[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 124 (Thursday, September 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BLANCA ALVARADO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 29, 2005

  Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize 
the achievements of Santa Clara County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado. She 
continues to be a leader in local government and a national leader in 
the area of juvenile detention reform.
  Blanca served 14 years as a San Jose City Councilmember representing 
San Jose's East Side before being appointed to the Santa Clara County 
Board of Supervisors in 1995, filling the position I vacated when I was 
elected to Congress. I heartily recommended her appointment and have 
supported her in her good works ever since.
  The daughter of a miner, Blanca has always been involved in public 
life, whether it was helping her parents in union and political 
activities, hosting a women's radio show called ``Merienda musical,'' 
working for the Department of Social Services or acting as the local 
president of MAPA, the Mexican American Political Association.
  I first met Blanca in the mid-1970's when we served together on the 
Housing Service Center board of directors before either of us had stood 
for public office. I found her then to be a caring person committed to 
her community and especially to the needs of the poor. Those qualities 
have continued throughout her life--both in her public and private 
efforts.
  As a City Councilmember and Vice-Mayor, Blanca actively worked to 
build neighborhood organizations and developed community plans and 
partnerships to renovate impoverished neighborhoods.
  Blanca's devotion to children is illustrated through projects such as 
the The East Initiative. The Initiative recognizes the importance of 
securing early access to parent support, health care, and social 
services for all children and their families. Blanca, as a member of 
the First Five Commission, lobbied for a school readiness program in 
the local school district. When the school district was not in a 
position to join with First Five in creating a school readiness 
program, the Commission partnered with the community and focused on the 
neighborhoods surrounding Cesar Chavez, San Antonio, and Arbuckle 
elementary schools. First Five allocated $750,000 in the first year of 
the East Initiative alone.
  Blanca also leads the county-wide effort to eliminate inappropriate 
and unnecessary incarceration of youth, especially youth of color who 
are over-represented in the juvenile justice system. Because of her 
efforts, the county has become a national model in juvenile detention 
reform. Since the movement began in July 2002, law enforcement, the 
Probation Department, the Juvenile Court, community partners, and many 
other participants have committed to shifting their efforts from 
incarceration to community-based approaches for treating troubled 
youth, to allow troubled young people to turn their lives around and to 
have productive, hopeful futures.
  One of the projects Blanca is most remembered for is her leadership 
in the conception--and development of the Mexican Heritage Plaza, 
opened in 1999 and now one of the largest Latino cultural centers in 
the Nation. Twelve years in the making, and built over a site once 
picketed by San Jose native son Cesar Chavez, the Plaza is a 55,000 
square-foot cultural center with state of the art theatrical venues, a 
Smithsonian-affiliate gallery space and luscious thematic gardens that 
serve as a regional resource for cultural programming and education.
  In addition to her years of friendship, I wish to thank Blanca 
Alvarado for a lifetime of public service and her determined efforts to 
achieve social change. ``tSi se puede!''

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