Select:Senator Barbara Boxer
Statement on the Nominationof Congresswoman Hilda Solis
January 9, 2009
Good morning ChairmanKennedy, Ranking Member Enzi, and Committee members.
Thank you for the opportunityto introduce my good friend and colleague from California, CongresswomanHilda Solis, President-elect Obamas nominee for Secretary of Labor.
Mr. Chairman, too often overthe past eight years, the voices of working men and women in this countrywent unheard.
But in selecting CongresswomanSolis, President-elect Obama has sent a clear message that Americas workingfamilies will be heard.
Congresswoman Solis has astrong understanding of the everyday struggles of working families, thechallenges facing our economy, and the need for change to jumpstart theeconomy and create jobs.
This change could not comea moment too soon.
This morning we receivedmore sobering news about the current state of the labor market.
Last month the economy lost524,000 jobs, and in 2008, 2.6 million jobs were lost the most in oneyear since 1945. Unemployment continues to climb in some areas of ourhome state of California, the unemployment rate is over twelve percent.And wages for many in the middle class have actually decreased over thelast eight years.
We are in the midst of thegreatest economic challenge this country has faced in a generation.
And I can think of no onewho will take on the task of jumpstarting our economy and bolstering themiddle class with more energy, creativity, and integrity than CongresswomanHilda Solis.
Throughout her entire career,Congresswoman Solis has been a forceful advocate for working men and womenin California and throughout the nation.
Born and raised in SouthernCalifornias San Gabriel Valley, she was instilled early-on with the valuesof hard work. Her father emigrated from Mexico and worked various jobsbefore becoming a Teamsters shop steward. Her mother came to the US fromNicaragua and worked at a local toy factory. From them Congresswoman Solislearned about the importance of union membership, and the sacrifices manyparents make to provide opportunities for their children.
As the first Latina electedto the California State Senate, Congresswoman Solis worked tirelessly topass progressive laws to strengthen our economy and build Californiasmiddle class.
In addition to her many otherlegislative accomplishments, she led efforts to pass a much-needed increasein Californias minimum wage.
In the 1990s, when CongresswomanSolis discovered that toxic sites were disproportionately located nearminority and low-income neighborhoods, she wrote an environmental justicelaw to guarantee protections for these communities.
For her dedication to thiscause, she became the first woman honored with the John F. Kennedy Profilein Courage Award.
From the time she was firstelected to represent Californias 32nd Congressional District in 2000,she has focused on solutions to strengthen our economy. In 2007 she securedpassage of a bill to establish an energy efficiency and renewable energyworker training program.
Knowing Congresswoman Solisas I do, I am confident that as Labor Secretary, she will turn the manychallenges we face into new opportunities for the American people.
As Secretary, she will continueto promote policies that will invigorate our economy, protect Americanjobs, re-train our workforce for a sustainable energy future, ensure safeworking conditions, enforce wage and hour laws, protect against workerdiscrimination, and strengthen the middle class.
Congresswoman Solis is trulythe new face of the American dream, and as Secretary of Labor, she willcontinue her lifes work to help millions of Americans secure their ownAmerican dream.
Thank you.
To the Table of Contents
Business NewsTo the Table of Contents
Education NewsTime for historical lessonon Mexican migration into U.S.
By Arturo VillarrealandCharley Trujillo
Article Launched: 08/06/200801:34:15 AM PDT
Immigration is driven byhistorical and economic necessity on both sides of
the border. There are timeswhen the United States needs Mexican labor, such
as during World War I andWorld War II, that migration is encouraged. During
economic downturns, migrationis discouraged. Repression is directed toward
this population, such asduring the Great Depression, the economic recession
of the 1950s and the presentdownturn.
Perhaps by analyzing andunderstanding history, we can change our
perspective on the issue- not by building a fence across the border but by
building a bridge betweentwo countries that share a long history. It is
difficult to comprehendthat a physical barrier across the border will fence
in history.
Most discussions of Mexicanmigration into the United States lack a
historical perspective thatlead to characterize it as a spontaneous and
recent phenomenon. However,people of Mexican origin are descendants of one
of the six original worldcivilizations and whose ancestors help lay the
foundation for the developmentof the present-day Southwest and other
regions.
The melting pot theory ofassimilation and its assumptions are most often
used by journalists, politiciansand citizens who don't believe Mexican
immigrants, legal or not,are productive members of society. At best, this
theory is applicable toethnic immigrants of European heritage. Unlike
European immigrants whohad to traverse an ocean, this theory does not apply
to Native Americans or Mexicanswho are indigenous to America.
