[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 48 (Thursday, March 17, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING MEXICAN AMERICAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST MARY ESTHER BERNAL

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                          HON. JOAQUIN CASTRO

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2022

  Mr. CASTRO of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of 
Mrs. Mary Esther Bernal who passed away on March 10, 2022. For decades, 
Mrs. Bernal was integral to the advancement of Mexican American and 
Latino rights in Texas. Her work changed the lives of countless Texans, 
and she will be greatly missed.
  Mary Esther Bernal was born on March 21, 1935, in San Antonio, Texas. 
She earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from Our Lady of the 
Lake University. A talented pianist who was passionate about using 
music to connect with others, Ms. Bernal taught choir in San Antonio 
Independent School District (SAISD) during an era when speaking Spanish 
in Texas schools was against the law.
  Instead of bowing to pressures to suppress the culture of her city 
and her Mexican-American students, Mrs. Bernal celebrated both. 
Together with her husband, State Senator Joe Bernal, she pushed Texas 
schools to provide bilingual instruction to English language learners 
and end English-only laws. As a community leader, Mrs. Bernal served 
two terms on the SAISD Board of Trustees. Mrs. Bernal received numerous 
honors for her work as an educator and civic leader.
  Mrs. Bernal was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame in 
1991 and the National Hispanic Heritage Hall of Honor in 2010 for her 
contributions to education. Mrs. Bernal is survived by her husband Joe 
Bernal, sons Richard and Patrick Bernal, daughter Rebecca Villarreal, 
six grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren. She is preceded in death 
by her youngest son, Bernard Bernal, who passed away in 2016.
  Madam Speaker, San Antonio mourns the loss of a Hispanic icon. We 
will miss the music she played and the powerful voice she projected for 
equality. Her efforts benefited countless Texas families, including 
mine. Although she has passed, we take comfort remembering her through 
our heritage. I thank Mrs. Bernal for her fight. She will be missed. 
(Agredezco a la Senora Bernal, gracias por su lucha. Le vamos 
extranar.)

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