[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 102 (Wednesday, September 6, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H7243]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Baca) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to bring about the awareness of 
Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins September 15 and continues 
through October 5.
  Today, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 29 million 
people of the United States are of Hispanic origin. This is about 10 
percent of the country. Close to half of those reside in California. 
More than 600,000 reside in my district of San Bernardino County.
  Why, just the other day, the Los Angeles Times was discussing the 
fact that, in California, Hispanics are no longer the minority. That is 
why this coming month is a time for all Latinos to be able to recognize 
the great accomplishments by the people here in the States as well as 
around the world.
  We recognize the great achievements of people like Cesar Chavez who 
led the fight for the protection of farm workers' health and health 
rights; Bishop Barnes, who represents San Bernardino Riverside Catholic 
Diocese; Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, who wrote about the great Don 
Quixote; and people like Andres Segovia, Tito Peuntes, and Julio 
Iglesias, who were and still are some of the best Spanish musicians in 
the world.
  The teachings and contributions of Hispanics like these, and learning 
about the cultures from which they come, are how we are able to 
continue our tradition through our youth.
  In many of our classrooms around the country, teachers will hold 
activities and discussions that will focus on what our ancestors have 
accomplished. That is why they will learn the great accomplishment of 
the Spanish explorers as well as those who first settled in States like 
California and Texas.

                              {time}  1915

  This is why cities like Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Antonio, 
amongst many other cities, have Hispanic names. Such teachings and 
discussions will not only educate our children, but also provide them 
with the proper role models needed to succeed. It also lets them know 
that they too can accomplish higher dreams; Hispanics in positions, in 
leadership positions throughout the United States.
  We now see that Hispanic Heritage Month is not just about 
celebration, but it is about uniting our community to better educate 
our children and to educate ourselves about what it means to be a 
Hispanic. It means being proud of who we are. It does not matter if we 
are Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Spanish, or Central American. This is 
a time we all continue to celebrate our cultures as a whole.
  And what a culture we have. The number of Hispanic-owned businesses 
in the United States increased by 76 percent between 1986 and 1992 and 
continues to grow daily. Across America we find more and more Hispanic 
businesses growing and more and more Hispanic business owners, business 
owners like Richard Romero out of my district who owned quite a few car 
dealerships, who just recently passed away.
  We have more representatives in government now than we have ever had 
in the history of this country and of our people. Each year, from now 
until the year 2050, the Hispanic population is projected to add more 
to people in the United States than any other race or ethnic group, and 
we are soon to become the largest minority in the country. But even 
with the success, we still have problems. We lack full health care 
benefits for all people. There are still problems with immigrant laws 
that were written in haste and do not protect the people they were 
originally written for. High school dropout rates and teen pregnancy 
numbers are too high. We must address these issues if we plan to build 
a better culture and a better country for all people of America.
  And speaking of education, we have to address the issues of bilingual 
education and the digital divide. And that does not just apply to 
Spanish children, it applies to all children. We have to begin by 
providing our youth with the tools necessary to succeed. We can begin 
to provide these tools right here in Congress.
  By understanding each other's culture we can understand what is 
needed for everyone and we learn to respect one another. And respect is 
what we all ask for. That is why it is so important for this Congress 
to recognize this month and to take time to learn about a great culture 
with a great future, that is each other's culture and the Hispanic 
culture this month.
  Before I go on, I also want to recognize September 16, Mexico 
Independence Day. I want to recognize the hardship that the people have 
had to face in order to achieve their independence. Like this country, 
they too believe in the freedom of choice and independence from 
tyrannical government. Only through a better understanding can we 
achieve our goals, a united country working for the betterment of 
ourselves, and not only where we come from but where we are going. 
Together, united, our country will be a lot better.

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