Robert Davila, the deaf person who has assumed political responsibility in the world more 
I have 78 years. was born in California.
I am married, my wife is deaf, but not my two children.
E Mexican immigrant classes. We lived in a camp for undocumented laborers in what today is Silicon Valley in California. My father was sick at heart. My mother was not happy.
Why? The barracks of the fields seemed drawers, often had no roof. The whole family picked fruits and vegetables. One day, when he was eight, my father climbed a tree to shake the upper branches struck and fell. He was 48. I never sat on his lap and had a conversation with him, but his loss was most significant in my childhood, no I was able to overcome the anxiety until the death of my mother 54 years later.
I am president emeritus of Gallaudet University in Washington, a member of the Republican Party: I have served two presidents as deputy secretary of Special Education.
E Mexican immigrant classes. We lived in a camp for undocumented laborers in what today is Silicon Valley in California. My father was sick at heart. My mother was not happy.
Why? The barracks of the fields seemed drawers, often had no roof. The whole family picked fruits and vegetables. One day, when he was eight, my father climbed a tree to shake the upper branches struck and fell. He was 48. I never sat on his lap and had a conversation with him, but his loss was most significant in my childhood, no I was able to overcome the anxiety until the death of my mother 54 years later.
Your mother took care of everything? Yes, their eight children. He arrived late at night when I was asleep and got up at five o'clock to go to get vegetables, before I woke up. The cleaned houses on weekends and at night had kangaroos. Just saw.
What hard life.
was a fatalistic woman who claimed that the difficulties of life were God's will. Discussed, I said that people could be masters of their destiny.
And so it has been for you.
At eleven years, as unsanitary conditions in which we lived, I contracted meningitis. One day I woke up deaf.
adapted How?
was hard. I did not want people to know he was deaf, his compassion was ashamed or angered me. But there were other surprising consequences: my deafness hid a blessing, gave me some opportunities that my brothers did not have, neither went to school.
Did you leave your home?
School Deaf was 800 kilometers. I saw my family once a year. Very scared, I got on a train with a card hanging from my neck with my name and destination. The trip took two days, he had nowhere to sleep, the police found me and let me sleep in jail.
What is adapted in school?
Some teachers did not expect much of Hispanic children, so I applied. That was a new world: people who attended me, own bed, good food. I wanted so I accept that often undertook with his fists.
We thus contradictory.
In four months I learned English and sign language and could communicate. The hearing opened my life to new experiences, but I miss my family, the first Christmas was very hard, every night suppressed my tears because my mother told me not to cry. Since then I suffer from stiff upper lip.
He became the best student.
everything I learned in my power so they gave me a pat on the back. I was very motivated. One day I learned that the first class took him to dinner and a movie. It can not be so easy, I think I said I after four years and worked ...-. Since that day I went to the cinema every month.
...!
There was another event that changed my thinking about my identity: a school friend invited me to spend a weekend at home, his parents were also deaf: deaf, cultured and wealthy.
What did it mean to you?
deaf also understood that we could succeed, and to see that sharing information and feelings in sign language opened my eyes. I graduated early with fifteen years with the crazy dream then, to go to college.
Then came a doctorate.
That was the hardest thing for me to be deaf not accepted at a university, has been to fight mucho.Yo I sat in class and not understand anything, but successfully completed a PhD studying among listeners without technical aids or interpreters signs.
Why did you decide to get into politics?
was the only way to change the laws to improve the lives of people with disabilities. It was a struggle continues. I've always wanted to make visible sign language, so in a government meeting Bush told the interpreter to put together the president, but security appeared and said that the interpreter must leave.
And?
Not likely, I said, I need to see the president's face and hands while speaking interpreter. Lie, but it was done. From that moment all the performers are situated next to the speakers at political rallies and public. Sign language today is the fourth language of U.S.
has been very persistent.
What was my secret? Internal push. U.S. we have a partnership national teacher of the deaf that was created in 1843. For 125 years all presidents have been hearing people. In a meeting with officials asked them why they have never elected a deaf as president? ... But there has been none, they said. I introduced myself and won.
What is worthwhile in life?
have a good feeling about yourself, it says a deaf poor Hispanic origin. With motivation and life goals opens.
Overcoming
someday make a movie about his life (Turning Points, Octahedron editorial): the story of a poor immigrant boy who becomes deaf at age eleven for the first time in his life steps a school, a school for the deaf. That opportunity was well used as the U.S. government and lead major changes for that group. It was the first deaf people to earn a Ph.D. and the first to give a speech in sign language at the UN (1981). Has gotten support programs for the deaf in the world: "The achievements of U.S. must spread throughout the world." Barcelona is invited by the Association of Parents of Deaf Children.
www.lavanguardia.com
Dreams Designed by Dealer
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