[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 12, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1420]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  RECOGNITION OF DR. JUAN ANGEL SILEN

                                 ______


                         HON. LUIS V. GUTIERREZ

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 12, 1995
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Juan Angel Silen, 
Ph.D., of Puerto Rico, one of the island's most prolific writers of the 
last half century, upon the publication of his 25th book, and upon his 
designation as the Puerto Rico delegate of the internationally 
prestigious Association of Spanish Writers and Artists, founded in 
1872.
  Born in 1938, Dr. Silen has distinguished himself in the areas of 
education, the social sciences, history, and Puerto Rican literature.
  A teacher, college professor, and above all, an educator, Dr. Silen 
has been recognized by a resolution of the Puerto Rico Senate (1993), a 
resolution of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives (1994), was 
nominated for the Juan Rulfo Latin American and Caribbean Literature 
Prize (1994), and appointed as writer in residence of the Barbara Ann 
Rossler Academy.
  His insightful, albeit controversial book ``We, The Puerto Rican 
People'' has seen six printings in the United States, and has been used 
in countless college and graduate level courses, where it has helped 
challenge conventional wisdom and develop critical thinking about the 
complexities of Puerto Rican history and reality.
  Dr. Silen's work of many years has now taken him to the field of 
literature where he has contributed seven historical novels, several 
important essays and books on literary criticism and history, and a 
most beautiful book of stories for children.
  Mr. Chairman, in these times of a culture of violence, of instant 
gratification, consumerism and banality, the cultural accomplishments 
of a dedicated scholar, and writer such as Dr. Silen must not be 
forgotten. They should, rather, be lifted by us all as an example for 
our youth and our society as a whole.


                          ____________________