[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 4, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  TO HONOR LAURO AND MARGARITA GARCIA, RECIPIENTS OF THE 12TH ANNUAL 
             PROFILES OF SUCCESS HISPANIC LEADERSHIP AWARD

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                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 4, 2002

  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize two 
outstanding citizens who have been honored for their leadership 
qualities and service to their community. On September 6th, Mr. and 
Mrs. Lauro and Margarita Garcia were honored by their peers at the 
annual Profiles of Success Hispanic Leadership Awards presentation in 
Phoenix, Arizona. This event, coordinated by Valle del Sol, a local 
non-profit community based organization, kicks off National Hispanic 
Heritage Month in Arizona and is now in its thirteenth year of honoring 
worthy individuals.
  Lauro and Margarita met during his service in the U.S. Air Force, 
after which they moved to Phoenix where Lauro began his studies at 
Arizona State Teachers College. They moved to Guadalupe in 1960 and 
began organizing the community by teaching Catholic catechism classes 
in their home. What started as three students quickly grew to 165 every 
Saturday.
  In December 1964, they founded the Guadalupe Organization, which 
became the voice of its citizens in the absence of an elected town 
government. The following year, a small building was purchased and an 
office was opened to assist residents by distributing food, 
establishing a postal sub-station and registering voters. This office 
would become the first Office of Economic Opportunity in the state of 
Arizona to help establish Guadalupe's first credit union.
  In 1963, citizens of Guadalupe were granted the first-ever voting 
precinct within the town's boundaries,by Maricopa County, after 
extensive lobbying by the Guadalupe Organization. In 1967, President 
Lyndon B. Johnson and Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz recognized 
Lauro for his dedication in improving Guadalupe.
  Margarita organized a dental clinic for citizens in the mid-70s by 
seeking the help of volunteer dentists to provide care. She continues 
her community service with the local parish and most recently served on 
the Guadalupe Town Council.
  The couple also participated, along with the Guadalupe Organization, 
in one of the first lawsuits over the issue of bilingual education by 
challenging the Tempe Elementary School District in 1978 for 
discriminatory practices against Guadalupe's Yaqui and Mexican 
students.
  As a result of this litigation, the district was forced to adopt 
measures to rectify existing language deficiencies of non-English 
speaking students.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing these outstanding citizens 
for their fine work and dedication. They have provided their community 
with vision, sacrificed to help the poor and under-represented, 
protected their culture and enriched the lives of Guadalupe's children.

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