WATCH: Congressman Castro Honors Dr. Joseph “Joe” Bernal in House Floor Speech
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to honor Dr. Joseph “Joe” Bernal, a veteran, educator, and champion for bilingual education and Hispanic civil rights in Texas who served in the Texas House of Representatives, the Texas Senate, and the Texas State Board of Education. Dr. Bernal passed away on January 25, 2025 at 97 years old.
Congressman Castro’s remarks (as delivered) are below:
I rise to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Joseph “Joe” Bernal, a veteran, educator, and pillar of San Antonio and Texas politics who passed away on January 25th.
Born on San Antonio's West Side during the Great Depression, Dr. Bernal graduated from Lanier High School before enlisting in the U.S. Army, where he supported postwar reconstruction efforts in Japan.
Upon his return to San Antonio, he earned a bachelor's degree through the GI Bill, which was soon followed by a master's degree and a Ph.D.
As a young teacher, he witnessed the grave inequities facing Hispanic students — an experience that would lead him to elected office in the Texas Legislature and the State Board of Education, where he fought to repeal laws that banned speaking Spanish in public schools, championed the state's first bilingual education law and led efforts to create the University of Texas at San Antonio and the UT Health Science Center.
Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to celebrate the life and service of a trailblazer who will be long remembered in my hometown and across the state of Texas.
More information about Dr. Joe Bernal can be found here.