Howard Berman: “Edward Roybal was a man of dignity and determination. I had the great pleasure of serving in Congress with him for 10…”

“Edward Roybal was a man of dignity and determination. I had the great pleasure of serving in Congress with him for 10 years. During that time, we worked very closely on immigration issues and on many matters affecting Los Angeles and California. He was not only a colleague, but my mentor and my friend. Ed served his country in the Army during WorId War II and returned to serve it as one of America's political trailblazers. Beginning with his first election to the Los Angeles City Council in 1949, Ed's distinguished career in politics spanned more than six decades. He was the first Hispanic elected to the Council since 1881 and he served there for four terms. It would take 23 additional years before another Mexican American took a seat on the City Council. Although ``just'' a city official, Ed was a vociferous critic of the excesses of the House Un-American Activities Committee--and Jewish leaders in Los Angeles well remember how he stepped forward in the early 1950s to welcome the prime minister of Israel to the City of Angels. In 1962, he was elected to Congress--the first Hispanic from California to serve in Congress since 1879. From that first campaign, the support given him by his constituents was unwavering. He never received less than 66 percent in a general election. The three times he was challenged in a primary, he won by more than 80 percent.…”