Political Quotes

“I am glad to be here on the floor of the Senate with my friend Senator Bob Menendez asking that the U.S. Senate advance legislation to establish a National Museum of the American Latino. As a proud Texan, I am fortunate to have grown up in a State steeped in the contributions of Hispanics and Latinos. Approximately 40 percent of our population is composed of Latinos in Texas, but they are not monolithic by any stretch of the imagination, which is why we need a museum to tell their stories. There are the Tejanos, whose roots in the Lone Star State predate our statehood or even Texas independence, as well as those who have emigrated from other States or countries and have chosen to call Texas home more recently. From the brave soldiers who fought in the Texas Revolution to the civil rights activists like Cesar Chavez, cultural icons like Selena, and leaders of all types in our communities, generations of Latino Americans have shaped our country as it is today. But, as I suggested a moment ago, many Americans simply aren't aware of the vast contributions made by these men and women who have come before us, and one critical way we can right this wrong is by providing a home for their stories in the Nation's Capital. I have heard somebody suggest that we don't need a separate museum for different racial groups and ethnic groups or the like, but this is far more important than that because the story of American Latinos is the story of America itself.…”