[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13586-13587]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO ALEX REZA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. HOWARD L. BERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 18, 2002

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a good friend and 
an outstanding educator, Alex Reza. In May 2002, Alex retired after 34 
years of service with the Los Angeles Unified School System.
  Alex was one of the founders of the Mexican-American Studies 
curriculum at San Fernando High School where he has taught since 1968. 
He has a unique ability to clearly communicate history and make it 
relevant and understandable generation after generation. Known for his 
infectious passion when it comes to civil rights, Alex has made it a 
priority to ensure that his students learned about civil rights and 
labor leaders such as Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, and Walter 
Reuther.
  A charismatic leader, Alex always manages to enlist numerous faculty, 
students and community members in his many initiatives and projects. 
His accomplishments and successes are legion. He helped found the Cesar 
Chavez March, co-sponsored the San Fernando High School chapter of 
MEChA (a national Chicano organization), and volunteered in the fund 
raising campaign for the Cesar Chavez Memorial. In recognition of his 
service to his community, Alex received the first Cesar Chavez Service 
Award in the City of San Fernando.
  Alex's integrity, enthusiasm and strong consensus building abilities 
have made him a role model to many and an inspiration to many more. 
Over the years I have witnessed firsthand Alex's genuine concern for 
youth and their surrounding communities. I have met many of his former 
students whose interest in history, government and politics were 
inspired by his enthusiasm. In fact, three of those students now serve 
on my staff.
  Lawyers, doctors, activists and leaders, including the President of 
the Los Angeles City Council, proudly count themselves as alumni of 
Alex Reza's classroom. Alex has created a living legacy through his 
students and in turn, he has earned the respect of his colleagues and 
his community.
  Over the years, even though I never had the privilege of being a 
student in Alex's class, I've grown to trust his advice and counsel. In 
2000, I designated him as my elector in the Presidential primary. He 
represented me well, and served with enthusiasm and professionalism.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to ask my colleagues to join 
me in saluting my good friend, Alex Reza, for his extraordinary service 
to the hundreds of students he has inspired in his distinguished 
career.

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