Ted Cruz Unleashes Secret Weapon, His Immigrant Dad, on Univision

garvin oliver | October 26, 2018
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RAFAEL CRUZ, FATHER OF SENATOR TED CRUZ: When I came to this country in 1957, I did not have money. I did not speak a word of English. And in less than seven years, after leaving the university, I had my own business. And then in a generation, I saw my son become a senator from the state of Texas and a presidential candidate. Where in the world can that be done in a generation? Only in the United States.

SENATOR TED CRUZ: I understand almost everything in Spanish, but cannot speak it as I would like to. But I will say the following: I am proud to be the first Hispanic senator who has ever represented the state of Texas. Being the son of an immigrant who came here with nothing. I remember the day I was sworn in, in January of 2013. And I remembered the year 1957 when my father washed dishes. If someone had told that teenager that 50 years later your son was going to be a United States senator representing Texas, an 18-year-old boy like him would never have imagined it, he could never have imagined it. However, there I was on the floor of the Senate with my hand on the Bible and in the Senate gallery, there was my father, with tears running down his cheeks.

PEDRO ROJAS, CORRESPONDENT, UNIVISION: Many thanks to you two.

TED CRUZ: And to you, too.