Hoboken's Ron Bautista on Immigration MIC!

Immigration MIC

Welcome Ron Bautista (@ronbautistanj) candidate for #Hoboken’s 3rd Ward City Council to the @immigrationmicpodcast! In this interview we talk about: Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Ron talks about his background and the political/ economic reasons why his family decided to immigrate with a tourist visa and settled temporarily in Hoboken. Ron’s family overstayed their visa: he talks about the complex legal situation his family found themselves in, and the way he was able to be petitioned for, which eventually led to him qualifying for a green card. He talks about the time period he was undocumented, and tells the story of a social studies teacher he confided in about his status and the US Citizenship pop quiz that gave him support -- and how he messaged her right after he became a citizen. Ron talks about always having a passion for community service and politics, the reason he pursued an associates degree in accounting, and the hard work he and his mom put in cleaning houses to pay for his tuition for his bachelor's degree. Making the decision to run for mayor of Hoboken at 28, and although he did not win, how he appreciates the impact he felt his candidacy had, and how the person that became mayor instituted a “welcoming resolution” that discouraged local police from cooperating with ICE. The 2016 Election and the importance of “building the movement from the ground up”, and how he is happy that there are so many candidates vying for the Democrat presidential nomination. Finally, he talks about various issues he works on consistently in Hoboken, and how he views the future of the city from his point of view -- “those make a difference -- that’s social justice right there” (and he will also give you a tour of the city if you're interested!)