Political Quotes

“Madam President, during National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are called to honor the contributions of a critical community--that of Hispanic Americans. Now accounting for 60 million individuals in the United States, these men and women are an essential pillar of our society. Although this group has grown significantly in recent decades, individuals of Hispanic descent and culture have been with our Nation since its very founding. Hispanic identity is a complex concept, at least with respect to how many in the United States traditionally understand race and ethnicity. The word ``Hispanic'' stems from ``Hispanic,'' the Latin name for the ancient Roman colonies on the Iberian Peninsula that also serves as the origin for the modem state of Espana, or Spain. It was there that the Spanish or Castilian language, culture, and people developed out of the convergence of Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Celts, Basques, Visigoths and Arabs, in addition to Christians, Muslims, and Jews. The story does not end there. Along the hallowed walls of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda are two paintings by John Vanderlyn depicting key historical scenes. In 1492, the Spanish Catholic Monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella agreed to sponsor the journey of Christopher Columbus in search of a passage to the East Indies. Columbus failed at this goal, but, as the Landing of Columbus illustrates, he did land in the island now named San Salvador in the Bahamas.…”