[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 25, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DOLORES HUERTA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. RUBEN HINOJOSA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 24, 2002

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to an 
outstanding member of the Hispanic community. Dolores Huerta has 
dedicated her life to fighting for equality and fairness for our 
Nation's farm workers. She has fought equally hard to protect first 
amendment rights and other issues of justice.
  Ms. Huerta began her career as an educator. Her students were the 
children of farm workers and they routinely went without adequate food 
and clothing. In response, she founded the Stockton chapter of the 
Community Service Organization to educate and provide assistance to 
these laborers. This initial effort grew into the founding of the 
National Farm Worker Association, a precursor to United Farm Workers 
Organizing Committee. Ms. Huerta, along with this organization, has 
advocated against the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT and Parath; 
on and has led a national campaign for environmental justice. Ms. 
Huerta was inducted to the Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. She has 
received the American Civil Liberties Union Roger Baldwin Medal of 
Liberty Award, as well as many other prestigious recognitions of her 
dedication.
  I am proudly cosponsor H. Con. Res. 177, a bipartisan resolution to 
honor Dolores Huerta for her tireless efforts on behalf of our nation. 
Her work particularly interests the 15th Congressional District of 
Texas, as 60 percent of the national migrant population resides in this 
area of south Texas.
  October 15, 2002 marks the end of Hispanic Heritage Month. I urge my 
colleagues to bring H. Con. Res. 177 to the floor before the end of 
this month in order to appropriately acknowledge the contributions of 
Dolores Huerta, a truly historic Latina.

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