Who is Clinton's Cuban-American sister-in-law?

Maria Rodham-Arias' family left Cuba when Castro took power

CORAL GABLES, Fla. ā€“ Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's sister-in-law Maria Victoria Arias was born in Cuba.

Arias, 57, was two when arrived to the United States. She met Hillary Clinton's brother Hugh "Hughie" Rodham when he was an assistant public defender. She was an intern and a student at Florida International University.

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Rodham, now 64, and Arias wed in 1986 and she graduated from the University of Miami law school two years later. The Rodham-Arias family lived in a home near The Biltmore in Coral Gables.

"I hit it off with the family immediately," she said in during a 1992 interview with People. "They always made me feel at home."

Arias grew up a Republican, but she changed her party affiliation to vote for Bill Clinton. She campaigned for him and founded the Cuban-American Women for Clinton group.

Arias joined the Siegfried, Rivera, Hyman, Lerner, De La Torre-Mars & Sobel law firm in Coral Gables three years after Rodham lost a U.S. Senate seat to Connie Mack in 1994. Her real estate law practice areas include community associations and condominium warranty, according to the firm's website.


About the Author:

Glenna Milberg joined Local 10 News in September 1999 to report on South Florida's top stories and community issues. She also serves as co-host on Local 10's public affairs broadcast, "This Week in South Florida."