Joseph I. Castro, a son of the Valley, took Fresno State in a bold direction | Opinion

When I think about the late Joseph I. Castro, I see a boy standing on the side of the road clutching a bag of his mom’s homemade burritos while waiting for a bus to whisk him to a Chicano youth leadership conference in Sacramento.

That image defined Castro’s vision for reshaping the possibilities for thousands of Latino children who didn’t believe — or weren’t told — they were worthy of going to college, getting a degree and lifting up their families from a cycle of toiling in near poverty while others enjoyed the bounty offered by this ag-rich San Joaquín Valley.

Castro died Sunday. He was 58.

His story of becoming the first Mexican American to lead the California State University after seven years as the first San Joaquin Valley native and Latino president of Fresno State resonates in the Valley. A majority of the Valley’s population identifies as Mexican American, Chicano, Latino, Hispanic or Latinx. His mother, Ann Marie Méndez, raised her son on a hairdresser’s salary. His bedroom was a converted garage.

Having been raised by a Mexican mother, whose waitressing kept four of us under a roof and fed for several years after her divorce, I understand the impact that Castro’s mother had on him.

Castro was smart, transformative, personable, kind and positive. His dynamo increased Fresno State’s Latino enrollment from 40.6% in 2013 to 60.1% in 2024. The number of degrees conferred increased from about 4,600 in 2013 to more than 6,000 in 2019.

It took a bold approach to inject enthusiasm and belief not only in Fresno State but the Valley. We cheered on Bulldog football teams that won bowl games, welcomed news that the university was ranked among the best in the country by U.S. News & World Report, and saluted Castro as he traveled the Valley with his “community conversation” tours.

“His big, bold mantra wasn’t just about people on the campus, it was about the community,” said Larry Salinas, a longtime aide to Castro. Salinas met Castro when both were getting UC Merced off the ground.

Castro’s Spanish-speaking ability was limited, but that didn’t keep him from embracing the culture of his immigrant grandfather who left Zamora, Michoacán, México to work on this country’s railroads.

“He was proud of his heritage from his grandparents,” said Salinas. “His grandfather (Jess Méndez) was such an inspiration to him.”

Castro spurred action at Fresno State

Castro was not all talk:

• He and his wife, Mary, helped start the first student pantry for hungry students at Fresno State in 2014. 
• He launched a campaign to boost the university’s ties with the agricultural community. In 2016, the $24 million Jordan Agricultural Research Center was completed.
• The university dedicated the Armenian Genocide Memorial Monument in 2015.
• About 1,200 students got free digital tablets in the fall of 2014 through Castro’s DISCOVERe campaign. The following year, that number increased to 5,000. He exported that program to the entire CSU system upon becoming chancellor.
• His efforts led to a new student body center, the establishment of the Dream Success Center to help undocumented students, and the start of an education fair designed to get Spanish-speaking parents to learn how Fresno State could make a difference for their children.

It was no surprise that Fresno State had to deny admission to 5,000 applicants in 2016.

When he was appointed chancellor in 2021, CSU trustee chair Lillian Kimbell called him “a passionate and effective advocate for students.”

“He’s a leader who inspires greatness in his students, his faculty and staff, and in the greater community,” said Kimbell, a Mexican American. “He’s bold, yet measured and collaborative, courageous, and a proven innovator but uncompromising in his core values.”

Castro was revered in the Latino community, said Salinas, “because he’s a product of the Valley. He was one of us.”

Chicano graduation impact

I last communicated with Castro in December 2020. I asked him where he got the “Be Bold” mantra.

“I began thinking about this idea shortly after becoming (Fresno State) president in fall 2013,” he said. “Mary thought it was worth a try. I first used it publicly in my Spring Assembly speech in January 2014 because I was concerned that students, faculty and staff were holding back on their best ideas after going through the trauma of the Great Recession. They are not holding back anymore!”

I also discovered his love for the Los Angeles Dodgers (his grandfather was a fan of the rival San Francisco Giants), Hawaiian shirts and his mother’s chile verde. His appetite for grilled jalapeños also led to the spicy peppers becoming a staple at official university events.

One of his other loves was Fresno State’s Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration, where Mary would hug each of the graduates.

“There is no event I have ever experienced like the Latino graduation celebration at Fresno State,” said Castro. “The procession of the graduates, the music, the families (especially the parents and grandparents who have sacrificed everything for this moment), the flags and the energy all combine to make it unbelievably meaningful.”

Even while in hospice care last week, Castro was still working on getting the University of California system to repatriate the remains of Native Americans. That should tell you that his heart was in the right place.

Here’s a Greek proverb that explains who Joseph I. Castro was: “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”

We will enjoy that shade for generations to come. Thanks, Joe.

This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 11:01 AM.