[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 178 (Friday, October 8, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1073-E1074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LUCY McBATH

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2021

  Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of Hispanic Heritage 
Month. Each year from September 15 to October 15, the history and 
culture of Americans whose ancestry can be traced from Spain, Mexico, 
the Caribbean, and Central and South America is recognized and 
celebrated. This observation was first established as Hispanic Heritage 
Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. President Ronald Reagan 
later expanded the observance to a full month in 1988. This thirty-day 
period encapsulates many celebrations of independence for Latin 
American countries. September 15 is the anniversary of independence for 
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and 
Chile also celebrate their independence days on September 16 and 
September 18.
  During this month, we pause to recognize the profound influence of 
Hispanic Americans across the country. Guided by the promise of freedom 
and in search of a better life for themselves and their families, some 
of these individuals arrived with nothing but the clothes on their back 
and the hope of a better tomorrow. Once here, they charted their 
course, and created their own unique American destinies. In turn, their 
contributions have brought new ideas, new cuisines, new cultures to us 
all, and their presence here has created a more prosperous nation for 
all Americans. Hispanic Americans have had influence on practically 
every part of American history, from sports, to the fine arts, to 
science. Each day I am proud of their countless contributions to our 
country's story, and I would like to take this month to honor the 
crucial role that Hispanic Americans play in our society, and in 
Georgia's Sixth Congressional District in particular.
  The Hispanic community in Georgia is proud, vibrant, and ever-
growing. I am proud to represent so many of the men and women who have 
contributed so much to our communities each day--over half of Georgia's 
Hispanic population lives within the metropolitan Atlanta area. 
Hispanic Americans help contribute to what makes this Nation 
remarkable, and I am honored to lift up the voices of those who have 
selflessly dedicated their lives to building up themselves, their 
community, and this country. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
Hispanic Americans from all walks of life demonstrated their commitment 
to community and selfless service in their daily lives. Doctors saved 
lives, essential frontline workers kept grocery stores and pharmacies 
operational, and trusted community leaders continue to encourage their 
friends and neighbors to get vaccinated. I am routinely impressed by 
the spirit of service and leadership displayed by Hispanic Americans in 
my district who work hard to give back to their own communities. Their 
work should be recognized every day, but particularly during Hispanic 
Heritage Month. Therefore, I am honored to highlight two individuals 
who deserve special recognition: Natalia Garzon and Zulma Lopez.
  Natalia Garzon was born in Colombia but raised in Costa Rica, 
Ecuador, and Panama. Her passion for diversity and connectivity is what 
led her to pursue a career in Literature, Creative Writing, and French. 
Prior to her work in Atlanta, Natalia worked with nonprofits in Central 
America. She is a founder of RISE, a nonprofit that seeks to empower 
students in low-income neighborhoods in Panama. In Atlanta, she has 
worked as a Teacher's Assistant at Montclair Elementary, an ESL 
Associate Tutor for Tibetan monks and nuns, and she has established a 
partnership between the LAA 's Club de Lectura and the Fox Center for 
Humanistic Inquiry at her alma mater Emory University. In September of 
2020, Natalia was named the director of development for We Love BuHi, 
an organization that works to preserve the multicultural identity of 
Atlanta's Buford Highway. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Natalia and We 
Love BuHi pivoted their focus to providing the people of the Buford 
Highway Corridor with locally sourced and culturally centric food to 
families that were in need. Their efforts fed over 52,000 people, and 
impacted nearly 15,000 families. Once COVID-19 vaccinations were made 
available, Natalia was an instrumental part of We Love BuHi's 
multilingual vaccination outreach efforts, which partnered with other 
local organizations and the cities of Doraville and Dunwoody to train 
volunteers and run multilingual vaccination clinics.
  Zulma Lopez identifies herself as an immigration attorney, a small 
business owner, and most importantly, a mom. She was born and raised in 
Puerto Rico, where she obtained her undergraduate degree and J.D. from 
the University of Puerto Rico. During law school, Zulma also juggled 
the responsibilities of being a mom to her two oldest sons. In 2007, 
she moved to Georgia to reunite with her childhood friend and now 
husband Dax Lopez, and gave birth to a daughter and son to complete her 
family. In 2014, she opened her own law practice, Lopez Immigration 
LLC, to give families their own shot at the American dream by 
representing them before United States Citizenship and Immigration 
Services and filing family-based immigration petitions. As both an 
immigration attorney and a small business owner, she is passionate 
about creating opportunities for women and minority business owners in 
DeKalb County. As a mother who balanced her own professional 
development and education while raising her sons, she feels strongly 
about supporting students from preschool through college. In 2020, 
Zulma was elected to represent House District 86 in the Georgia House 
of Representatives, where she serves as the only Latina in the Georgia 
General Assembly. As an elected official in North DeKalb County, Zulma 
represents some of the same constituents that I have the privilege of 
representing here in Congress. I am proud of our shared constituency.
  It is my distinct honor and privilege to recognize two of the many 
Hispanic Americans who work hard every day to make a difference in

[[Page E1074]]

the lives of others here in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District. As 
we continue to celebrate the observation of Hispanic Heritage Month, 
may we recommit ourselves to the spirit of service demonstrated by 
these individuals and the many others whose stories have yet to be 
told. On behalf of myself, the Sixth Congressional District of Georgia, 
and the United States House of Representatives, I am proud to join in 
the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. In telling the stories of 
community members like Natalia and Zulma, we celebrate the power of our 
Hispanic community in Georgia. As a Representative of our State, I will 
continue to champion their values of strength, service, and patriotism 
every day.

                          ____________________