[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 66 (Friday, April 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A TRIBUTE TO BETTY PORTO--28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF THE YEAR

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                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 14, 2017

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and 
sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to 
outstanding women who are making a difference in my congressional 
district. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Betty Porto of 
La Canada Flintridge, California.
  The success of the Porto family stems from humble beginnings in 
Manzanillo, Cuba. After Fidel Castro's violent revolution erupted in 
Cuba in the 1950s, Raul, Sr. and his wife, Rosa requested permission to 
leave the country. As they waited for approval, both Raul, Sr. and Rosa 
were dismissed from their jobs. To support their three children, Betty, 
Raul, Jr., and Margarita, Rosa, a talented baker, refined her recipes 
and started selling her cakes to neighbors and friends. The Porto 
family's request to leave the country was eventually approved, and they 
entered the United States in the early 1970s. In the United States, 
they opened a bakery in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles that quickly 
flourished, and Betty Porto, in addition to her siblings, was there to 
lend a helping hand.
  Betty Porto attended John Marshall High School in Los Angeles, and 
simultaneously worked at the family's bakery, Porto's Bakery & Cafe, 
taking care of the front of the house since she loved interacting with 
people and enjoyed customer service. Her mother, who valued the 
importance of receiving a higher education and credits a large part of 
her success to having a bachelor's degree, influenced Betty's love of 
learning. Upon graduating from high school, Betty received a bachelor's 
degree and a master's degree in political science from California State 
University, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Los Angeles, 
respectively. Her goal was to attend law school, but she quickly 
changed her mind as spending time with her family at the bakery had 
awakened her passion for the family business, and she wanted to support 
her parents, keeping in mind all the sacrifices they had made to give 
her a better life.
  Over the years, Ms. Porto and her siblings became increasingly 
involved in the community by supporting many worthwhile organizations, 
including Glendale Healthy Kids, American Red Cross, Glendale police 
and fire departments, and the Alex Theatre to name a few. For the past 
seven years, Betty has been a staunch supporter of Union Rescue 
Mission, donating the remaining food from Porto's Bakery & Cafe at the 
end of each day. She also gives tours of Porto's Bakery & Cafe to 
culinary students, to show them firsthand, out of the classroom 
setting, how to run a bakery, and has even hired some of these students 
to work at Porto's Bakery & Cafe. Betty and Rick, her husband of 
twenty-five years, have two daughters.
  I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of 
California's 28th Congressional District, Betty Porto.

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