Listen to the interview
Biography:
Born June 8, 1944, in Kingsbury, Texas. Since 1995, Ms. Gomez has been Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 4. She is the first Mexican American woman to serve in that capacity in Travis County. She previously served as Constable for fourteen years and has been active in her community in promoting education and social service programs for thirty-two years.
Interview Summary:
The interview begins with Ms. Gómez's family history and genealogy. She describes how she went to business college upon graduation from high school and then subsequently went to work in state government for ten years and county government for twenty-five years. Ms. Gómez states that she was not actively involved with in the Chicano movement protests but she helped with fund raisers for those causes. She tells about the circumstances that led to her decision to run for the Constable position and she gives details about how she organized and managed her election campaign. Ms. Gómez also talks about the types of cases she was involved with as a constable such as evictions, truancy, and warrants. She talks about pursuing her bachelor's degree in Sociology from St. Edwards University which she received in 1991 while simultaneously working full time in public office. She describes the similarities and differences in the two different positions, County Commissioner and Constable, that she has held. She concludes the interview by elaborating upon the importance of education for Mexican American Youth and the need to find ways to encourage them to stay in school.
Locations of residence or activity:
Travis County/Austin
Interview Date:
6/13/1998