The first significant contactbetween whites and Chicanos led to the Texas
revolt of 1834-36 when thesymbolic battle of the Alamo occurred. Many of
the whites in the Alamowere undocumented because Mexico barred further
white immigration into Texasin 1830. Armed with a strong military and the
ideological doctrine ofmanifest destiny that deemed the United States as
people chosen by God torule from sea to shining sea, the United States
invaded Mexico in 1846.
Mexico lost the war and signedthe Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
Mexico ceded California,Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and parts of Nevada,
Utah and Wyoming for $15million. Under the treaty, remaining Mexicans
became U.S. citizens withall rights of property, language and religion.
However, the provisionswere ignored; or, in the case of property, it was
taken by legal and extralegalmeans.
Violence against Chicanosby vigilantes and law enforcement officials was so
severe that scores leftfor Mexico. Violence faced by those remaining was
comparable to what blacksfaced in the South. By the early 1900s, cheap
Mexican labor was neededfor work in the mines, railroads, agriculture and
other industries. Duringthis period, Mexicans also migrated to the Midwest
and Northwest. The MexicanRevolution and World War I also contributed to
push and pull factors thatbrought migration of Mexicans into the United
States. It is estimatedone-eighth of Mexico's population legally moved into
the United States duringthis period.
Mexican labor has been instrumentalin the development of infrastructure and
capital accumulation inthe United States. However, with the economic
depression of the 1930s,Mexican labor was no longer necessary. Hundreds of
thousands of Mexicans weredeported. This deportation included U.S.
citizens, a practice thatcontinues.
Racial categorization inthe United States is the confusion of race,
nationality and ethnicity,whereby people of Mexican origin are always
suspect of being foreign,regardless of legal status. To the dominant
society, however, they areall indistinguishable. Unlike European immigrant
groups who are removed geographicallyfrom home countries, Chicano culture
and language are reinforcedby new arrivals from Mexico. Unlike immigrants
from other countries whocan forge a new place for themselves, migrants from
Mexico have a ready-madeniche for them because of historical circumstances.
Historical perceptions andstereotypes of Mexicans precede them as they
venture into other partsof the United States. Hopefully, by understanding
our shared history, we canrefrain from stereotyping and scapegoating
Mexicans.
ARTURO VILLARREAL is a professorat Evergreen Valley College in San Jose.
CHARLEY TRUJILLO is a writerand publisher in San Jose. They wrote this
article for the MercuryNews.
To the Table of Contents
Health NewsTo the Table of Contents
Spotlight
Please feel free to distributethis information.
**************************
Monterey Hills FederationMeeting
Tuesday, January 20,2009
7:00 PM
Marshall Villas CommunityRoom
4225 Via Arbolada
Los Angeles CA 90042
The Monterey Hills Federationwas formed in order to help promote the
interests of the MontereyHills community and its' residents. We work
directly with HOA's, theArroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, Los Angeles
City Council, and POST Security.
All Monterey Hills Residentsand Homeowners are welcome to attend
monthly meetings held atthe Marshall Villas Common Room. Once yearly,
appointed representativesfrom each association elect officers which
then serve for one yearterms.
**************************
DONE Town Hall
Saturday, January 31, 2009
8:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Barrio Action Youth andFamily Center
4927 Huntington Dr. Suite200
Los Angeles, CA 90032
DONE will be hosting threeregional town halls to review the proposed
MOU between NeighborhoodCouncils and the Department of Transportation,
the Neighborhood CouncilFunding Program, the 2010 City Clerk elections,
and the City budget amongother items. Please plan to attend to learn
about important updatesaffecting your Neighborhood Council and to
network with DONE GeneralManager, BongHwan Kim, your local City
Councilmembers, and otherCity departments.
**************************
City of Los Angeles
Regional Budget & FinanceCommittee Meeting
February 23, 2009
6:00pm to 8:00pm
El Sereno
4927 Huntington Drive North
Los Angeles, CA 90032
As the Budget and FinanceCommittee begins the planning process for
Fiscal Year 2009-2010, weinvite you to help us understand your
priorities by sharing thoughtson creating a balanced budget that
addresses the fundamentalissues of our city, while remaining fiscally
responsible.
*************************Pleasefeel free to forward to your networks.
If you no longer wish toreceive these e-mails, please kindly reply to
this e-mail and indicateplease remove from mailing list on the subject
line.
Best,
Erick Martell
Field Deputy
Councilmember JosHuizar
Council District 14
4927 Huntington Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032
P: (323)226-1646
F: (323)226-1644
http://www.lacity.org/council/cd14/
To the Table of Contents
Technology NewsTo the Table of Contents
Art
