[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 20, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H7975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Cardenas) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the heritage, 
culture, and immense and amazing contributions of Latinos to the United 
States by introducing a bicameral resolution recognizing September 15 
through October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month.
  When you walk into my office, both in my Washington, D.C., office, 
and the San Fernando Valley office which I represent, you will notice a 
very important picture of two hard-working gentlemen, two generations 
of Mexican immigrants, my father and my mother's father, smiling while 
crouching down picking potatoes in the very hot Stockton, California, 
sun.
  No matter how exhausted, how busy, and how much pain they endured, 
they never complained, and they took the time to pause and smile 
because they were so proud to be able to do a hard day's work and an 
honest day's work right here in the United States of America.
  That same grit and positivity that they demonstrated in that photo 
are values carried by Latinos throughout our country's history: 
farmworkers, astronauts, scientists, and many amazing contributors to 
our great country. They are Latinos who have helped keep our country 
operating before the pandemic, through the pandemic, and still to this 
day. It is those same values and stories, those of individuals, many of 
them immigrants, who encompass an unwavering spirit of perseverance. 
These are the true stories that will be told at the National Museum of 
the American Latino.
  Latinos have been in what is now the United States for hundreds of 
years. So current and future generations have the opportunity to visit 
the National Mall and experience our beautiful history, culture, and 
contributions that make us the greatest Nation in the world.
  Yes, that is right, Mr. Speaker. The beautiful National Mall will 
soon have a Latino museum on it so that people from all over the world 
can appreciate the amazing contributions that Latinos have been making 
to this great country and this continent for hundreds and hundreds of 
years.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in recognizing these 
amazing contributions of Latinos of the United States, and to encourage 
everyone to recognize that we are a great country. We are an eclectic 
country, and we do have much to be proud of. We, as Americans from 
every part of this world, have made this country their home.
  To people who are Latinos, it is sad to hear just a few minutes ago 
that even Members of Congress will say derogatory things about the 
southern border and make people believe that you should be afraid of 
immigrants who come to this country, who seek a better life, people who 
come to this country and do the jobs that most Americans, including me, 
really don't want to do but need to be done.
  If you are a senior in the United States of America, it is very 
likely, as you get older and you need somebody to help you in your day-
to-day life, it will probably be somebody with an accent. And yes, I 
smile when I say that; somebody who gives their love and commitment to 
that person who deserves the dignity of being cared for. Many, many 
times, it is an immigrant. Many, many times, they speak Spanish. ``Of 
course, they speak Spanish.'' ``Seguro que si, hablan espanol.'' Like 
my grandfather who came to this country, my mother who came to this 
country, and my father who came to this country did.
  My grandfather had no formal education; my mother and father only had 
a first and second grade education.
  Why did they come to the United States?
  Because they knew that this was a country of opportunity.
  And although they suffered many indignities of racism and derogatory 
comments toward them or what have you, they raised 11 American-born 
citizens in what some people would call a very tough neighborhood. I 
say a very beautiful, challenged neighborhood, but a beautiful 
neighborhood at that.
  And now I, as their youngest son, get to be a United States 
Congressman, to contribute to this country as a U.S. citizen and a 
Representative of the community that I was born and raised in; yet, at 
the same time, to advance what is good about our country and to be an 
example to every single one of us.
  We live in a great country, the United States of America, and Latinos 
have always made contributions.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California will provide a 
translation of his remarks to the Clerk.

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