[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 131 (Friday, September 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF RAQUEL CREITOFF

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 28, 2012

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to commemorate the life 
and work of Raquel Creitoff, who passed away on September 6 at the age 
of 90.
  Raquel Creitoff was born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on December 7, 
1921, but left her native island in the mid-1940s to live in Manhattan. 
Raquel soon began working as a member of the staff of the old Migration 
Division of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico office in New York City. 
The office's goal, and Raquel's work, was to help Puerto Ricans moving 
from the island to New York City, adjust to their new home. From 
housing to jobs to health services, the Migration Division helped 
Puerto Ricans establish new lives in unfamiliar surroundings. For close 
to half a century, Raquel worked in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's 
offices in New York City, and was a dedicated public servant who helped 
countless Puerto Ricans who had made the trip from the island to New 
York City in search of economic opportunity.
  Raquel was a well-recognized leader of the Puerto Rican community in 
New York. She was active in numerous organizations, including the 
Puerto Rican Family Institute and the New York Chapter of the National 
Conference of Puerto Rican Women. Additionally, she served on the Board 
of Universidad Boricua, previously known as Boricua College.
  Over the years, Raquel helped countless individuals in the Bronx and 
in New York City. She will be missed.

                          ____________________