[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 20, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H4414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING BLANCA M. HERNANDEZ-ADAME

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACON. Madam Speaker, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I 
recognize Blanca M. Hernandez-Adame for all her tremendous work in 
Nebraska's Second Congressional District. Blanca's determination and 
kind-hearted nature have benefited our community for years.
  Born in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico, from a very early age, Blanca 
showed signs of being a natural-born leader. She always stood out among 
her peers in the different activities, groups, or social clubs she 
participated in.
  Blanca has three children: Eros, Daniel, and Camila. She is a strong 
woman of faith and puts God first in everything she does. One of the 
most important people in Blanca's life is her mother, who has been 
present through good times and bad times for her whole life.
  In 1995, Blanca began law school at the Universidad Autonoma de 
Guerrero and demonstrated an interest in politics. She became involved 
in Mexican politics and volunteered in campaigns for senators, state 
Governors, rectors of the University of Guerrero, and even the 
Presidency of the Mexican Republic in Mexico.
  Blanca graduated from law school in 1999 and had the opportunity to 
work for some of the most essential people in the State of Guerrero as 
a trusted staff member. Later that year, due to the economic situation, 
Blanca left Mexico for the United States to pursue opportunities for 
herself and her family.
  In 2000, she began working in a packinghouse. Blanca has the utmost 
respect for people who work in these places, as they can be very 
repetitive jobs and hard work. Some stay in the same place, doing the 
same movement for 8 to 10 hours every day for weeks, months, and even 
years. Every day that she spent at the packinghouse, she became more 
convinced that she had to learn English and that if she didn't, she 
would stay there forever working in a very difficult job.
  She began taking English classes at night after a long day at the 
packing plant, but one of Blanca's strengths is her persistence. She 
knew that the effort would be worth it, so little by little she learned 
to speak English and became a representative of the workers' union at 
the packing plant.
  From there, she became active in our community in South Omaha. For 6 
years, she served on the board of directors of the One World Clinic in 
Omaha. She volunteered in different community groups, nonprofit 
organizations, and is the founder of the Queens of Cinco de Mayo 
contest, one of the most important events in the Latino community of 
South Omaha.
  In 2016--and this is where we want to focus because she has done so 
much great work here--she founded Generation Diamond to help people 
reenter our community after incarceration. She believes that her 
participants are diamonds in the rough that only need to be polished to 
shine. In just 7 years, Generation Diamond is one of the only 
organizations in Nebraska that helps the formerly incarcerated remove 
tattoos free of charge and covers basic needs, such as food and 
clothing. Services are offered in both English and Spanish, with a 
focus on building the Latino community. They are able to help fund 
employment and offer classes in trauma, finances, and stress reduction 
to give those they serve a glimmer of hope and the ability to remain in 
the community. Generation Diamond has grown rapidly, providing 1,020 
services last month alone.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Blanca for her hard work and determination to 
make our community better, and for investing in so many people and 
giving them a second chance. I am eager to see the growth and positive 
impact Generation Diamond will have in my district.

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