[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8128]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        CELEBRATING CESAR CHAVEZ

  (Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise today to recognize 
and celebrate the 80th birthday of Cesar E. Chavez.
  Cesar Chavez was born in Yuma, Arizona, and grew up in migrant labor 
camps, into the poverty of the migrant worker's life. He became an 
historical figure who embodied humility and extraordinary strength 
during his peaceful struggle towards social justice.
  He was an individual who represented the ones who had less and had no 
representation whatsoever. He dedicated his entire life to tirelessly 
championing the rights of the farm laborers; and along with him was 
Dolores Huerta, also founder of the United Farm Workers union, fighting 
for better wages and conditions for those individuals that pick our 
fruit and feed our Nation.
  Cesar Chavez has been an extraordinary icon in my home State of 
Texas. In San Antonio, we honor his legacy during the annual Cesar 
Chavez march to recognize those individuals that labor picking up our 
food.
  Additionally, we cannot travel anywhere in the United States without 
seeing a town or street named after this amazing individual. We in San 
Antonio, Texas, have Cesar Chavez Boulevard as well as others 
throughout the country.
  I hope that his legacy will continue to remain, and I rise today to 
encourage my colleagues, urging the President and the Congress to 
establish a national holiday for Cesar Chavez and encourage them to 
support H. Res. 76.

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