[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22956]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today to 
commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month. I was proud to support, along with 
my Senate colleagues, a resolution recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month 
and celebrating the vast contributions that Hispanic Americans have 
made to the strength and culture of our Nation.
  I would like to take a moment now to honor the contributions of the 
Latino community in the great State of New Jersey. New Jersey's 1.3 
million Hispanic Americans are an integral and vital part of our State, 
contributing to every aspect of life, from business to culture. 
Hispanic or Latino Americans represent nearly 15 percent of the 
population of my State. They are the largest and fastest-growing 
minority group in the Nation and in New Jersey.
  As the son of immigrants who came to this country for the 
opportunities it offers, I am proud of the way our Latino neighbors 
have worked to make a better life for themselves and for their 
children.
  New Jersey is home to more than 50,000 Latino-owned businesses, 
ranging from big corporations like Goya Foods, which is based in 
Secaucus, to small mom-and-pop bodegas. Through their energy and 
talent, these Hispanic businesses in New Jersey generate more than $9 
billion in economic activity and support 167,000 jobs.
  Latinos contribute to our economy, to our culture, and also to our 
public life. Hispanic Americans serve our Nation and the State of New 
Jersey at all levels of government--as mayors and municipal council 
members, county freeholders, and in countless elected and appointed 
capacities throughout the State. Seven members of the State's current 
General Assembly are of Hispanic descent, as well as a member of our 
Congressional delegation, Congressman Robert Menendez. In 2004, Justice 
Roberto Rivera-Soto became the first Hispanic American to serve on New 
Jersey's Supreme Court. And just this year, New Jersey's first Latino 
county prosecutor was appointed.
  I am honored today to recognize the efforts and contributions of New 
Jersey's Hispanic Americans and I thank my colleagues for supporting 
this important resolution.

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