[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 144 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2047-E2048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 15, 2003

  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of National 
Hispanic Heritage Month and in commemoration of the over five hundred 
years that America has been enriched by Hispanic culture. This year, 
from September 15th to October 15th, we have the opportunity to honor 
the myriad contributions the 37 million people of Hispanic origin 
currently living in the United States have made to our great country, 
and we have the responsibility and pleasure of recognizing and 
remembering the many gifts of Hispanic Americans.
  An exemplar of the contributions to the culture of our society made 
by Hispanic Americans is Celia Cruz, the ``Queen of Salsa'' who passed 
away this July in her home in Fort Lee, New Jersey which is located in 
my Congressional District. Born in Havana, Cuba, Celia Cruz fled to the 
United States to free herself from the brutal dictatorship of Fidel 
Castro. With a genuine love of life and passion for family and friends, 
Celia Cruz represented the true spirit of Hispanic Americans through 
her music.
  Hispanic Americans comprise 14 percent of the total U.S. population 
and have contributed

[[Page E2048]]

to American society in innumerable ways. From literature and art to 
business, science, academia and government, Hispanic Americans have 
significantly and so positively impacted American culture. Among other 
great examples are Carlos Gutierrez, Chairman and CEO of the Kellogg 
Company since 2000, NASA Astronaut Ellen Ochoa, and former Secretary of 
Energy Bill Richardson. Each of these men and women has touched the 
lives of countless people of all races, religions, and ethnicities 
across the United States. It is with honor and gratitude, Mr. Speaker, 
that I ask all my colleagues to join me in celebration of National 
Hispanic Heritage Month.

                          ____________________