[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE AUSTIN FAMILY--AMERICANS

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 19, 2007

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, each year, people enter the United States to 
pursue the American dream. The members of the Austin family were 
determined to live here and become citizens of our great Nation. On 
March 21, 2007, the community of Kingwood, Texas, will celebrate the 
fact that the Austin family--Tony, Cheryl, Ryan, and Laura--are now 
officially citizens of the United States of America.
  Cheryl was born in Luanshya, a copper mining town in Zambia in 1951. 
Tony moved to Luanshya with his parents in 1953. The two met in 1968 at 
a Lions Club Gala Dance and were married in March 1970.
  In 1973, they had two children, Ryan and Lauren. Tony had the 
opportunity to move his family to the United States because of the 
company he worked for in South Africa.
  Tony was interested in coming to the United States because he often 
traveled to Houston for business and had the opportunity to spend time 
in the suburbs. Tony was awestruck by the freedom that American 
families enjoy as opposed to the situation his family encountered in 
South Africa with the deteriorating security system. Although they had 
a great house in a good area, they were imprisoned by the fear of 
robbery either at home or out on the streets.
  The family arrived in Houston in January 1998. They all settled in 
and again it became clearer how much Ryan and Lauren had been affected 
by the security situation of South Africa. They were amazed at the 
freedom they had here.
  The family obtained legal permanent resident status in May 2001, by 
which time they had decided that this was to be their permanent home. 
They then applied for citizenship in August 2006.
  The Austin family is active in the community and each member is a 
valuable asset to our country. Cheryl has been with Continental 
Airlines since October 2000 and is now a Senior Recruiter. Tony is a 
Regional Sales Director with a national training software company. Ryan 
has his own business, GameForce, in Kingwood Town Center, and Lauren is 
a junior at the University of Houston Business School.
  Although the family has had to make some adjustments, they know it is 
worth it because of everything they have gained by becoming U.S. 
citizens. Not only are they model citizens, they are incredibly 
patriotic and cherish the United States.
  I commend the Austin family on their great achievement, congratulate 
them on being citizens of the great United States, and wish them the 
best of luck in all their future endeavors.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________