[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22735]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 2005

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate with my 
amazingly diverse constituents in the 12th Congressional District of 
California Hispanic Heritage Month. I am grateful that September 15th 
through October 15th has been set aside to commemorate the 
extraordinary heritage and the significant contributions that people of 
Hispanic descent have made to the United States.
  Hispanic and Latino influence predates the establishment of our 
Nation and can be seen in the discovery and founding, as well as the 
continued prosperity of America. The influence of Mexican Americans, 
Cuban Americans, and every other American of Hispanic descent, has 
enriched our country. Currently, 26 Hispanic Americans serve in the 
House of Representatives, and two serve in the Senate. In every war in 
American history, Hispanic Americans have displayed valor and courage. 
Over 1.1 million Hispanic Americans have served in the U.S. armed 
forces. Indeed, 41 men of Hispanic heritage have received the 
Congressional Medal of Honor.
  KQED, a nationally recognized public broadcaster, has awarded the 
following four outstanding individuals for their work in the community 
through the 2005 Latino Heritage Local Heroes. They are but a few of 
the wonderful people who have worked to make my community great.
  Mr. Speaker, Felix Bedolla, a Northern California native, has served 
in multiple leadership roles in the arts, education, and youth 
mentoring. Mr. Bedolla is the program director of Aldea/Nuestra 
Esperanza, which is a Latino Multi-Service Center offering drug, 
alcohol and mental health counseling and treatment services, parent 
support groups, Latino youth mentoring programs, and gang violence 
suppression programs.
  Carlotta del Portillo, the Dean of the Mission Campus of City College 
of San Francisco, has facilitated access to educational opportunities 
and has developed vocational job training programs, which have provided 
a great assistance to many Hispanic Americans. Through her service in 
city government and community groups, Dr. del Portillo has had a 
positive and lasting effect on human rights, education, the Fire 
Department, the role of women in the Fire Department, national parks, 
and so much more.
  Mr. Speaker, Joel Garcia has also centered his career on helping 
others. Specifically, Mr. Garcia contributes to his community by 
securing access to health and human services to the needy. Joel serves 
as the Chief Executive Officer of the Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, 
Inc., a non-profit, federal-qualified community health center that 
provides primary care health services in southern Alameda County. He 
plays an influential role in academia by publishing research on health 
law, policy, and administration.
  I would like to underscore the contributions of my friend, Pedro 
Gonzalez, who has devoted his life to the city of South San Francisco 
for many years. As a public servant, he has served as a council member 
and mayor. Through his career, he has worked for affordable housing, 
childcare assistance for low-income families, national parks, community 
service, recreation, and education among many other issues. As 
president and co-founder of Historical Old Town Homeowners and Renters 
Association, Pedro implemented the ``Siempre Adelante'' program, an 
informational program for the community on parenting and civic 
participation.
  In addition to those honored by KQED, I wish to further single out 
many other deserving leaders who have contributed so much to my 
community. These are the giants of government and community service who 
work so tirelessly around the Penninsula.
  Last year, my good friend, Jose Cisneros was appointed by Mayor Gavin 
Newsom as Treasurer for the City and County of San Francisco. I have 
known Jose for a long time, and as the City's banker and chief 
investment officer, the City of San Francisco is in very able hands. 
Jose Cisneros received his Bachelor of Science from Sloan School of 
Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and 
studied for his MBA at Boston University.
  Mr. Speaker, the County of San Mateo is lucky to have Ortensia Lopez. 
As a resident of San Mateo County since 1975 and as the Executive 
Director of the Concilio of San Mateo County, she has helped to improve 
public health, energy efficiency, employment, job training, race 
relations, conditions for the disadvantaged, banking, and commerce. Ms. 
Lopez was the first member of her family to graduate from college and 
has won multiple awards, including ``Woman Who Could Be President''.
  Since 1996, Daly City has benefited from the public service of Sal 
Torres, the city's first elected Latino official. Through his various 
offices in Daly City, including mayor, vice mayor and city council 
member, Mr. Torres has shown exemplary leadership in transforming the 
city into a family and children friendly place. He dedicated the 
Bayshore Community Center for the use of the Mid-Peninsula Boys and 
Girls Club as well as several parks. During his years of service Daly 
City ranked among the top 10 safest cities with populations exceeding 
100,000.
  The efforts of Elizabeth Quiros as the President of the San Mateo 
County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have helped countless Hispanic 
Americans in my district. Her organization works as an information 
resource and provides networking and expansion opportunities for all 
its members. The success of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 
promoting Hispanic business, under Ms. Quiros's, influence manifested 
in the Chamber's recognition as the 2004 Small Hispanic Chamber of the 
Year. Ms. Quiros has worked tirelessly to identify the needs of the 
Hispanic Community and ensuring equity in the treatment of Hispanic 
Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, the problems that the Hispanic community faces with the 
Nation as a whole are daunting. According to the latest data and 
statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Latinos 
represent 14 percent of the population of the United States but account 
for 20 percent--over 164,000--of AIDS cases nationally. AIDS-related 
illnesses represent the fourth leading cause of death among Latinos 
between 25 and 44. In order to promote awareness and prevention, I 
support the 3rd Annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day on October 
15, 2005. We need to continue to work toward legislation to help 
Hispanic Americans.
  This month our Nation can take a long look back at the myriad of 
contributions that the Hispanic community has offered and continues to 
offer. Hispanic Heritage Month also helps us renew our focus on 
difficult issues that face this community: racial profiling, affordable 
housing, language barriers, and unfair immigration policy.
  Mr. Speaker, this vibrant part of our community offers an array of 
perspectives that are firmly woven into the fabric of America, and I am 
extremely proud to serve as a representative of a community that 
consists of so many great Americans. I encourage all Americans to 
participate in this month of celebration. I invite my colleagues to 
join me in recognizing the contributions that Hispanic Americans have 
made to our Nation.

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