[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 29 (Tuesday, March 9, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING FRANK DEL OLMO

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HILDA L. SOLIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 9, 2004

  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the following on 
behalf of myself, Ms. Lucille Roybal-Allard, Mr. Dennis Cardoza, Ms. 
Grace Napolitano, and Ms. Linda Sanchez. We stand to recognize the life 
of Mr. Frank del Olmo, a hero in the Latino community who recently 
passed away. He was not only a leader for Latinos in the State of 
California, but also an exceptional human being who exemplified the 
best in American journalism.
  Mr. Del Olmo was an Associate Editor and columnist for the Los 
Angeles Times. An award-winning and nationally recognized writer, he 
wrote passionately about Latino issues in California for almost 34 
years. More than an Editor and columnist, he was a politically driven 
activist whose powerful penmanship made him an innovative voice for 
Latinos, immigrants, and the less fortunate. He paved the way for other 
journalists and was highly revered by his colleagues for his pioneering 
work on the Latino community and the City of Los Angeles.
  Representing a city with a large but much ignored Latino population, 
Mr. Del Olmo gained recognition for educating readers throughout the 
nation about issues affecting Latinos. He was honored with the Pulitzer 
Prize for Meritorious Public Service in 1984 for the L.A. Times series 
``Southern California's Latino Community.'' He was a Nieman fellow at 
Harvard University in 1987 and was inducted into the National 
Association of Hispanic Journalists' Hall of Fame in 2002. In 1972, he 
was a founding member of the California Chicano News Media Association. 
And in 1975, he won an Emmy Award for writing The Unwanted, a 
documentary on illegal immigration.
  Del Olmo was a bitter opponent of Proposition 187, a controversial 
California initiative in 1994, which denied basic government benefits 
to undocumented immigrants. Introduced by then Governor Pete Wilson and 
widely regarded as a discriminatory initiative, Mr. Del Olmo wrote a 
strong editorial piece, denouncing Governor Wilson and calling 
Proposition 187 ``the mean-spirited and unconstitutional ballot 
initiative that would deprive `apparent illegal aliens' of public 
health services and immigrant children of public education.'' He also 
helped correct injustices in Los Angeles County by uncovering 
corruption in municipal governments and touched the lives of countless 
families through his heart-felt columns on his son's battle with 
autism.
  Born in Los Angeles in 1948 and a graduate of California State 
University, Northridge, Mr. Del Olmo suffered a heart attack and died 
on February 19, 2004. His wife, Magdalena, a daughter, Valentina, and 
his son Frankie survive him.
  He will always be remembered for both his powerful voice and creative 
ability in depicting the best and, at times, the worst in today's 
society. Frank del Olmo will forever live in the hearts of L.A. Times 
readers, will forever be a hero in the Latino community, and will 
forever be a role model for future Latino leaders. We will miss Frank 
dearly and may he rest in peace.

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