[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22195]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 16, 2003

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Hispanic Heritage 
Month, which runs through October 15, 2003. In our district across 
Northern Ohio, the community has organized events to honor our fellow 
citizens with Hispanic heritage. In our communities, Hispanic citizens 
have long made lasting contributions to all aspects of civic life, 
including business, education, religion, labor, and politics.
  Ohio's ninth district Hispanic community is comprised of a large and 
vibrant Mexican American community, a spirited Puerto Rican community 
and many other countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean 
whose ancestry is represented. We celebrate many important holidays 
such as Dia de los Muertos and Puerto Rico's Independence, musical and 
artistic celebrations such as LatinoFest and support the existence of 
organizations such as Latins United, Club Taino and many others.
  Congress first resolved the celebration of Hispanic heritage through 
Public Law 90-498 in 1968. At that time the President was asked to 
issue annually a proclamation designating the week including September 
15-16 as National Hispanic Heritage Week and calling upon the people of 
the United States, especially the educational community, to observe the 
week with appropriate ceremonies.
  It was not until 1988, however, that the Congress drafted and 
approved a joint resolution to approve a month-long commemoration.
  Hispanic Heritage Month affords us a special opportunity to celebrate 
the contributions of Hispanic Americans, now 38 million strong and the 
nation's largest minority group. It gives us the opportunity to thank 
them for enriching the quality of life in America. It gives us the 
opportunity to learn more about Hispanic Americans and their lives in 
America. It gives us an opportunity to pause and take note that no 
fewer than 40 Hispanic Americans have been awarded the Medal of Honor, 
our nation's highest honor for valor in action. It gives us an 
opportunity to reflect on the commitment to social justice exemplified 
by such leaders as Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. It gives us an 
opportunity to resolve to fulfill the dream of ``si se puede'' of 
eradicating poverty and injustice and ensuring that all Hispanic 
Americans enjoy a full stakehold in American society of the 21st 
Century.
  So, during this Hispanic Heritage Week, while we celebrate so many 
extraordinary achievements, we are also mindful of the challenges ahead 
and the bright future for Hispanic Americans in our changing American 
culture.

                          ____________________