[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 131 (Friday, September 26, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INDIANA STATE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN 
                                CITIZENS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 26, 1997

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to congratulate 
the Indiana State League of United Latin American Citizens [LULAC] as 
it hosts a reception in honor of LULAC national president, Belen 
Robles, tonight, September 26, 1997, at the Empress Casino in Hammond, 
IN. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Indiana 
LULAC State officers, Maria Pizana, Vicki Lipiniskis, Terry Serna, 
Andrew Martinez, Amelia Velez, and Louise Martinez, for the leadership 
they have displayed in organizing this special event. This marks the 
first time the Indiana State LULAC has honored a National LULAC 
President.
  Founded in 1929 in Corpus Christi, TX, LULAC was established to 
protect the constitutional rights and freedoms of Hispanic-Americans. 
Over the years, LULAC has improved the social and economic status of 
Hispanics through its activism in the areas of equal justice, housing, 
employment, and education. By 1954, LULAC had earned recognition for 
winning two landmark civil rights cases, which served to integrate the 
Orange County, CA school system, and secure jury duty rights for 
Mexican-Americans in Texas. Since that time, LULAC has worked hard to 
achieve full access to the political process for all Hispanics, as well 
as equal educational opportunity for Hispanic children. LULAC councils 
across the Nation work toward this goal by holding voter registration 
drives and citizen awareness sessions, sponsoring health fairs and 
tutorial programs, and raising scholarship money for the LULAC national 
scholarship fund. In addition, LULAC's activism has expanded to include 
the areas of language and cultural rights. In response to a recent 
increase in anti-Hispanic sentiment, LULAC councils have fought back by 
holding seminars and public symposiums on language and immigration 
issues. The Nation's oldest and largest national Hispanic civil rights 
organization, LULAC continues to be a strong voice in the struggle for 
equal opportunity for Hispanic-Americans.
  The Indiana State LULAC has faithfully worked to fulfill the National 
LULAC mission through a strong commitment to community and education. 
The Indiana LULAC emphasizes the protection of civil and human rights 
for Hispanic citizens and immigrants, and it strives to achieve this 
goal by educating the Hispanic community. Extremely youth oriented, 
Indiana LULAC hosts annual career days and college fairs, provides 
numerous educational workshops and seminars for students, and offers 
several leadership training opportunities to students. In addition, 
Indiana LULAC continues to award scholarships to academic achievers 
throughout the State and, to date, has awarded over $200,000 in college 
scholarships. In the future, the Indiana State LULAC aspires to open a 
LULAC National Education Center, which would provide counseling and 
tutorial services, scholarships, and low-interest loans to help 
Hispanic students attend college.
  Belen Robels, the first female LULAC national president, has brought 
a new vision to LULAC. Belen, who works for the U.S. Customs Service, 
strives to structure LULAC more like a business in order to bring about 
a greater continuity within the organization. As a result, she has 
developed a 5-year strategic plan, which will establish a full-time 
national executive director for LULAC's Washington, DC office. In 
addition, LULAC is embarking on a membership campaign with the 
ambitious goal of increasing its current membership of 110,000 to 1 
million members. As a law enforcement officer, Belen is knowledgeable 
about immigration issues, and she uses this knowledge to ensure that 
Hispanics will receive protection under current immigration law. In 
addition to her work with LULAC, Belen Robels is on the board of the El 
Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, vice-chair of the National Hispanic 
Leadership Agenda, and she serves on the Federal Better Relations with 
Mexico Committee. In 1967, Belen Robles received a bronze Chamizal 
Medallion from President Lyndon Johnson in recognition of her efforts 
in the Cabinet-level hearings on Mexican-American affairs in El Paso, 
TX.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in commending the national and State of Indiana LULAC organizations 
for their tremendous efforts in uniting Hispanic-Americans. All 
involved in the success of these organizations should be proud of their 
efforts in working toward equality for Hispanic-Americans.

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