[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 120 (Thursday, September 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MARISA UGARTE: THE SAN DIEGO CHICANO FEDERATION'S COMMUNITY SERVICE 
                                 AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 22, 2005

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker: Passionate. Visionary. Bold. These are a few 
of the words used to describe Marisa Ugarte in a recent column in the 
San Diego Union-Tribune. As the executive director of the Bilateral 
Safety Corridor Coalition (BSCC), Marisa epitomizes all of these and 
more in her fervent quest to save children from pimps who pander them 
to pedophiles on both sides of the US-Mexico border.
  With more than 20 years of experience advocating for exploited men, 
women, children and at-risk youth, Marisa has made her vision a global 
crusade over the past several years. While the BSCC is best known for 
its fight against sex trafficking, Marisa reports there are other 
issues that need attention drawn to them. They include the fate of 
sweatshop workers and young women working as maids and housekeepers, 
who Marisa says serve as indentured servants, working off the enormous 
debts made to get them into this country.
  With a mission of `preserving the dignity and well-being of 
commercially and sexually exploited women and children through 
prevention, intervention and education,' Marisa's organization 
collaborates with about 80 government and nongovernmental agencies in 
Mexico and the United States that strive to reduce slavery and human 
trafficking. They include the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Border 
Patrol Victims Unit, the University of San Diego, Departamento de 
Integraccion Familiar (DIF), and more.
  The BSCC's vision is `to live in a world where there is zero 
tolerance for exploitation and where women and children's lives are 
protected and held in high esteem.' Recently, the organization received 
a grant from the State Department to work on both sides of the border.
  Marisa grew up in Mexico City and New York City. For the past three 
years she has created social service programs in Tijuana, Mexico. 
Marisa is the founder of the Binational Crisis Line in Tijuana, as well 
as the Domestic Violence Crisis Center for Sistema Nacional para el 
Desarollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), Tijuana. It was there that she 
became interested in advocating for those who have become victims to 
sex trafficking. (Marisa continues to be an advisor to DIF and to the 
Civil Protection and Disaster Crisis Prevention Program in Mexico.)
  In the US, Marisa convenes annual anti-trafficking conferences in San 
Diego, and is an active speaker at similar conferences nationwide and 
internationally on human trafficking and the commercial sexual 
exploitation of women and children. Her public speaking engagements 
have included: Artesana, (Successful Coalition Building), Texas; the 
Millennium Conference, and the International Institute (Restructuring 
the Justice System in Mexico). She was a presenter at the follow-up 
conference at the Yokohama Children's Rights Conference (for Latin 
America and Costa Rica) and at conferences in Mexico, San Salvador and 
Costa Rica.
  Marisa also taught at the University of California, San Diego; the 
University of San Diego, and the University of Xochicalco, Mexico.
  Congratulations, Marisa, on this Award for Community Service.

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