[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 21, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                COMMEMORATING THE PASSING OF BOB SANTOS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2016

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to my dear 
friend Bob Santos, of Seattle, Washington, who passed away at the age 
of 82 on Saturday, August 27, 2016. Mostly referred to as ``Uncle Bob'' 
and unofficial mayor of the International District, Bob fought to 
improve and preserve the neighborhood for over five decades.
   In the late 1960s and 1970s, Mr. Santos joined Larry Gossett, Bernie 
Whitebear, and Roberto Maestas to form an activist group: ``The Gang of 
Four''. Rather than competing for limited resources, the group unified 
communities of color to fight for equal rights in Seattle.
   Robert ``Bob'' Santos was born in Seattle on February 25, 1934, to 
parents of Filipino and Tlingit Nation heritage. He became aware of 
discrimination as a young child. In 1942, his elementary school closed 
when the majority of his classmates, who were of Japanese descent, were 
taken to internment camps. He recalled wearing an `I am Filipino' badge 
to avoid anti-Japanese violence.
   Mr. Santos became involved in activism in 1963, when black activist 
Walter Hubbard Jr. invited him to join a march supporting open housing.
   He later became known for his ties to the International District 
Improvement Association (Inter*Im). Over the course of three decades, 
his leadership in the organization helped add over 1,000 low-income 
residential units to the neighborhood. His advocacy also fought for the 
soul of the International District by starting a community produce 
garden, rehabilitating dilapidated apartment buildings and fending off 
unwanted developments such as a trash-burning plant and a prison.
   He continued to fight fearlessly for equal job opportunities and 
better educational opportunities for people of color and was arrested 
six times in the process. In 2005, Partners for Livable Communities 
awarded the Gang of Four with a Bridge Builders Award for their work 
for minority populations of King County. In 2006, the Seattle City 
Council recognized Mr. Santos for his work with Inter*Im.
   Mr. Speaker, throughout his decades of advocacy, Mr. Santos never 
lost his sense of humor or his fondness for karaoke, especially songs 
by Frank Sinatra and Elvis. I will miss his vigorous spirit and his 
passion for social justice. He changed the city of Seattle for the 
better and he did it ``his way''.

                          ____________________