[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1765]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       IN RECOGNITION OF BROWNSVILLE'S ANNUAL CHARRO DAYS FIESTA

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                           HON. FILEMON VELA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 26, 2013

  Mr. VELA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Charro Days 
Fiesta and commend the 2012 ``Mr. Amigo,'' recently chosen by the Mr. 
Amigo Association of Brownsville, TX, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in 
Mexico. Yanez is a Mexican television and film actor whose natural 
style and charisma have won the hearts and minds of audiences across 
the world.
   The Mr. Amigo Award began in 1964 as an annual tribute to an 
outstanding Mexican citizen who has made a lasting contribution during 
the previous year to international solidarity and goodwill. ``Mr. 
Amigo'' acts as an ambassador between the United States and Mexico and 
presides over the annual Charro Days Fiesta.
   Charro Days dates back to 1937, when the citizens of Brownsville 
organized the event in the midst of the Great Depression to celebrate 
the cultural heritage shared between Brownsville and its sister city, 
Matamoros, Tamaulipas, across the border in Mexico. The first Charro 
Days celebration featured a parade with horse-drawn floats and 
participants dressed in traditional Mexican costumes reminiscent of 
charros, or Mexican cowboys.
   From these humble beginnings, Charro Days has evolved into a multi-
day event which includes dances, fiestas, a children's parade, and the 
Grand International Parade drawing an estimated 50,000 participants 
annually from Texas and Mexico.
   This past Sunday, the 76th annual Charro Days celebration commenced 
with a grito, or celebratory yell. Later this week, the Mayor of 
Brownsville and the Mayor of Matamoros will meet at the Gateway 
International Bridge and extend their hands across the border to 
symbolize the friendship between the two cities.
   Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to honor the Charro Days 
Fiesta and for joining me in recognizing the importance of this annual 
celebration which continues to strengthen the relationship between 
Brownsville and Matamoros, as well as the United States and Mexico.

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