[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 26, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     OUR BEST DAYS ARE STILL AHEAD

  (Mr. TAKANO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce myself to my new 
colleagues, some of whom I've not had the chance to meet since joining 
this distinguished body.
  I've served as a high school teacher for 23 years, and I believe the 
diverse community of the 41st District sent me here because they 
believe fervently that education is the key to achieving the American 
Dream. They see a teacher as an emblem of hope.
  As a community college trustee for 22 years, I've gained an 
understanding of the critical role our Nation's community colleges play 
in workforce training and providing a pathway toward college degrees 
for middle class families. We must prepare our young people to be the 
innovators, scientists, and engineers that will keep our economic 
future strong and secure.
  And I'm proud that the people of my district chose to press boldly 
into the future and make me the first openly gay person of color to 
serve in the House. As the grandson of an Issei gardener and an Issei 
small farmer, I stand in the well of this House as the expression of 
three generations of striving and as a testament to the endurance of 
the American Dream.
  Our Nation's best days are still ahead, and there are many more 
dreams to be made.

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