[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 133 (Thursday, October 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, as the ranking member of the Special 
Committee on Aging, and in honor of this year's Hispanic Heritage 
Month, I rise today to give special recognition to 104-year-old Jose 
Rodriguez, who recently has been determined to be the Oldest Hispanic 
American now living in my State of Idaho. In honoring one man, Jose 
Rodriguez, this Nation honors all Americans of Hispanic descent.
  Hispanic Heritage Month began on September 15 a day which marks the 
anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries Costa 
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico achieved 
its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18.
  This being a Nation of immigrants, it is only fitting that Jose 
Rodriguez is himself an immigrant from Mexico. Some of us have been 
blessed by being born in Idaho. Others, like Jose, have been wise and 
bold enough to journey, sometimes great distances, to claim these 
blessings. He chose Idaho because Idaho was in his heart a place where 
family, faith, and freedom flourish.
  Jose was born in Doctor Arrollo, in the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico, 
on March 19, 1898. In 1913, at the tender age of 15, he joined in the 
Mexican revolution led by Pancho Villa. He arrived in the United States 
in 1922 and settled in Eagle Pass, TX. He married his wife Guadalupe, 
who he knew from childhood, in 1929. They had seven children together: 
Five sons and two daughters. While his wife passed away a few years ago 
and he misses her, Mr. Rodriguez enjoys his more than 80 grandchildren 
and numerous great-grandchildren, who carry on his legacy.
  In the 1950s, Mr. Rodriguez moved his family to Idaho where he worked 
as a farm worker and crew leader for most of his life. According to one 
of his sons, the hallmark of Jose's life has been his generosity. He is 
a man known to help others, especially those in need.
  Still living independently today, Mr. Rodriguez spends summers in 
Idaho with his son Meliton and winters in Arizona with his daughter 
Marina. Jose still cares for himself, takes daily walks, and credits 
his long life to, in his words, ``God's good will and living a healthy 
life.'' That is what aging should be.
  That type of wonderfully positive outlook have no doubt contributed 
to his longevity.
  When Jose Rodriguez was born, Idaho had only been a State for 7 years 
and 8 months. That year, the first photographs taken with a flashbulb 
were produced and 1,000 automobiles were manufactured, up from a total 
of 100 the year before. Around that time, a child born in the United 
States was expected to live less than fifty years. Jose, a child born 
in Mexico, has more than doubled that expectation.
  Jose is part of a large and growing population of Hispanic Americans 
throughout the nation and especially in Idaho. Within the past decade, 
the Hispanic population in Idaho has doubled from approximately 50,000 
in 1990 to more than 100,000 today. Nationwide, there are now some 26 
million people of Hispanic origin in the United States approximately 
ten percent of the American population. We honor their contributions 
during Hispanic Heritage Month, which have maintained America's 
tradition as a rich, cultural melting pot and strengthened our shared 
national values.
  Jose is a trendsetter in another way. Following his example, the 
number of centenarians those 100 years old or older has grown to 50,000 
Americans today. In the next 50 years, according to Census Bureau 
estimates, there will be between 800,000 and one million people 100 
years or older living in the United States.
  Jose Rodriguez is a man of honor. It is with great pride that I rise 
today to recognize him, and I thank him for allowing me this privilege.

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