[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 30, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H3976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          PAYING TRIBUTE TO FORMER CONGRESSMAN ESTEBAN TORRES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Ruiz) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today as chair of the Congressional 
Hispanic Caucus to pay tribute to a champion for Latinos and Latinas 
and a leader for all, the late CHC chair, Congressman Esteban Torres.
  He did everything in his power to increase Hispanic representation in 
Congress, dedicated himself to disenfranchised communities, and had an 
unwavering commitment to equity.
  Esteban Torres was born in Arizona in 1930 to a proud Mexican family 
of migrant and copper mine workers. After the deportation of his father 
through the disastrous Mexican Repatriation program, his family moved 
to east Los Angeles. Torres never saw his father again.
  As a self-proclaimed barrio kid, he grew up navigating the 
difficulties of a young Latino male without a father in Los Angeles, 
but that did not stop him from achieving excellence.
  From a young age, Torres was consistently recognized as a peacemaker, 
consensus builder, and leader in his community.
  He knew that leadership meant serving. And when he turned 19, he 
enlisted in the U.S. Army and fought in the Korean war.
  Later in life, the necessities of raising a family pushed Torres to 
work as a welder on the assembly line at an auto plant. There, he 
became involved with the labor movement and assumed the role of chief 
steward in the United Auto Workers union's local branch.
  His ability to lead, inspire, and defend workers' rights drove him to 
become the Nation's director of the Inter-American Bureau for Caribbean 
and Latin American Affairs, and so he began his political career.
  After serving under President Carter as U.S. Ambassador to the United 
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and as 
White House Special Assistant for Hispanic Affairs, Torres represented 
California's 34th District, the City of Norwalk in the County of Los 
Angeles, from 1983 until 1999.
  From his first year in Congress, he defended workers' rights, 
protected consumers, advanced environmental justice, and secured 
veterans' services.
  Through it all, he never forgot his community. As chair of the 
Congressional Hispanic Caucus, he pushed forward transformative 
legislation for immigrants in our country, such as the 1986 Immigration 
Reform and Control Act.
  This historic legislation gave legal status to more than 3 million 
immigrants, ultimately protecting other families from the same horror 
his family experienced many years back.
  Torres also led the CHC at a time when our communities did not have 
the representation we do today. After eight terms, he expressed: ``I 
have reached the pinnacle of success in my own eyes. It is time to let 
the younger generation succeed.''

                              {time}  1030

  Today, I succeed him as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, a 
role I take with much responsibility because I know I have big shoes to 
fill.
  Thanks to his efforts, our communities can feel seen in the 38 
members of the CHC that, inspired by Congressman Torres, serve with 
determination and compassion. I know that we, inspired by the late 
Congressman Esteban Torres, carry the torch to expand Hispanic 
representation in Congress and create a House and a Senate that is more 
representative of our Nation.
  Esteban Torres, mentor, leader, amigo, after 91 years of touching 
lives and changing this Nation, in January 2022 you passed away. You 
lived a long and impactful life of service, and you left this Nation 
better than how you found it for future generations. Gracias.

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