[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8368-8369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1100
                HONORING THE LIFE OF MARIA L. GUTIERREZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Costa) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a good 
friend and community leader, Maria L. Gutierrez.
  Maria led her life with purpose. She wanted to make a positive 
difference, and there is no doubt that she did that. She served as the 
general manager of Univision in Fresno, California, and led the 
television station to be one of the highest-ranking stations not only 
in the San Joaquin Valley, but in the Nation.
  She was a strong advocate for immigration reform, equal rights for 
women, and worked hard to bring more water to the Valley. She cared, 
she had a big heart, and she was a role model for all who knew her.
  We miss Maria dearly, especially that big smile that she always had 
on her face.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me and Maria's family and 
friends in paying tribute to her life. May she rest in peace.


                        Immigrant Heritage Month

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize June as Immigrant 
Heritage Month.
  We are a Nation of Native Americans and of immigrants past and 
immigrants present. That is America. For over 250 years, since the 
formation of the United States, immigrants have helped make our country 
what it is today. They add energy and value with each generation of 
Americans.
  California's San Joaquin Valley, which I proudly represent, is home 
to people whose families come from all over the world. Their story is 
our story. It is one of achieving the American Dream, which is my 
family's story.
  I am fortunate to represent and live in an area with some of the 
hardest working people you will ever meet in your life who have made 
lasting contributions to the San Joaquin Valley's agriculture economy, 
businesses, education, and healthcare systems. Their contributions have 
had positive impacts not only in California, but throughout the Nation.
  Hispanic, Armenian, Italian, Portuguese, Sikh, and Hmong immigrants 
are among the many who have come from Asia, the Americas, Africa, and 
Europe to call America their home.
  These immigrant families, for generations, have been and always will 
be a cornerstone of a place that we call the United States of America. 
They are living out the American Dream, and their children and 
grandchildren continue to add value and make a positive difference in 
our valley and the Nation.
  Degrading immigrant communities is not an American value. Name-
calling is not a virtue and never should be condoned. Insinuating that 
someone is not qualified based on their ethnicity and heritage is 
completely unacceptable, especially coming from someone who wants to be 
leader of the free world.
  The sad reality is that some individuals are going to use hateful 
rhetoric to tear us apart. It is wrong. But we must always remember 
that the bonds we share as Americans are far, far stronger than 
whatever differences we may have.
  Wrongly questioning a judge's objectivity because of his ethnic 
background is pure and simple racism. It is not the American way. We 
are better than that. And, Mr. Trump, you should apologize for your 
hurtful statements.
  Instead of talking about a wall to keep people out, our next 
President must focus on efforts to pass comprehensive immigration 
reform so that we can fix our Nation's broken immigration system. As I 
said, we are a Nation of immigrants. And that is one of the reasons why 
the United States is

[[Page 8369]]

the greatest Nation in the world, period.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues and all Americans to join in 
celebrating immigrant communities throughout our great Nation by 
recognizing June as Immigrant Heritage Month.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would remind Members to refrain 
from engaging in personalities toward presumptive nominees for the 
Office of President of the United States, a principle memorialized in 
section 370 of the House Rules and Manual.

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