[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20043]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RUBEN MARTINEZ AWARDED MacARTHUR FELLOWSHIP

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning 
to congratulate a very good friend of mine, Ruben Martinez, owner of 
Libreria Martinez Books and Art Gallery in Santa Ana, California, for 
being named a 2004 MacArthur Fellow.
  How appropriate that during Hispanic Heritage Month, I have the 
opportunity to recognize such a successful Hispanic from my own 
district on this great honor. For more than 30 years, Ruben has been 
getting the youth of Orange County engaged in books and politics. What 
began as a haircutting venture, accompanied by political discussions 
with his clients, turned into a lifelong passion for selling books in 
both Spanish and English.
  Today Libreria Martinez is one of the largest commercial sellers of 
Spanish-language books in the Nation. Authors and community members, 
both young and old alike, have made this shop a home.
  The MacArthur Fellowship has been dubbed the ``genius award'' by 
some, and I can think of no one more deserving than Ruben. I thank him 
for his tireless work and his dedication in promoting readings and 
education in my hometown.

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