On the recordMarch 15, 2021
on behalf of the people of California, it is my honor to address this body today. I stand before you, humbled and inspired by this moment in our Nation's history, as the Senator from the most populous and most diverse State in the Nation and as the first Latino Senator from the State of California. Let me begin by saying what a great country this is. My name is Alex Padilla. (English translation of statement made in Spanish is as follows:) I am the son of Santos and Lupe Padilla. I am also the proud husband of Angela Padilla and the proud rad dad of Roman, Alex, and Diego. I love you guys. Colleagues, my family's journey is central to my public service. My parents immigrated to California from Mexico in the 1960s in search of a better life. They arrived from different regions of Mexico, with little formal education but with a tremendous work ethic and big dreams. They met in Los Angeles. They fell in love. They decided to get married and apply for green cards--in that order. I thank the U.S. Government every day for saying yes to those applications, because, if they had been denied, no doubt my life story would be a lot different. For 40 years, my father worked as a short order cook--hard work, honest work--and as he will proudly tell you, his kitchen never failed an inspection. For the same 40 years, my mom worked tirelessly cleaning houses.…
