Date: 1983-05-05
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for yielding. First. let me say that we combine our effort here today and I think that it is well that it be combined with the celebration. with Mexicos celebration of Cinco de Mayo. or the 5th of May. To preface that. let me say that even today. as we have problems in our hemisphere where there is adventurism by foreign powers. how odd that we would be concerned today with something that now we remember that happened in 1862. But the premise for that battle was that adventurism. if we can call it that. by the French had established an emperor in what was then the Republic of Mexico. Emperor MaximilIlan. And the country was divided between loyalists to the emperor and the liberal people of that country who wanted to reinstate the legitimate President. Benito Juares. It is very important that we look to that because our ancestors before then. who had come from Spain. had brought to the New World. and especially of concern to my being involved in agriculture. they brought the staples that we now utilize for our food and fiber. They had brought wheat. they had brought the fruits and vegetables. they brought the horse. cattle. sheep. goat. So the basis of our now agricultural sector and business was really a foundation laid by the first Spaniards who carie. And then there is what is now the United States of America. they also separated themselves from Spain and became an independent nation. with the same traditions. same concepts. some aspirations as the Founding Fathers here in the United States. So the battle of Cinco de Mayo and I am proud to say with the permission of the gentleman from New Mexico. was led by a Texan. Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza. who had been born in Texas to a military family and at the time Texas may well have been New Mexico. Arizona. and California. had history at that time taken a turn one way as contrasted to the turn that was taken to make Texas a republic. So. our contribution from those of us who come from people of that time. to Spain. to the New World. to Mexico. to Texas. to the United States of America. has been fundamental and perhaps it has not been advertised to the extent that is should. Perhaps the history of how Texas became a republic. of our contribution as related to the Union forces and Confederate forces in the Battle Between the States. all of that has been not publicly acclaimed. that those of our ancestors of Spanish descendancy or surname participate in all of those endeavors. Then in all of the wars as at Cinco de Mayo. all of the wars of this country. also. So. the premise is laid then. as I go to the other area that I would like to discuss. that no one should question our inalienable rights as our Constitution and Declaration of Independence declare. no one should question our loyalties and our service. So. then why are we not meritorious of all of the benefits that accrue to the general populace? Why must we always have to point out that we are lacking in this. we are lacking in that. we are lacking in another. but we are never lacking in those who serve in time of war? Certainly we are never lacking on those who die in time of war and certainly we are never lacking of those who receive the medals for valor and courage in action. some posthumously If you would forgive a personal mention. I live in Mission. Tex.. and I grew up in a neighborhood called El Barrio de la Escuela Catolica. or the Neighborhood of the Catholic School. because one square block encompasses the parochial or catholic school and the nuns convent. Around that square block from World War II to Vietman. we have six who died in action in the service of this country: Castro. Gonzales. Alaniz. Garcia. Villarreal. and Salinas. six who died. Everyone in that neighborhood served. including myself. but those did not come from those battles. And it is so sad that. and I am not going to point the finger at this administration because it can well be pointed to others. but I think that now under this administration we have a worse problem because the Office of Management and Budget deals with numbers on the ledger and not attaching faces or places. O 1250 . And numbers on the ledger dealing in a vacuum can cause tremendous suffering and tremendous deprivement of areas of possible assistance to people such as ours who are in need and I think that it is well that we combine now our congratulations and best wishes to Mexico. its Government and its people for what they did there at Cinco de Mayo and the city of Pueblo. because it may well have impacted on the future of the United States of America. And it may well have impacted on the eventual result of whether we remain there a unit under the Union or separated between two countries because of the underlying philosophy. because of the foreign forces that were involved and because of the people for whom it was done that now some of us who are proud to be Americans. to be citizens of this great country of ours and more proud to be members of this legislative body. the greatest body in the world wherein the people manage their own destiny. And I again extend the congratulations to Mexico. its Government and its people and express my concern here that what was done there should entitle us for that contribution to bringing us to now to more than a mention of what is going to be done for Hispanics. a mention of what is going to be done for the poor. but rather that we be assisted to become a part of the mainstream of this great country of ours. assisted now beyond what any other one is. but assisted in what was lacking in the past to allow us to join the mainstream now. And from then on to each his own as we have the tools to fight for this great country of ours that each one in his own way as God gave him the ability should reach whatever pinnacle he can. but that there be no restriction to reaching that pinnacle. some of which is a legitimate function of Government. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.