[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6547]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   IN SUPPORT OF DESIGNATING APRIL 30, 2014, AS ``DIA DE LOS NINOS: 
                     CELEBRATING YOUNG AMERICANS''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle to join me in recognizing and celebrating ``Dia de 
los Ninos,'' or ``Day of the Children.''
  On April 30, many countries around the globe, especially in the 
Western Hemisphere, dedicate this special day to the children.
  Whereas, the National Latino Children's Institute, serving as a voice 
for children, has worked with cities throughout the United States to 
declare April 30, 2014, to be Dia de los Ninos: Celebrating Young 
Americans, a day to bring together Latinos and other communities in the 
United States to celebrate and uplift children, I urge all Americans to 
nurture and invest in all children and support them in leading healthy 
and prosperous lives.
  In honor of Dia de los Ninos, I encourage all Americans to instill 
creativity, ingenuity, and a love of learning in all children and to 
support Federal investments that expand access to a high quality 
education for all, from cradle to career.
  In honor of Dia de los Ninos, I urge President Obama and House and 
Senate leadership to pass commonsense immigration reform and take bold 
steps to protect immigrant children and keep families together.
  For Latinos, passing humane immigration reform and reuniting children 
and parents who have been separated by our Nation's broken immigration 
system is of the utmost importance. Family reunification and providing 
much-needed relief to millions of immigrant children, youth, and 
families is critical to the health and well-being of Latino families 
and to our Nation's future.
  In honor of Dia de los Ninos, I call on our Nation's parents to 
become more involved in the education of our children. As the primary 
teachers of family values and culture, I urge parents to encourage 
their children to go to college and to contribute to our Nation and to 
their respective communities.
  Above all, I ask parents to preserve and pass on their rich language 
and cultural traditions to future generations.
  We in south Texas recognize the rich cultural traditions that exist 
along the U.S.-Mexico border region, and we are proud that many of our 
children speak at least two languages. We are determined to increase 
educational attainment at every level.
  In the United States, many Latino families continue the tradition of 
honoring their children on Dia de los Ninos. Today, I wish to share 
this custom with my colleagues in both the House and the Senate and 
with all Americans.
  Given the significance of Dia de los Ninos in the Western Hemisphere, 
I urge Congress to honor the gifts of Latino and immigrant children to 
society by designating April 30 as Dia de los Ninos: Celebrating Young 
Americans.

                          ____________________