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WATSONVILLE — U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marín was in Watsonville on Thursday to talk about fiscal policy, the recession and quinceañeras.

For the racially mixed crowd of about 100 business leaders, community members and city officials, Marín’s personal history of leaving Mexico City at 14 to move to the United States was just as important as her insight into the country’s financial crisis.

Marín described how she missed her coming-of-age party, or quinceañera, in Mexico City because of the move to California and how her first IQ test here came back with a score of 27 — far below the average intelligence of 100 — because she didn’t speak English.

Her journey to learn the language and obtain her degree from a Los Angeles community college and a bachelor’s from Cal State LA, garnered cheers from the audience.

Since then, Marín has earned a degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and served as mayor of Huntington Park. Marín is the highest-ranking Latina in President George W. Bush’s administration and the first immigrant to hold the post. She was sworn in in August.

Marín is one of three people with a key to Fort Knox. She oversees the production of $696 million a day, all bills of which will soon bear her signature.

"My parents brought us here so we could get a higher education and to hopefully make a couple extra dollars," she said. "Now I make all the dollars."

Several members of the Latino Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the event, served on the Latino Caucus of the League of California Cities with Marín. That, combined with repeated calls by board member Martha Montelongo convinced the treasurer to come to the area.

She urged the business owners to keep going in the face of grim financial news and encouraged them to create volunteer programs that will help those who have been laid off.

"I’ve been given an unequaled opportunity and so have all of you as leaders of your communities," she said. "I’m calling upon you to give more. They say to whom much is given, much is expected. I expect a lot from you."

She also said that leading economic indicators show that the recession may be coming to an end. She pointed to the rise in the sale of cars and homes — both big-ticket items many don’t buy during difficult financial times. And she said that there was a decline in the number of people applying for unemployment.

While we’re still in a recession, she said, "We don’t expect to go down anymore, and we’re very hopeful it won’t be as bad as some of us had feared."

Though not a local, Marín was treated as the prodigal daughter. As Marín left the building, several of the Latino chefs who work in West Marine’s cafeteria mingled with business leaders and had their pictures taken with Marín, who answered their questions in Spanish.

"The words I heard most often from people were ‘inspiration’ and ‘informative,’" said Luis de la Cruz, president of the chamber. "She did exactly what she said she would do, which was talk about her history and talk about President Bush’s agenda."

Several local Latina leaders said they see Marín as a role model. City Councilwoman Ana Ventura Phares, who first met Marín at a League of California Cities conference when Marín was mayor of Huntington Park, said her speech was a "call to all women."

"Just for her to be sitting at the table changes the discussion," she said. "She’s an inspiration."

The event was hosted at West Marine’s headquarters and sponsored by the Latino Chamber of Commerce.

Contact Heather Boerner at hboerner@santa-cruz.com.

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