damian trujillo: hello, and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo, and today, we go one-on-one with a senior adviser to the president of the united states, who also happens to be the granddaughter of cesar chavez, on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ damian: julie chavez rodriguez, thank you for joining us today. you know, i drive my pickup truck to work every day, and i do my job, and i go home, and that's humbling. you drive to work every day, and you come to the white house.

are you as awestruck now about that fact as you were on the first day, or what's your thought process when you come to work? julie chavez rodriguez: yeah, no, definitely, and thank you, damian, so much for, you know, having me join you all. it's, you know, it's a real honor and privilege to be able to walk through--well, drive through the gates of, you know, the white house every day, and i remember, even in the last administration, when i first started working with then president obama and vice president biden, that they said, the moment that i take this role, this position, even that kind of daily, you know, action, for granted, then i no longer deserve to be here, and it's not that, you know, we need to carry, kind of, the weight of it at all times, but there's such a sense of real responsibility, of deep-seated commitment to the work that we're entrusted with, as you know, helping to

facilitate, kind of, the federal government and our administration's agenda, and so that, to me, is a tremendous honor and privilege and a huge responsibility that i don't take lightly and that, hopefully, you know, energizes me every day that i drive through those gates. damian: is there still a lump in your throat? i mean, i've had a lump since i walked in the building. julie: definitely, definitely, i mean, there are times, you know, where i'm in a meeting or on a webinar, and i do. you know, my emotions sort of get the best of me because it is, you know, again, the responsibility but also the opportunity that we have to ensure that we're, you know, representing our communities in these conversations, whether it's at the policy level as we think about, you know, kind of, our outreach and engagement efforts. i think about so many of the, you know, amazing opportunities that we now have to reach our community around the affordable connectivity program, as an example.

you know, people can get access to, you know, internet, affordable internet, and, you know, rebates. they, you know, can go to--i believe it's internetforall.gov, and, just, you know, it's immediate opportunities for our community. and so how do we make sure that we're reaching people where they are and making sure that they get connected to? you know, really, the purpose of what government is--and it's to serve the people. it's for the people. damian: talk about your tenure in the obama administration and what that was like, and who was it that--who called you and said, "can you join our team?" julie: well, i was fst irlled by a dear friend of mine, someone who's been a colleague, and, you know, a mentor throughout the years, stephanie valencia, who said, you know, "i've been given the opportunity to step into a deputy role in the office of public engagement," and she said, "i think you should apply for my position." so i was taken aback.

i mean, never in my mind was this, sort of, even something

opportunity, and, fortunately, you know, i was hired not that long after. damian: you know, it was those roots but maybe being genuine and straightforward. is that maybe what lured you to them?

julie: definitely, i mean, i think what i saw coming into government was something that i did not expect. i expected government to be, and especially at this level, much more, i would say, cutthroat, much more--i don't know--just, a lot more politics, to be honest, and what i found was a group of extremely committed people who saw that government was a real, you know, opportunity to continue to create change, to transform our communities for the better, to create opportunity for those that, for too long, had been locked out, and so it was just such a great team to be a part of, and to see that, you know, continue now into the biden-harris aadministration has been a real topportunity of a lifetime.o see

damian: i'm damian trujillo the white house. we go one-on-one with a senior adviser to the president of the

united states, who also happens to be the granddaughter of cesar chavez. damian: and now you're wearing another hat as senior adviser to the president. talk about how that happened, and how do you have time to do both? julie: well, in this building, we just make time, but, you know, stepping into this new role as senior adviser has been a real opportunity of a lifetime, one, to be able to, you know, get to sit around the table with people who have had lifelong careers, working across multiple administrations, people like our chief of staff, ron klain, who is, you know, just brilliant and, again, has the experience necessary in moments like this when we're dealing with so many different, you know, converging issues, to be able to manage effectively and to get the job done, and then working with, you know, people like our deputy chief of staff, jen o'malley dillon, who had

brought me into the biden campaign, during the general election, and had just been a real mentor and a real guiding light for me. she has just really epitomized what i see as strong women leadership in these positions, and she does so with, i think, such humility and also humor but also, just, you know, i think, relentless sort of leadership and reminding all of us--her famous line is that "we can do hard things," and that's, i think, an important mantra. it reminds me of a "sí, se puede," mantra that i grew up with. damian: oh, that's awesome. how do you--you're a cal bear. julie: yes. damian: how did that experience at cal, you think, prepare you for this? julie: well, berkeley was an amazing experience. i'm so glad that i decided to go to uc berkeley. it was far enough from home but close enough that i can get back

in a matter of five hours, but in all honesty, you know, it was the first time that i was, sort of, i felt like i was outside of, you know, my farmworker family, the united farm workers that i grew up in, and i found a second family. you know, the friends that i made there are still lifelong friends. my goddaughter was actually just here over the summer, interning with a program, with the congressional hispanic caucus institute, and it's just, you know, that those early experiences just really shaped, you know, my ongoing commitment, i think, both to working with our community and continuing to create those, you know, on-ramps and pathways but also just realizing that we need, kind of, our--i guess, we need our tribe, for lack of a better description. we need people who are gonna be there for us, no matter what,

