 School Board in 2004 and later headed the "successful campaign for Colombian-American West Kendall community councilwoman Beatriz Suarez." [“Colombians Aim For Political Unity” "Miami Herald", September 24, 2007]

Castillo has continually been active in bringing change to his community, first as a member of Concerned Citizens of West Dade, then as founder and president of Concerned Citizens of Kendall. He has been especially vocal in his support for issues relating to fellow Colombian-Americans here and Colombian citizens still in their homeland. As co-founder and president of the Pan American Coalition he helped organize the effort through Congress to petition President Clinton for "special legal protection for thousands of Colombians who have fled the troubled country in recent years. Their petition specifically asks for a classification known as temporary protective status that would allow between 60,000 and 80,000 Colombians to live and work in the country legally for up to 18 months." [“Clinton Asked To Give Colombians Protection” "Miami Herald," January 29, 2000] Through the coalition Castillo also helped organize a rally at Homestead park in Miami demanding amnesty for undocumented immigrants “seeking the right to legally live and work in the United States...'We feel the time is right for amnesty and for these immigrants who have led productive lives to become a legal part of the work force.'” [“People Call For Amnesty, New Lives Immigrant's Rally Echoes U.S. Trend” "Miami Herald," October 16, 2000] ) - "With this march we want to bring world attention to the fact that Colombia is under a terrorist threat." [“Monday Is Worldwide Protest Against Colombian Guerilla” "Miami Herald," February 3, 2008]

On January 15, 2008 Castillo was recognized for his work in the Colombian community by the Colombian government and awarded the title of "Gran Caballero" (grand gentlemen) by the order of the Simón Bolívar democracy at the Colombian consulate in Coral Gables, Florida. ["Colombia reconoce labor y entrega de líder comunitario" "El Nuevo Herald," January 16, 2008]

Castillo has three siblings and is married with three daughters and one son.

References