[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 146 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5455-H5456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN MEMORY OF JESSICA ALANA SANCHEZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Escobar) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ESCOBAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Jessica 
Alana Sanchez, who was born and raised in my community of El Paso, 
Texas. Jessica sadly passed away in July at the age of 38 after a 
courageous battle with cancer.
  She leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter, her husband, a sister, 
parents, and extended family, many of whom are my constituents.
  I met Jessica as a young woman when she and I were volunteering on a 
local campaign. From the first time I met her, it was clear that she 
was a brilliant individual who was guided by a strong sense of 
responsibility toward social justice.
  When Jessica was enrolled in Mesita Elementary School, she 
participated in a rally to protest a plan to build a nuclear waste 
facility on the outskirts of our community in El Paso. She was a brave 
and outspoken girl and wanted to voice her classmates' worries about 
the negative effects on the environment if the facility were to come to 
fruition. After months of protests, the site was never built, and the 
community prevailed.

[[Page H5456]]

  She continued to advocate for people while at El Paso High School, 
and her advocacy transcended our borders. She was particularly 
concerned about drug cartel violence and the disappearance and murders 
of hundreds of women factory workers across the border from us in 
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. She petitioned city leaders on both sides of the 
border to take action to curb violence and to safeguard those 
vulnerable workers.
  Her activism and community involvement were evident to others. She 
attended Stanford University for her undergraduate degree and Boston 
University Law School.
  Incensed by our country's failed immigration policies and actions 
that gave rise to the separation of families, Jessica decided to return 
to California. She would go on to work on advocacy on behalf of 
migrants and refugees at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in 
Los Angeles.
  Jessica was also a mother to her daughter, Leila. She raised Leila to 
embody her core values of fairness, equality, and giving back to her 
community. She felt it was her obligation that Leila be raised to speak 
out as a woman in our society and be proud of her Latina heritage and 
family background.
  It was not all about politics. Jessica and Leila also had fun singing 
and dancing and reading books. They enjoyed making arts and crafts 
together and decorating their annual Christmas tree with projects made 
throughout the year. They watched children's television shows, like 
``Sesame Street'' and ``Bluey,'' and spent summer afternoons playing in 
their neighborhood park and feeding the ducks there.

  Jessica was a woman of faith and believed strongly that we are all 
tasked with utilizing our God-given gifts and talents to journey in 
solidarity with those we encounter in life and contributing to the 
common good.
  I close by sharing a reflection Jessica delivered as an intern with 
the Catholic community in June 2009 during a Sunday service at 
Stanford's Memorial Church. It captures her philosophy and her outlook 
on Christian discipleship that she practiced throughout her young life 
very well.
  Jessica's reflection is as follows:
  ``I remember the first time I answered my call to service. My home 
parish in El Paso, Texas, sponsors a Thanksgiving dinner for homeless 
residents in our binational community. My family and I showed up at the 
church cafeteria and were assigned the task of serving guests plates of 
food. I was 8 years old and extremely intimidated by strangers.
  ``Anxiety grew in the pit of my stomach as I carried a meal to my 
first guest, an older woman in a Dallas Cowboys' jersey. As I placed 
the plate in front of her, she glanced up. She didn't speak, but there 
was a calm gratitude in her eyes. I felt connected to her. God opened 
my heart in that moment and enveloped me with peace.
  ``For the first time, I understood the gift of service. It has made 
an indelible impression upon me. My commitment to service played a huge 
role in my decision to accept the intern position with our Catholic 
community at Stanford. I was called to give back to a community that 
supported me in my time of need.''
  Those were Jessica's beautiful words.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of El Paso, I extend my deepest condolences 
to Jessica's family. Jessica left us too soon, and I and everyone who 
knew her will cherish our memories with her. I am proud to honor the 
life of Jessica Alana Sanchez and ask that my colleagues join me in 
recognizing her lifetime commitment to advocating for her community.

                          ____________________