[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 166 (Thursday, September 24, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5848-S5849]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Hispanic Heritage Month

  Madam President, on another matter, I have the great honor of 
representing nearly 29 million Texans, roughly 40 percent of whom are 
Hispanic. I consider myself fortunate to have experienced the 
tremendous influence of the Hispanic community on our country and on 
our culture. Much of that culture, of course, dates back to a time long 
before the Lone Star flag or the American flag flew over Texas.
  The first sovereign flag planted on Texas soil was Spanish, and that 
sprawling Spanish colony extended all the way to modern-day Chile. When 
Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, it won all of Texas as 
well, and when Texas fought for its independence, soldiers of Mexican 
and European descent stood together on the Texas side in support of an 
independent republic.
  It is unfair to say that Hispanic culture has influenced Texas 
because, in reality, Hispanic culture is as much a part of our State's 
foundation as the ground that our cities are built on.
  Today, Texas is home to more than 11.5 million Hispanic Americans, 
some who have lived there for generations and others who have 
contributed to the recent rapid growth of the population of the Lone 
Star State. Since 2010, the Hispanic population has grown by more than 
2 million people in my State, and the positive impact of Latinos across 
our State continues to grow.
  Every year, during this month in particular, I am proud to join 
millions of my fellow Texans in celebrating the heritage that is 
uniquely woven into the fabric of our State and our Nation. During 
Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially commenced last week, we honor 
and celebrate Hispanic and Latino Americans and the traditions and 
contributions these men and women and those who came before them have 
made to our country.
  For the past 12 years, I have joined our colleague Senator Menendez 
from New Jersey and a number of other bipartisan cosponsors in 
introducing a resolution to formally recognize September 15 through 
October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month. It is a time we take to honor 
Latinos who, for generations, have served in our military, held elected 
office, grown small businesses, and fought in big and small ways to 
make our country better.
  Today, Texas is proud to have incredible Hispanic-American leaders 
who are shaping our States' and our Nation's futures and inspiring the 
next generation. At the highest levels of public service in my State, 
we have incredible leaders like Ruth Hughs, our secretary of State, and 
Justice Eva Guzman, the first Hispanic woman to serve on the Texas 
Supreme Court.
  Our communities are learning from inspiring women like Sister Norma 
Pimentel, who is executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio 
Grande Valley and led the creation of the respite center in McAllen to 
help care for migrants coming across our border
  They are seeing the incredible work of organizations like Buckner 
International, led by Dr. Albert Reyes, which has set up hope centers 
around the world that help families become self-sufficient.
  Entrepreneurs are looking to business leaders like my friend Ramiro 
Cavazos, who is president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of 
Commerce. For more than 40 years, the U.S. Hispanic Chamber has been an 
incredible resource for Hispanic business owners across the State, and 
their advocacy has been invaluable, particularly during the COVID-19 
crisis. Earlier this summer, I was able to virtually connect with U.S. 
Hispanic Chamber members across Texas to discuss the relief provided by 
Congress in four major pieces of legislation, as well as to learn more 
about the challenges that they were facing and what more we might be 
able to do.
  I have also been able to speak with Hispanic healthcare leaders, who 
are instrumental in Texas's fight against this virus.
  Over the summer, we saw a dramatic increase in positive cases and 
fatalities in the Rio Grande Valley, which is predominantly Hispanic. 
Last month I visited the valley for conversations with local officials 
and healthcare leaders about the impact of the Federal CARES Act 
funding that we passed in four separate pieces of legislation, as well 
as the hurdles they continue to have and are fighting to overcome.
  During our discussion, I heard from Hispanic leaders in the 
healthcare industry, like Manny Vela, who is the CEO of Valley Baptist 
Health System, and Cris Rivera, who is CEO of the Rio Grande Regional 
Hospital.
  Strong leadership at the local level has never been more important, 
and I am grateful for those who are continuing to help our communities 
through this crisis.
  For nearly a century, our State has also benefited from the work of 
the League of United Latin American Citizens, otherwise known as LULAC, 
which is led by Domingo Garcia, and for years has benefited from the 
leadership of Laredo native Roger Rocha. LULAC fights to improve 
opportunities for Hispanic Americans, particularly when it comes to 
education, and it is an avid supporter of Hispanic-serving 
institutions.
  Last week the Senate passed a resolution Senator Menendez and I 
introduced to honor these institutions, which are helping Hispanic 
students achieve their dreams through a quality education. Despite the 
fact that these colleges and universities only represent 17 percent of 
nonprofits colleges and universities, they enroll two-thirds of all 
Latino students, totaling more than 2.5 million students nationwide.
  Texas is home to 100 Hispanic-serving institutions, more or less, and 
these colleagues and universities are helping to prepare the next 
generation of leaders for our future. This month is the perfect 
opportunity to celebrate their incredible work and acknowledge the 
important role these institutions play in my State and in our country, 
and I am glad this resolution passed with unanimous support.
  I hope we can also pass legislation I introduced to honor the 
contributions of Hispanic Americans for generations to come.
  When Americans of all ages visit Washington, they are able to learn 
the stories of great Americans through the Smithsonian museums, which 
welcomed more than 22 million visitors last year. These museums house 
priceless pieces of American history, from the Star-Spangled Banner, 
which inspired the national anthem, to the hat that President Lincoln 
wore on the night he was assassinated.
  Unfortunately, these museums don't represent the diversity of the 
American story, but that is slowly changing. In recent decades, the 
Smithsonian Institution family has grown to include the National Museum 
of the American Indian and the National Museum of African American 
History and Culture.
  But it is time for another addition. More than a decade ago, in 2008, 
President Bush signed into law the National Museum of the American 
Latino Commission Act to study how to establish a new museum. The 
results of that study found that the Latino representation within the 
Smithsonian Institution is far from what it should be and challenged us 
to provide their story and to make sure it is represented there.
  I am thinking of the U.S. Latino community as a whole, which numbers 
some 60 million people, but I am also thinking of individual men and 
women--people like Juan Seguin, who, in some ways, was a predecessor of 
mine. He came from Mexican descent and helped lead the Texas 
Revolution. Then he was a Texas senator before Texas even joined the 
Union. So in many ways, he was one of the forefathers of my State, and 
his contributions, like so many others, are an important part of our 
multifaceted American story.
  We need to ensure that every American has the opportunity to learn 
about people like Juan Seguin and the countless other Latinos who have 
played pivotal roles in our history. Last year, Senator Menendez and I 
reintroduced a bill with a bipartisan group of Senators which would 
authorize the Smithsonian Institution to create a museum honoring 
American Latinos here in Washington. This has been a work in progress 
since 2003, and this legislation will finally put that into motion.
  The bill passed the House unanimously this summer, and between the 
House and Senate, we have more than 340 bipartisan cosponsors.
  The time has come to turn the dream of this museum into reality. 
There is

[[Page S5849]]

no better time than Hispanic Heritage Month for that to happen.
  Texas and our entire Nation are stronger, smarter, and more inclusive 
because of the contributions of Hispanics over the generations.
  I am glad to spend this month reflecting on our complex and ever-
evolving American story, and celebrating the contributions of Hispanic 
Americans who have helped shape our Nation's history.
  I hope the Senate will honor Hispanic Heritage Month by passing this 
important legislation to finally give Latino history a brick-and-mortar 
home here in Washington, DC.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. MERKLEY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to complete my 
remarks prior to the vote.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.