[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 8, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1036]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      A TRIBUTE TO THE 2010 ELLIS ISLAND MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

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                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 8, 2010

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 
the 2010 recipients of the coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor. 
Presented annually by the National Ethnic Coalition, NECO, the Ellis 
Island Medal of Honor pays tribute to our Nation's immigrant heritage, 
as well as individual achievement. The medals are awarded to U.S. 
citizens from various ethnic backgrounds who exemplify outstanding 
qualities in both their personal and professional lives, while 
continuing to preserve the richness of their particular heritage. Since 
NECO's founding in 1986, more then 2,000 American citizens have 
received Ellis Island Medals of Honor, including six American 
Presidents, several United States Senators, Congressmen, Nobel 
Laureates, outstanding athletes, artists, clergy, and military leaders.
  As we all know, citizens of the United States can trace their 
ancestry to many nations. The richness and diversity of American life 
makes us unique among the Nations of the world and is in many ways the 
key to why America is the most innovative country in the world. The 
Ellis Island Medals of Honor not only celebrate select individuals but 
also the pluralism and democracy that enabled our ancestors to 
celebrate their cultural identities while still embracing the American 
way of life. This medal is not about money, but about people who really 
seized the opportunities this great country has to offer and who used 
those opportunities to not only better their own lives but make a 
difference in the lives of those around them. By honoring these 
outstanding individuals, we honor all who share their origins and we 
acknowledge the contributions they and other groups have made to 
America. I commend NECO and its Board of Directors headed by my good 
friend, Nasser J. Kazeminy, for honoring these truly outstanding 
individuals for their tireless efforts to foster dialogue and build 
bridges between different ethnic groups, as well as promotes unity and 
a sense of common purpose in our Nation.
  Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in recognizing 
the good works of NECO, and congratulating all of the 2010 recipients 
of the Ellis Island Medals of Honor. I also ask unanimous consent that 
the names of this year's recipients be placed into the Congressional 
Record following my statement.
  Ichak K. Adizes, PhD; Adrienne G. Alexanian; Richard F. Ambinder, MD; 
Cyrus Amir-Mokri; Anousheh Ansari; Rao S. Anumolu; Robert S. Atallah; 
Mohamed A. Atassi, MD, FACC; Kevork D. Atinizian; Nancy H. Bailey; Hon. 
Rosemary Barkett; Samira Kanaan Beckwith; Sarkis Bedevian; Jerold E. 
Beeve, MD; Dorothy Beeve, RN; Suraj P. Bhatia; Carole Black; George F. 
Brown; Richard R. Burey, Jr.; Michael Capasso; Dominic Chianese; Mr. 
Hank Hyunho Choi; Yen S. Chou; Lin-Chi Chu; Carl J. Clause; Eugene P. 
Conese, Sr.; John F. Conley; Thomas J. Cook; Edward Cruz; Paul R. 
Davies; Chief Raymond Diaz; Dr. Edward B. Diethrich; Andre C. 
Dimitriadis, PhD; Borko B. Djordjevic, MD; Thomas J. Donohue; David Du; 
David B. Falk; Lina Fang; Eric Friedberg; Col. Arnald D. Gabriel 
(Ret.); Rod G. Gilbert; Col. David G. Goulet; E. Bulkeley Griswold; 
Col. Gina M. Grosso; S. K. Gupta; Wolf Hengst; Gregory M. Hodge, PhD; 
Maj. Gen. Karl R. Horst; Hon. Jerry M. Hultin; Chief James Jephthah; 
Ted Johnson; James Keach; Alan Krutchkoff; Tak W. Kwan, MD; William K. 
Lee, MD; Robert J. Loggia; Wing K. Ma; Vahid Majidi; Fouad Malouf; 
James Malpeso, MD; MSgt. Chester L. Marcus, Jr.; Chief Denis McGowan; 
Shekhar Mitra, PhD; Moshen Moazami; Curtis E. Moll; Yasmin Motamedi; 
Jeremiah A. Mullins; Agneta E. Nilsson; RADM Joseph L. Nimmich; Sr. 
Irene M. O'Neill; Bedros S. Oruncakciel; Hemant Patel, MD; Francis J. 
Pearn; Richard R. Pergolis; Timothy A. Phillips; Michael J. Piazza; 
Hon. Rose Pierre-Louis; Kappana Ramanandan; Maj. Gen. Michael S. 
Repass; Hon. Edward Rollins; Stanley M. Rumbough, Jr.; William J. Ryan; 
Kenan E. Sahin, PhD; Joseph M. Saponaro; John F. Scarpa; Jane Seymour; 
Faryar Shirzad; John Shu, Esq.; Dr. Ruth J. Simmons; Prasad Srinivasan, 
MD; Bert R. Sugar; Hon. Eugene R. Sullivan (Ret.); Jordan P. Thomas; 
Annie S. Totah; Suzanne von Liebig, PhD; William D. Walsh; RADM Philip 
A. Whitacre (Ret.); Morrill Worcester; Mohammad Yahyavi; Vartkes 
Yeghiayan, Esq.; Matt H. Yildizlar; Chang Bin Yim.

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