[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 134 (Thursday, September 17, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1312-E1313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF ROSARIO ANAYA

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 17, 2015

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on August 5th a beloved community leader, 
education and affordable housing advocate, and civil rights activist 
passed away in San Francisco. Rosario Anaya was a trailblazer and a 
pillar of San Francisco's Latino community, who dedicated her life to 
championing social and economic justice for the disenfranchised and 
underserved.
  Rosario was born on October 7, 1944 in Cochabamba, Bolivia and moved 
to San Francisco in the early 1960's, where she earned her bachelor's 
degree in public administration and a master's degree in counseling and 
psychology from the University of San Francisco. She went on to the 
UCLA Anderson School of Business's Management Development for 
Entrepreneurs program.
  From the start, she proved herself to be a formidable force in the 
struggle for civil rights. Soon after moving to our city, she became a 
leader within the Mission Coalition Organization, a diverse network of 
local agencies that advocated for employment, housing, and education 
reform.
  For forty years, until her untimely passing, she directed the Mission 
Language and Vocational School, a nonprofit community organization that 
offers English as a Second Language, and a wide range of computer and 
vocational courses for all immigrants. Among her many accomplishments 
with MLVS, she established the flourishing Latino Cuisine Culinary 
Academy, which provides immigrant workers with expanded opportunities 
within the San Francisco food industry.
  In addition to her commitment to MLVS, Rosario was a key leader in 
many campaigns and coalitions for social and economic justice, 
including the San Francisco Latino Voter Registration Project, Jesse 
Jackson's Rainbow Coalition and the United Farm Workers, where she 
organized food caravans from San Francisco to UFW's headquarters in 
Delano, California. She campaigned to rename Army Street in San 
Francisco for legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez.
  Mayor George Moscone appointed Rosario to the San Francisco Board of 
Education in

[[Page E1313]]

the late 1970's. When she ran for a full four-year term in 1978, she 
became the first woman of Latin American descent elected to public 
office in San Francisco and subsequently served two more terms as 
School Board President.
  More recently, in 2010 Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed her to the San 
Francisco Redevelopment Commission in order to help plan and supervise 
the construction of affordable housing.
  Rosario served on more boards and committees and received more 
commendations and honors than can be named for her work in San 
Francisco and the State of California, as well as receiving 
international recognition from the governments of Mexico and Venezuela.
  Rosario Anaya's leadership improving the lives of immigrants and at-
risk populations within the San Francisco community has inspired 
generations of activists. She epitomized dignity and grace, and she 
leaves a shining legacy of fighting injustice.
  I extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to Rosario's family and 
friends during this sad time. I hope it is a comfort to them to know 
that Rosario's legacy will live on through the countless lives she 
touched and the numerous coalitions and programs she helmed in her 
efforts to create a more just and equitable world.

                          ____________________