[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 13, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             MR. AMIGO 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 13, 2001

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to commend the 2000 ``Mr. 
Amigo,'' Jorge Muniz, chosen recently by the Mr. Amigo Association of 
Brownsville, TX, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in Mexico. Each year the 
Mr. Amigo Association honors a Mexican citizen with the title of ``Mr. 
Amigo,'' and that person acts as a goodwill ambassador between our two 
countries. Their selection honors a man or woman who has made a lasting 
contribution during the previous year to international solidarity and 
goodwill. ``Mr. Amigo'' presides over the annual Charro Days Festival.
  The Charro Days Festival is a pre-Lenten event, much like Mardi Gras 
in New Orleans, held in Brownsville and Matamoros. Charro Days 
festivities last for several days; this year they will be February 23-
27 and will include parades and appearances by Mr. Muniz. Charro Days 
is an opportunity to enjoy the unique border culture of the Rio Grande 
Valley area. As Mr. Amigo 2000, Muniz will head the international 
parade of Brownsville Charro Days and Matamoros Fiestas Mexicanas 
festivities.
  During Charro Days, South Texans celebrate the food, music, dances, 
and traditions of both the United States and Mexico. The United States-
Mexican border has a unique, blended history of cowboys, bandits, 
lawmen, farmers, fishermen, oil riggers, soldiers, scientists, 
entrepreneurs, and teachers.
  The border has its own language and customs. On both sides of the 
border, there is a deep sense of history, much of which the border has 
seen from the front row. We have seen war and peace; we have known 
prosperity and bad times. Charro Days is a time for all of us to 
reflect on our rich history, to remember our past and to celebrate our 
future. The Mr. Amigo Award began in 1964 as an annual tribute to an 
outstanding Mexican citizen.
  The 2000 Mr. Amigo, Mr. Muniz, is a singer and TV host. The selection 
of Jorge Muniz, cohost of the weekly music TV show ``Al fin de 
semana,'' comes almost 10 years after his father, another Mexican 
singer, Marco Antonio Muniz, also served as Mr. Amigo. The realization 
that he followed his father with this honor was quite emotional for 
him.
  He has recorded 12 albums over a 20-year span in the music and 
entertainment industry. Affectionately known as ``Coque,'' Mr. Muniz is 
one of the most liked and recognized personalities not only in Mexico 
but the rest of the continent. During his career he has shared the 
stage with well-known personalities such as: Marco Antonio Muniz (his 
father), Cecilia Gallardo, and Alberto Vasquez. His theater credits 
also include projects with legends like Lucha Villa, Maria Victoria, 
and the late Paco Stanley.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in commending Jorge Muniz, the 2000 
Mr. Amigo, as well as the cities of Brownsville and Matamoros, for 
their dedication to international goodwill between the United States 
and Mexico.

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