Interview by Cathleen Huang.
Photograph provided by the Fontana Herald News.
BLANCA RUBIO, ASSEMBLYWOMAN, CA 48TH DISTRICT
On her role models: My mom had a lot to do with my personality, and so I always look up to her and my dad. But then I've been reading Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s book, and she’s a badass. You have to say badass with her, you can’t change the vocabulary word on that one. She’s amazing, and she’s done so much, and I just hope that I can make a little bit of a difference, you know, I can never compare to her, but I think she's so amazing and has done so much for women and just in general for the United States that I think she could be considered as a role model.
On helping foster kids: Foster kids are at the forefront of my mind. I was a former teacher, and I see that our foster kids don’t get what they need, and they’re vulnerable. One of the things I don’t think is good about the foster care system is that they age out at 18, or 21, depending what the circumstances are. To say that up you’re until 18, you need help, and then all of a sudden to be like “Sorry, you’re done,” without a pathway to something: a pathway to education, a career, or a job, so they can sustain themselves. It has been really painful to see, but I’m working on that.
On combating domestic violence: My sister was a victim of domestic violence. And so when I started, I did bills here and there about domestic violence. There was an issue with a domestic violence person with a misdemeanor. Based on federal law, they’re prohibited from owning a gun, ever, after that misdemeanor. Well, in California, the ban was only for 10 years, so I wrote a bill about a lifetime ban for domestic violence misdemeanors. I got a lot of pushback from folks who were like, “well, what if they’re rehabilitated?” And I was like, “they still shouldn’t own a gun.” They talk about how the abusers have a stigma. And I’m like, “well, the victims have a lifetime of PTSD. A lifetime of scars, internal and sometimes external scars.” And so I pushed really hard for that, and I was happy to be able to pass it, and now we have a lifetime gun ban on domestic violence misdemeanors.