[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 107 (Wednesday, September 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1451-E1452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO RUBIN HILL, JIM WHITE AND MARIA DOLORES ANDRADE
______
HON. JOE BACA
of california
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 12, 2000
Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize three outstanding
individuals who have made significant contributions to educational
opportunities for Latino children in California. They will be honored
this month by Adelante and the California Migrant Leadership Council:
Rubin Hill, Jim White, and Maria Dolores Andrade.
These outstanding individuals deserve our thanks for their selfless
work on behalf of the poor and the disadvantaged. They truly embody the
spirit of Cesar Chavez, who taught us that we can realize our dreams
and hopes through hard struggles, hard work, and dedication. Anything
is possible, if we set our heart and soul to the cause. We should never
forget the words of Cesar Chavez: ``si se puede,'' yes we can.
These three hard working and dedicated individuals have given so much
for their community and the world at large.
Rubin Hill
Rubin Hill has been a community leader in working with the
youth of Kern and Tulare Counties as well as a coach for more
than 35 years.
Rubin is a product of Delano. He attended and graduated
from Delano Elementary and Delano High School. He attended
and graduated from Bakersfield College in 1975. Ruby is
married to Lorene Hill and with her help has raised five
children, Donald, Sharon, Sandra, Ruben Jr. and Shalene. He
has 12 grandchildren.
Ruben worked for ten years for the City of Delano in the
Refuse, Street, Water and Parks Department. Then he
transferred to the Delano Fire Department, where he became a
Fireman, Engineer, Captain and finally Assistant Chief. When
the Delano Fire Department was transferred to Kern County,
Ruby became a Captain and Fire Marshall with that department,
finally retiring to spend more time with his community
service.
Ruby's community service includes Delano High School
Trustee for four terms, Local P.T.A. Lifetime member
including several terms as president. Ruby has served as
N.A.A.C.P. President, Jr. Chamber of Commerce President,
member of the Kiwanis Club, Community Action Group, Title I
Advisory Board for Delano High School, Bakersfield College
Advisory Board, North Kern State Prison Advisory Board,
Delano Little League Board (10 years), Delano Babe Ruth Board
(coach, president and member for 15 years), Almond Tree
Elementary Lions Football team Board Member, Coach of
McFarland Raiders Youth Football team, Leader, Supervisor,
and Coach for Delano Recreation Department for 35 years. Ruby
is also a member of the State Fireman Association, the
Kings--Tulare County Referee Association and has been a
referee and umpire for 25 years.
At age 60, Ruby has served the youth of the area all of his
life, and he serves as an example for the entire community.
Jim White
Jim White is a teacher in the McFarland Public Schools, one
of the poorest communities in California. His leadership as a
coach has resulted in turning around the lives of many youth
and has brought pride to those youth, their parents, their
school and their community.
Jim is a man who has contributed time, energy, sweat, and
his own funds to turn the McFarland High School cross country
program into a state power and maybe the most highly prized
accomplishment of the community of McFarland in its history.
Coach Jim White has been a magician in coaching in many ways.
His leadership as Cougar cross country coach has resulted
in turning around the lives of many youth and has brought
pride to those youth, their parents, their school and their
community. The Cougar teams have won an unprecedented seven-
state titles in cross-country competition in the past 13
years, including five consecutive. McFarland's first state
crown in 1986 was followed by five straight--in 1992, 1993,
1994, 1995 and 1996. Then when McFarland was moved up an
enrollment classification though it was near the bottom of
the division in total students, the Cougars struggled against
schools with more athletes to draw from, but again in 1999
the Cougars reached the top.
White has become everything from coach to counselor to
inspiration to fund raiser for a team which has caught the
fancy of running fans state and nationwide for overcoming
many obstacles. Most of the runners spend long days working
in the summer and then begin the evening practices through
area fields that develop the runners who have made McFarland
High the envy of other cross country programs.
Many students struggle with their education and language,
but White and his ever-growing legions of Cougar boosters
Join to help solve the problems. He and wife Cheryl pitch in
to help with food, shoes, whatever is needed. He counsels
runners to aim for higher goals--both in running and in life.
Many of his running ``graduates'' have gone on to college and
occupations in a variety of professions--many of them in
education. They return often to lend encouragement to a new
crop of runners who face the challenge White offers--to again
focus on winning another state title. His teams have won 18
league titles in 20 years, frosh-soph league titles all 20
years, 12 section or valley titles, five Grand Masters
championships--meaning all-valley--and the seven state
titles. His team has been ranked No. 21 in the nation in
preseason. He was the Bakersfield California's ``Coach of the
Year'' nine times, California Track and Field News ``Coach of
the Year'' five times, and the California Coaches Alliance
``Coach of the Year'' four times. He was a finalist in 1996
for National Coach of the year.
Born in Sweetwater, Texas, May 14, 1941, he lived briefly
in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before being raised in Stockton.
He played baseball and basketball growing up and in college
played basketball and pitched baseball. At Magic Valley
Christian College in Idaho he met and married Cheryl Waldrum
in 1961. In 1964 he graduated from Pepperdine University and
moved to McFarland for his first teaching position. His first
teaching assignment, for nine years, was instructing fifth
grade science. He then taught seventh and eighth grade
woodshop and PE for 11 years and presently he instructs
seventh and eighth grade PE at McFarland Middle School and
coaches the high school program. The cross-country program
was dropped for a year before he took over, and White was
told that the program could be started if he could keep 10
athletes out for the season. He kept 18 and built the program
to three boys' teams and two girls' teams.