who know us better than sometimes we know ourselves, and so i'm just really fortunate to have had, you know, those experiences at berkeley and to also have it continued to build my organizing skills. it was--you know, i was able to balance my academics with, you know, continuing to stay involved with the campus community and ongoing issues that we were facing as a state and as a campus community, and so it was a perfect place. damian: so, now, back to your role as a senior adviser to the president, you have the ability to say, "i'm sorry, mr. president, i wouldn't do that if i were you." that's an--it's an amazing ability to have. julie: well, yes, i mean, i think what we have been able to build, i think, in terms of a team here at the white house is a real strong group of senior leaders who, again, have the experience, both lived and professional, in order to really advise the president, you know, in the best ways that we can,

and i think, you know, having the opportunity of working with him during the obama and biden administration and now working with him through the campaign and into this administration, it's been really, i think, you know, refreshing to see how, you know, as always, right, how thoughtful and deliberative he is but also the compassion that he leads with. i think his character and his integrity is what, frankly, our country really needed in this moment, and it's, you know, something that we continue to see, time and time again. i think we saw it yesterday when he enacted or signed the legislation to continue to expand services for our veterans and those who had been impacted by toxic chemicals, from burn pits, and other impacts so--and this is something that was very personal to him, and we see him continue to lead with that kind

of real strength, with real compassion and conviction to deliver for the american people. damian: maria echaveste, before you, you know, broke some barriers with--under president clinton, as, you know, same senior adviser to the president back then, and she played a significant role as a deputy chief of staff for president clinton. now you're in this very highly significant role. a lot of weight on your shoulders to make sure that everything that you're doing is done right and it's done for the right reasons. julie: yes, i mean, i think, you know, all of us that work in this building feel a sense of real responsibility, and i think that's something that is really encouraging about the team that the president has both assembled and attracted is that it's, you know, it's a deep-seated commitment to real public

service and to ensuring that, you know, we are kind of living up to the responsibilities that we've been entrusted with as public servants, and so definitely feel a lot of responsibility, and i also think that it's important that we continue to create, you know, opportunities so that i am not the only one in the room and continuing to carry that voice, but we continue to expand the leadership, and i think one thing that president biden has done is really assembled one of the most diverse cabinets, as well as one of the most diverse white house, you know, staff, especially at the leadership level, and there are times when, you know, it's mostly women one the zoom or in the meeting as well, and so i think it just--you know, we've seen so much, i think, new leadership and exciting leadership, really, step in, and, you know, i just

hope to be both a part of that but also continuing to open the door for others to step into these roles, as well, as maria did for myself and so many others.

damian: from the farmlands of the salinas valley, to the white house, i'm damian trujillo. sí se puede. damian: we'll get to your grandfather in just a bit, but let's talk about your mom--we lost her a few years ago--and your dad, who still puts his boots on, puts his guayabera on, for so many years, worked for next to nothing, speaking up for those who don't have a voice, who work with dust on their face and mud on their hands. talk about the sacrifices that a family has to make. julie: yeah, well, one, my mother sits on my desk, and she's the first person that i bring into my office, no matter what office i occupy, so i miss her dearly, and i know that, you

know, not a day goes by that i don't feel her presence 'cause i would not be here without her. and, you know, i think that my parents sacrificed so much, growing up, first, my mom, you know, having grown up in some of those early days of the farmworker movement. i remember her and my aunt sylvia and others talking about having to go to school and being taunted or, you know, parents organizing, you know, mothers against chavez, and kids coming to school with buttons and how, you know, hard that was but also how hard working as a farmworker was and how important she knew it was to really be able to change those conditions and--thank you.

and so i think, you know, really learning from-- learning from them and seeing those early sacrifices, i think, just, really, you know, enabled me to understand that, sometimes, with great progress does come sacrifice, and that it's--you know, there is a--i should say, it's on behalf of a greater purpose. i think they clearly showed me early on that, you know, being a part of something bigger than one's self was worth it, but it wasn't necessarily easy, and it wasn't glamorous, and it wasn't something that, you know, that, frankly, that everybody can do but that it required a lot of commitment and a real deep-seated belief in the power of people to continue to, you

know, to take agency of their own lives and to continue to improve their own conditions, and i can't think of better role models, you know, from the two of them, to my grandparents, to all the farmworkers that i got to see really standing up and speaking out against the injustices that they were facing. damian: yeah, glamorous is not a word to describe your family at all. talk about the pride of having your grandfather, the bust of your grandfather in the oval office, and just the sacrifices that he went through to perhaps help get you to where you are now. julie: yeah, well, i was blown away that the president chose to put a bust of my grandfather in his office, and he oftentimes will share a story with people as he's coming in or as they're coming in, and he's talking about, you know, the importance of different pieces that he's put in the office, and he talks about how he supported my grandfather when he came to delaware and was organizing workers, and it wasn't the most

