[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 21537-21538]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today and throughout Hispanic Heritage 
Month, we honor the proud history of our Nation's Hispanic community, 
and we pay tribute to the extraordinary contributions that people of 
Hispanic heritage have made and continue to make to the United States.
  In 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon Johnson to proclaim a 
week in September as National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance 
was expanded in 1988 to a month-long celebration. During this month, 
America celebrates the culture and traditions of Spain, Mexico and the 
Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the 
Caribbean. The celebration begins on September 15 because that is the 
anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries--Costa 
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, 
Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and 
September 18, respectively.
  National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates people whose roots extend 
back to more than 20 different nations around the world and who are an 
integral part of America's communities. Currently, there are more than 
43 million Hispanic Americans, the fastest growing ethnic group in the 
United States. Hispanic Americans are the most decorated ethnic group 
in the history of our military, and we are deeply grateful for their 
contributions to our Nation's defense.
  Hispanic Americans have made invaluable contributions to every part 
of American society, from the arts, to medicine to politics to our 
economy. We are a richer nation in every sense because of those 
contributions, and because of what they represent--a country that draws 
strength from its great diversity.
  But as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, it is also time to 
address the challenges that face the Hispanic community, such as lack 
of access to education and health care, inadequate working conditions, 
racial profiling and, for many, the difficulty of keeping their 
families together while working to become legal, permanent residents of 
this great country.

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  This celebration should serve as a call to action for Congress. We 
must ensure that Hispanic Americans have access to educational and 
economic opportunities as they pursue the American dream. I have long 
fought attempts to cut funding for important programs such as Pell 
grants, the High School Equivalency Program, and College Assistance 
Migrant Program. I have cosponsored the DREAM Act--the Development, 
Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act--which would provide higher 
education opportunities for children who are long-term U.S. residents 
of good moral character, and who came to this country illegally as 
children through no fault of their own.
  Another crucial piece of legislation is AgJOBS--the Agricultural Job 
Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act. This proposal would enable 
undocumented agricultural workers to legalize their status, and would 
reform the H2-A agricultural worker visa program so that growers and 
workers will not continue to rely on illegal paths to employment in the 
future.
  Congress must also continue working toward establishing a realistic 
immigration system that has adequate opportunities for people to come 
to the United States legally. In Wisconsin, businessowners have come to 
rely on foreign workers for their economic success. Simply imposing new 
border security measures alone, which some have advocated, is not 
enough.
  In closing, I want to express my hope that Congress will work to 
address these issues and other urgent matters for Hispanic Americans 
across the country. We should not limit our celebration of Hispanic 
Heritage to one month but rather work all year long to ensure that all 
Hispanic Americans can equally participate in, and contribute to, the 
progress of our great Nation.

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