[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22040]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    IN HONOR OF MR. DIONICIO MORALES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. XAVIER BECERRA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 10, 2000

  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, it is with utmost pleasure and privilege 
that I rise today to recognize a wonderful American, Mr. Dionicio 
Morales, for his pioneering efforts as a leader within the Mexican 
American community and his commitment to improving the lives of others.
  As a first-generation American, Dionicio Morales has surpassed social 
and economic barriers throughout his life, and forever changed the 
opportunities available to Mexican Americans in this country. Mr. 
Morales' own life embodies the American dream. Having come from modest 
roots, as the son of farmworkers who spent many years of his childhood 
living in a tent, he has become a nationally respected community 
advocate for over three decades. Specifically, Mr. Morales has served 
as an advisor to the United States Secretary of Labor, was a 
Presidential appointee to the President's Committee on Community 
Relations, and the Advisory Committee of the North America Development 
Bank, and was a former member of the California State Apprenticeship 
Committee, the California Employment Development Advisory Committee, 
the Century Freeway Commission and the United States Senate Task Force 
on Hispanic Affairs.
  The crowning professional achievement of Mr. Morales' life however, 
was the founding of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) 
in 1962. On the eve of the civil rights movement, Mr. Morales was a 
trailblazer in establishing a structure to empower Mexican Americans to 
obtain professional training and employment. Mr. Morales has served as 
the President and CEO of MAOF since 1962, and has grown the 
organization into a full-service social service entity which currently 
provides not just job training but also child care, Head Start 
programs, English as a second language courses, citizenship classes, 
family services, and much more.
  MAOF has played a pivotal role in the lives of many Mexican Americans 
and Mr. Morales' contributions have not gone unnoticed. In addition to 
the many honors and board memberships bestowed upon him, Los Angeles 
County showed its appreciation to Mr. Morales and MAOF be dedicating 
``Dionicio Morales Plaza'' at Belvedere Park in Los Angeles.
  Mr. Speaker, as Mr. Morales embarks upon the next chapter of his life 
in retirement, it gives me great honor to join those who are honoring 
him tonight at MAOF's 33rd Annual Aztec Awards Gala in Los Angeles. It 
is with great pride that I ask my colleagues to join me today in 
saluting this exceptional American.

                          ____________________