popular thing for him to do at the time but that, you know, he understood, again, what my grandfather was fighting for, and, you know, president biden is one of the most pro-union presidents i've ever seen, and he sees that commitment to workers across the board. it doesn't matter if you're construction workers or farmworkers or grocery workers, that, that belief that, you know, unions really are the backbone of the middle class in this country and that they have continued to help really ensure that workers have a voice and have power and have agency. and so, again, knowing and hearing that he was going to put a bust in the oval, i was really, you know, just overwhelmed, and i thought that it was also a testament to, you know, my grandfather's legacy and hiliving legacy, that it's

not something that, you know, ended when he passed away, or it's not something that is also just confined to a certain period of our history in this country, that it's one that continues and that we need to continue to see an example in and find inspiration in.

damian: i'm damian trujillo at the white house, and nbc bay area celebrates hispanic heritage month. julie: well, i keep so many quotes of my grandfather very close to me because he, you know, was both a role model but also a hero, and ieel really fortunate to have had the opportunity to, you know, get to grow up with him and see him in action and, you know, ride alongside him and march alongside him on so many ways, and there's one in particular, for me, that really kind of sings true and that i oftentimes share, and it's his quote where he says, "when social change begins, it cannot be reversed. you cannot un-educate the person who has learned to read.

you cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. you cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore." and it's, just, to me, a really powerful reminder of why we continue to do this work and why we continue to, you know, serve the american people. damian: you didn't have a choice, growing up, right? you didn't have an option, social justice, the fight for social justice. it was in you. julie: exactly, you know, i--my parents tell a story that, when i was five, i marched into their room, 'cause i didn't usually walk. i usually marched everywhere--that i marched into their room, asking when i could start my first job, at the age of five, and that's 'cause my older sister, who i idolized, started working with my grandmother at the farm worker credit union, when she was five, throwing trash and helping to fold receipts and sending them in the mail to the farmworkers, and so i was ready. i was like, "put me in coach."

but, i mean, since those early days, you know, whether it was farmworker conventions that we were preparing for or silkscreening flags for big marches, i mean, you know, my cousin, christina often jokes and says, "some families went on family cnicpi we went on family pickets," so it was just sort of, you know, it was all, all one. there wasn't really a separation between our family life, you know, the farmworker movement, and it was, i think, one of the richest childhoods that anyone can have. damian: just a couple more. latinas are taking over. they run for office, and they win. they're at the forefront. they're vocal. they're leaders. what is it about the power of latinas that says-- aquí estamos y no nos vamos. "we're here, and we're not goin' anywhere"? julie: well, i think, you know, a lot of the latinas that i work with have been, i think, really--you know, have shown me

that so many of us, right, we come from humble beginnings, and, oftentimes, those roots are what keep us really grounded and really focused on who it is that we're fighting for and why it is that we're doing this work, and i think that, oftentimes, you know, whether it's on behalf of, you know, their own family or on behalf of other families, oftentimes, latinas do take on that, you know, important role, and so, you know, i think we've seen that time and time again. it's just the leadership and ability to, you know, step in and to bring people together, and, you know, i'm fortunate i get to work alongside emmy ruiz, our political director, another amazing latina, who, you know, has--you know, we've sort of worked alongside one another, but, you know, it wasn't until the vice president's primary campaign that we actually got a

chance to work directly together, and it's, just, it's been, you know, great to have her here in the building but also just so many others that we've continued to groom and work with along the way. damian: and, finally, this young lady here is so inspired by you. i think she wants to thank you for keeping her seat warm. she wants to be julie. what would you tell that young latina, as they're coming up, to break those glass ceilings and to learn the word "ganas," to learn the word "perseverance"? and if i might borrow a phrase, to learn, "sí, se puede"? julie: yeah, i mean, i think it's really having that attitude, right, that anything is possible and that, you know, "don't let anyone define you. don't let anyone tell you who you are, what you can do." just continue to really show people what it is that you're capable of, and continue to just, you know, work hard and to just really be a role model for yourself and for others, and i

found that--and this was one important lesson from my grandfather. i have so many, but he would always say, "there's no substitute for hard work," and, you know, we're accustomed to that, and it's--you know, it comes naturally, oftentimes, to us. ♪♪♪ ♪ oy nomás. ♪ ♪ desde tejas a california, campesinos están luchando. ♪ ♪ desde tejas a california, ♪ ♪ campesinos están luchando. ♪ ♪ los rancheros a llore-llore, ♪ ♪ de la huelga ya están bien pandos. ♪ ♪ el picket sign, el picket sign. ♪ ♪ lo llevo por todo el día. ♪ ♪ el picket sign, el picket sign. ♪

♪ conmigo toda-- ♪♪

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