Vicente Gonzalez: “Mr. Chairman, as chairman of the Hispanic Caucus's Task Force on the Census and Civil Rights, I rise in favor and in…”

“Mr. Chairman, as chairman of the Hispanic Caucus's Task Force on the Census and Civil Rights, I rise in favor and in support of the Maloney-Rangel amendment. Let me explain why, because I believe that I actually bring the truth of all perspectives, in light of the responsibility and duties that the Caucus has to the Hispanic community in the United States. The first thing to recognize is that the Hispanic community, in and of itself, reflects tremendous diversity. We are unlike any other community. Therein lies our strength but also some problems, and this is what we are attempting to address. Let me explain why. It is important to identify the different groups within the Latino and Hispanic communities. Did the census succeed in doing so? The answer is no. Was it intentional? Was it negligence? It does not matter. The result is that we do not have an accurate result. When we do not have an accurate result, we do not have usable information.”