[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 115 (Thursday, September 12, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8557-S8558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

 Mrs. CARNAHAN. Mr. President, I am proud to take this 
opportunity to recognize the period beginning on September 15 and 
ending on October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month. This month celebrates 
the rich and varied heritage of Hispanics in the United States, who 
come from as far away as South America and the islands of the 
Caribbean, and as nearby as our neighbor to the south, Mexico. I urge 
all Americans to

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take this opportunity to learn more about the culture and important 
contributions Hispanics have made and continue to make to the United 
States.
  It is fitting that what originally started out as Hispanic Heritage 
Week in September of 1968 has been lengthened to a month-long 
celebration of the culture and contributions of Hispanics to the 
American experience. This is in large part a reflection of the growing 
prominence of Hispanics in all sectors of American society. As a U.S. 
Senator, though, I am especially interested and encouraged by the 
growing role Hispanics are playing in our Nation's government.
  Hispanics have a long history of service to the United States as 
elected officials. The first Hispanic to serve in the Congress was 
Delegate Joseph Marion Hernandez of the Territory of Florida in 1822. 
The first Hispanic elected from a State was Romualdo Pacheco of 
California, who won his race by one vote in 1876. Dennis Chavez of New 
Mexico became the first Hispanic Senator after being elected in 1936.
  In recent years, Hispanic women have also successfully been elected 
to the Congress. In 1988, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen became both the first 
Cuban-American and first Hispanic woman elected to serve in the House 
of Representatives. Four years later, she was joined in the House by 
Lydia Velasquez, the first Puerto Rican woman, and Lucille Roybal-
Allard, the first Mexican-American woman. I am pleased that the number 
of Hispanics now serving in the House of Representatives has more than 
doubled in the years from 1984 to 2000, from 9 to 21, and I look 
forward to working with Hispanic colleagues in the Senate as well.
  Government is not the only area where Hispanics are breaking new 
ground. Hispanics are enriching all aspects of our Nation's cultural 
and economic life. Hispanic entrepreneurs, who open up small businesses 
at a higher rate than that of the general population, fuel our economy 
and create jobs. Hispanic writers, such as Isabel Allende, are not only 
enriching our literature, but are also redefining the American 
experience through their novels, such as Portrait of Sepia and Daughter 
of Fortune. Hispanic labor leaders, following in the footsteps of Cesar 
Chavez, continue to fight for livable wages and safe working 
conditions. Roberto Clemente, an athlete and humanitarian, who died 
while delivering much-needed relief supplies to Central America, was 
the first Hispanic elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame following a 
stellar career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hispanics have also served 
honorably in every military engagement since the Revolutionary War--38 
have earned the military's highest decoration for their bravery, the 
Medal of Honor. Louis Caldera, the eldest son of Mexican immigrants, 
followed in this tradition of military service and became the first 
Hispanic Secretary of the Army from 1998-2001.
  As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, let us take the time to 
learn more about these and other Hispanic leaders. But let us also take 
a moment to recognize the many hardworking Hispanic members of our own 
communities as well. Let us welcome them when they are new arrivals and 
ensure that our diversity remains one of our greatest strengths. Their 
contributions serve to enrich our common culture and we are all the 
better for it. The truest testimony of our greatness as a nation is the 
enduring power of the American Dream and the sacrifices people 
everywhere are willing to make to attain it.

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