dfd (Photo courtesy TK)
Our Stories
T
he heart of my family is rooted in Chula Vista. My paternal grandparents were among the first families to move in 1919 from a village in Jalisco, Mexico, to “Las Salinas,” a Mexican immigrant enclave near the salt mines on the Chula Vista Bay. All their children—seven boys and two girls—were born in Chula Vista, including my father, Nicolaz Casillas (1923–1987). On my mothers’ side, it was a different journey. They came from Sonora, Mexico, and first settled in Douglas, Arizona. The story goes that my grandparents jumped on a freight train and headed west, landing in San Diego and eventually settled on the Pala Indian reservation, where my mother, Paula Silva, was born (1923–2022).
Born to Serve By Mary Casillas Salas Former Chula Vista Mayor (2014–2022)
All my six uncles served in the military: three of them during World War II, two served during the Korean War, and the youngest served during the Cold War. My father, Nicolaz Casillas (1923–1987) also served during World War II. After their military service, they all continued their efforts to improve their community in some way. That’s where I got my inspiration to serve. My uncle, Joe David Casillas, inspired me to look at city government. He was on the planning commission for the City of Chula Vista. My uncle, A.Y. Casillas, was the first Latino ever elected to the Chula Vista Elementary School Board in the early 1960s. I had no inkling that I would, over time, be involved in service to my city, run for the City Council, California State Assembly and Mayor of Chula Vista.
Mary Casillas Salas and father, 1949 (Photo courtesy Mary Cassillas Family Archives)
My early life was very traditional. Married at the age of 19, right out of high school, I thought it would be “happily ever after.” That wasn’t meant to be. When I suddenly divorced, I had to think about my future and the rest of my life. I had to do something to improve myself to better provide for my two girls. So, I went back to Southwestern College and then transferred to San Diego State University (SDSU).
Mary Casillas Salas at Chula Vista City Hall on Monday, Dec. 12, 2022. (Photo courtesy Adriana Heldiz/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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San Diego Latino Legacy – Timeline • Milestones • Stories
Chapter 6 – Perseverance
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