[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1683-E1684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING SAN DIEGO LOCAL HEROES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN A. DAVIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 22, 2004

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of 
Hispanic Heritage Month, which commemorates the extraordinary 
contributions that Latinos have made to our country throughout history. 
During this one-month period of celebration and tribute, we honor the 
culture and achievements of the Hispanic community, all of which have 
played a historic role in our Nation.
  I am proud, honored and privileged to represent California's 53rd 
district in Congress. My district is extraordinarily diverse and home 
to many citizens who are of Latino background.
  To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month 2004, I would like to 
highlight the remarkable accomplishments of six San Diego residents who 
have been named local heroes as part of the Union Bank of California 
and KPBS Hispanic Heritage Month Local Hero Awards, a program honoring 
outstanding members of the Hispanic community.
  These individuals were selected for their exceptional commitment and 
contribution to San Diego through community activism, the arts, 
business, education and social services.
  The 2004 honorees are Sylvia Galvez, Jovita Juarez, Beatrice 
Fernandez, Mario Aguilar and Beatrice Zamora Aguilar, and Lupe Ortega.
  Sylvia Galvez: Sylvia Galvez opened a group home in 1995 to help 
troubled female teens who had no place to stay, and is now operating 
two six-bed, 24-hour licensed treatment facilities in San Diego. Sylvia 
was inspired to help these girls because she felt she could relate to 
them. She herself dropped out of high school when she was 16 and 
pregnant with her first child. By the age of 21, she had given birth to 
three children and was working as a painter for both the Navy Public 
Works Department and the painting company of Mr. Willie Davis. It was 
Mr. Davis who helped her return to school at the age of 28. She 
graduated from City College in 1991 with an A.A. in Liberal Arts and 
transferred to National University where she earned B.A. and M.A. 
degrees in Human Behavior. Recently, she and her husband purchased an 
eight-unit apartment complex to help foster teens after they turn 18 
years old.
  Jovita Juarez: Jovita Juarez is a Prevention Specialist and Community 
Organizer for the North City Prevention Coalition and an activist 
working with SAY San Diego. She uses her leadership skills to provide 
guidance for new prevention professionals, helping them become more 
productive and successful. Jovita is also the chairperson of two 
countywide prevention efforts: the statewide organization Latinos and 
Latinas for Health and Justice, where she is the Southern Chair, and 
the San Diego Cinco de Mayo Con Orgullo Coalition, where she has been 
chair for the past four years. Jovita has volunteered with many 
organizations throughout the years, including the National Council on 
Alcoholism & Drug, Hispanic Advisory Council-MADD Pass Las Llaves and 
Youth Access to Alcohol Policy Panel, to name a few. She is now writing 
a book, God's Transforming Power, which will provide a framework for 
early leadership development.
  Bea Fernandez: Bea Fernandez has worked for San Diego City Schools 
for 20 years. She is currently the program coordinator for the San 
Diego District's San Diego Parent University, a four year program 
designed to help parents become involved in their children's education 
as academic coaches. Fernandez was also the Chair of the Board of MANA, 
a National Latina Organization. She began her service in 1995 in the 
San Diego chapter of MANA, the largest chapter in the nation, and was 
named MANA Member of the Year in 1995 for her activism, community 
service and commitment to the organization. Fernandez was born in 
Calexico, CA and the first in her family to graduate from college, 
earning a B.A. and M.A. in Education, and an administrative credential 
from San Diego State University.
  Mario Aguilar and Beatrice Zamora-Aguilar: Mario Aguilar is Assistant 
Director of the Early Academic Outreach Program at University of 
California, San Diego. Beatrice Zamora-

[[Page E1684]]

Aguilar is Interim Dean of the School of Counseling and Personal 
Development at Southwestern College. In 1975, Mario became involved 
with the ancient indigenous dance tradition called Danza Azteca. In 
1980 he and Beatrice were married and together they formed their own 
dance circle, Danza Mexicayotl. Their dance circle was recognized on 
December 12, 1980 in Mexico City at the Basilica of Our Lady of 
Guadalupe at a traditional dance ceremony. Since that time, Mario and 
Beatrice have consistently offered free dance classes to the 
communities of San Ysidro and Sherman Heights. Danza Mexicayotl has 
gained status as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and has as its 
mission, ``To preserve and teach the indigenous traditions of Mexico 
and the Southwestern U.S.'' Danza Mexicayotl has become an active and 
well established dance tradition known throughout San Diego, 
California, the United States and in Mexico. Under the leadership of 
Mario and Beatrice, many other dance groups have formed throughout 
California and the Southwestern United States. Together, these groups 
help proliferate the songs, dance and spiritual movement of this 
ancient tradition from Mexico.
  Lupe Ortega: Lupe Ortega is the Business Manager for O'Day 
Consultants, a civil engineering firm in North County, where she uses 
her bicultural background and bilingual skills as assets in her job. 
She is also a licensed real estate agent operating under Lupe Ortega 
Enterprises/PMT Companies, a public notary and member of the San Diego 
Association of Realtors. Ortega strongly agrees with giving back to the 
community and she donates her time, talents and skills by serving as a 
director on a number of boards and committees. She is also a skilled 
photographer and had some of her work published in Photographers Forum 
Best Photography Annual 1999.
  Today, with an estimated Hispanic population of over 39 million in 
our country, we must also recognize that our efforts to commemorate 
Hispanic culture should not be limited merely to a one-month period. 
This is an outlook that each of the six San Diego Local Heroes 
embodies. These community leaders have used their skills and 
experiences to empower others. Their time and efforts are truly 
changing the lives of those around them.
  I hope you, Mr. Speaker, and all of my colleagues will join me in 
honoring these unsung heroes and their accomplishments for the Latino 
community.

                          ____________________