Dr. Robert Diaz Castillo was born July 31, 1943 in Phoenix, Arizona. His grandparents came to the United States in 1890 from Sonora, Mexico. He lived with his family in the same place, 1202 S. 14th St. in south Phoenix (Cuatro Milpas Barrio), all of his life. Dr. Castillo attended Ann Ott, Monroe, and Silvestre Herrera Elementary Schools. He graduated from Phoenix Union High School, Phoenix College, and Arizona State University.

Dr. Castillo's first civil rights memory was when a neighbor led a boycott of Rainbo Bakeries because Rainbo wouldn't hire Mexicans in the bakery. He also witnessed the dispute over desegregation of the public pools and of the school lunch counters. Dr. Castillo became aware of his strong heritage through Tio José Alvarado.

Dr. Robert Diaz Castillo served in the U.S. Army as a medic in Viet Nam, 1967-70. Subsequently, he attended the University of Arizona School of Medicine and the 5th Pathways Program. He started his

residency at Maricopa County Medical Center.

Dr. Castillo's goal at the completion of psychiatric residency was to work concurrently in South Phoenix as a psychiatrist in the private sector and on a part-time basis for a community-based mental health agency. This seemed important to him because there was a scarcity of psychiatrists, especially Spanish-speaking psychiatrists, in an area predominantly populated by Hispanics. Dr. Castillo wanted to be able to provide psychiatry within his community and share, whenever possible, his expertise in misunderstood disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder, conduct disorders, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, psychosis, anxiety, personality disorders, and attention deficit disorder (ADD). Dr. Castillo hoped to teach. He hoped to be a member of a committee that would provide a positive direction in the delivery of service or would contribute to the process of psychiatry in one form or another to the Hispanic community. Ultimately, Dr. Castillo planned to teach those individuals to cope and to live with their disorders.