[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E223]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REGARDING: MR. AMIGO 2009, VINCENTE FERNANDEZ, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 24, 2010

  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Vicente 
Fernandez, Jr., a Mexican Charro, actor and singer, who has been named 
Mr. Amigo 2009 in Brownsville, Texas, for the Charro Days Fiesta 
celebration.
  Mr. Fernandez has been a lifelong supporter of the Mexican arts and 
culture through his love for mariachi music as well as being a 
traditional Charro. These important attributes make him the appropriate 
Mexican representative for our festivities.
  Brownsville, Texas, located in Deep South Texas on the U.S.-Mexico 
border, is a unique subtropical area of this country--rich in its 
history and culture. For more than 70 years, this unique celebration, 
which brings the United States and Mexico together during the week-long 
events, has continued to attract thousands of people to the Rio Grande 
Valley.
  Mr. Amigo, who has to be a Mexican citizen who has done extensive 
work in the arts and culture while promoting the bi-cultural, bi-
literate, and bi-national efforts of the United States and Mexico, is 
the attraction of the week-long festivities.
  Mr. Vicente Fernandez, Jr., son of the renowned Mr. Vicente 
Fernandez, an iconic Mexican singer, grew up close to the spotlight 
seeing his father sing and perform. At a young age, Mr. Vicente 
Fernandez, Jr. appeared on-stage as a performer at the Teatro Blanquita 
in Mexico City. He went on to later appear and perform at the El 
Million Dollar Show in Los Angeles, California.
  He has appeared in numerous Mexican films with his father, and 
together they have recorded several albums, including ``El Mayor de los 
Potrillos'' in 2001 and ``Vicente Fernandez hijo con Mariachi'' in 
2002.
  In 2006, Mr. Vincent Fernandez, Jr., debuted in Mexico with his show 
of horses that are trained to gallop while he sings and the mariachi 
band plays.
  In 2009, he fulfilled one of his dreams, showcasing his music at a 
sold out Palacio de los Deportes, an indoor sports complex in Mexico 
City, where he sang and performed.
  I am humbled that Mr. Vicente Fernandez, Jr., a proven Mexican 
ambassador of the arts and culture, was able to join our community of 
Brownsville to celebrate the Charro Days Fiesta.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the work, leadership, 
vision and efforts of Mr. Vicente Fernandez, Jr., to promote the arts 
and culture, which make him an extraordinary Mr. Amigo 2009.

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