Probably the greatest reward and compliment he could
receive is to have many of his former students and athletes
join him in assisting with the cross-country program. The
list has included Amador Ayon, Thomas Valles, Ruben Ozuna,
David Diaz, and Johnny Saminiego.
Although White has never been a runner himself--he rides a
bicycle following the team through its country workouts--he
started coaching a Little League baseball team and won
several championships during his early days in McFarland,
worked many years for the McFarland recreation department in
its summer programs, and also coached winning basketball
teams. He started the McFarland Pop Warner football team.
White has traveled with the coaching staff of International
Sports Exchange, a group that tries to give athletes a chance
to experience cultural sights, sports and fiends. He has
taken teams to Singapore, Taiwan, Germany and China.
To raise funds to help promote a sport or buy team
supplies, he has been seen in his old faithful '59 Chevy
pickup gathering pop bottles and newspapers, going door to
door, and raising funds through raffles, pizza sales, car
washes, and an annual barbecue.
He has been the grand marshal for the McFarland Christmas
parade and he and his team have been featured in many
newspapers including the Los Angeles Times telling the story
of McFarland's rise to the top and dynasty built in cross-
country. Most importantly, he has become a father image to
many students and athletes who have journeyed through
McFarland High. This Clint Eastwood look alike is now
coaching the ``kids of the kids'' he had when he started.
White tries to live by example.
The Whites have three grown daughters, Tami, Julie and
Jamie, all of who attended and graduated from McFarland High
School and Lubbock College in Texas with degrees in
education. He is called ``grandpa'' by seven grandkids--five
boys and two girls.
In January, wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with
``McFarland Cross Country--it's all in the attitude,'' two
van loads of cross country runners and White were off to
Sacramento where they were recognized by the state.
The latest article heralding the McFarland High cross
country team is a feature story in The People's Magazine in
Espanol in the May 2000 issue.
White, a ``youngish'' 58, has worked in McFarland schools
for 36 years and has dedicated much of his career in coaching
McFarland cross-country teams. His coaching duties
``stretch'' to being involved in all aspects of the boys'
lives, visiting them at home, driving them to practice,
getting tutoring if they need help in school and counseling
them in relationship issues.
White will some day leave a legacy that few coaches or men
can ever claim--a winning tradition and numerous proteges who
have set their sights on greater goals and succeeded in
attaining them.
Maria Dolores Andrade
Maria Dolores Andrade, while living a life of poverty and
selfless devotion, has raised a family of seven children,
through her work in the fields. She was able to provide
education for all of her children, with the three youngest
graduating from college. Through her work and sacrifice, the
family has created a successful family business which is the
pride of the community.
[[Page E1452]]
Maria was born in 1935 in Noroto, a very small village, in
Michoacan, Mexico. She was the 9th child in a family of 11.
As a child her family moved to the town of Tangancicuaro,
Michoacan in search of a better life. Because her family was
very poor, Maria was forced to work at a very young age and
therefore dropped out of school at the age of 8. Through most
of her childhood as well as her teen-age years, Maria faced a
very harsh life of poverty and hard work. At the age of 16
her mother died leaving all 11 children orphaned.
At the age of 22 Maria married Carlos Andrade. Soon
thereafter she became the proud mother of her first son
Jorge. Eleven months later she gave birth to Lupita, and
eleven months after that she gave birth to her third child
Luz Del Carmen. Her life of poverty continued so her husband
Carlos immigrated to the United States to work as a migrant
farm worker. For the next 17 years Maria would only see her
husband one month out of the year when he would return to
Michoacan to visit. In the meantime Maria had to raise her
children all alone who now included Carlos, Francisco,
Guillermo, and Rosa Adriana.
In 1974 Maria and her three oldest children joined her
husband Carlos in the United States. She was forced to leave
four of her children behind until she had enough money to
apply for their permanent residency. In 1976 the entire
family reunited and now had a permanent home in the city of
Delano.
A year later, her husband Carlos abandoned the family.
Maria was devastated. Once again she became a single parent
to her 7 children. She was now alone in a strange country,
with a new language, and different customs, which made her
even more determined to succeed. Although she believed
strongly in providing the highest education possible for her
children, she was forced to take her three oldest children
out of school and take them to work in the fields in order to
make ends meet. This enabled the rest of the children to
focus on their studies. The family struggled for many years.
This created an unbreakable bond and unity in the family.
Maria's children grew up and eventually married. Three of the
youngest graduated from college. One became a computer
programmer and the other two teachers. The rest of her
children continued to work in the fields. Although the
children had created a life for themselves the family bond
which Maria created was so strong that they all remained in
Delano living close to her and each other.
Because the family had such a strong bond together they
decided to open up a business so that Maria would no longer
have to work in the fields. In 1990 the family opened
Carniceria Janitzio in McFarland and in 1996 opened
Carniceria Janitzio and Janitzio Restaurant in Delano. This
fulfilled Maria's life-long dream of owning her own business.
The family's bond and unity is as strong as ever. Maria is
currently the proud grandmother of 17 grandchildren and 1
great granddaughter. This has all been possible because of
all the hard work, dedication, perseverance, positive
attitude, and above all love that Maria has given to her
children.
____________________