[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S5097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      50TH ANNIVERSARY OF TAPATIO

 Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the 50th 
anniversary of Tapatio, a family-run company from the great State of 
California that exemplifies the American Dream.
  Jose-Luis Saavedra, the founder of Tapatio, immigrated to California 
from Guadalajara, Mexico. He started out working in the aerospace 
industry, and he often shared a delicious homemade salsa with his 
coworkers. In 1971, after a recession shut down the plant where he 
worked, Mr. Saavedra decided to try perfecting and selling his hot 
sauce.
  Tapatio was born out of a small kitchen in Maywood, CA, and continues 
its operations to this day in Vernon, CA. With the hard work and 
innovation of Mr. Saavedra, his wife, and his children, Tapatio grew in 
popularity and size, spreading from small groceries in East Los Angeles 
to stores and restaurants around the country.
  Today, Tapatio is known for introducing the flavors of Guadalajara 
around the world. It now produces about 200,000 bottles of Tapatio a 
day and exports globally to about 30 countries. The company has even 
developed single-serving packets of its signature hot sauce to meet the 
demand from American servicemembers stationed abroad and at least one 
U.S. Senator.
  Tapatio has remained a family-run business for 50 years, employing 
three generations of the Saavedra family. It is more than an immigrant 
success story, Tapatio is an icon of cultural ambassadorship. According 
to Mr. Saavedra, the Smithsonian Institute displayed a bottle of 
Tapatio to showcase the brand's role in spreading positive images of 
Latino culture.
  I congratulate Tapatio on reaching this historic milestone, serving 
as an important reminder of the cultural and economic contributions of 
immigrants to our country, and keeping the American dream alive for 
future generations.

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