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Moving Forward
This year has
started with a bang for Hispanics across the nation
and throughout the world. For a population that has
faced language, cultural and educational obstacles,
Hispanic-Americans have made remarkable progress in
the last decade. And the year of 2005 unlike any
other is forecasted to represent an historic
benchmark for Hispanics today and for generations to
come.
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Senator Mel Martinez, with
wife Kitty Martinez, is sworn into office by Vice
President Dick Cheney. |
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Already, the list of
political accomplishments alone is endless. Alberto
Gonzales was confirmed as U.S. Attorney General;
Carlos Gutierrez was nominated and confirmed as U.S.
Secretary of Commerce; the first two Hispanic
senators in more than 30 years were elected to
office Ken Salazar of Colorado and myself; and
currently there are 27 Hispanic members in the House
of Representatives.
Just in the past 10 years, our country has also seen
many successful Hispanic women emerge in government.
These women are leaders, visionaries and pioneers in
their fields. Women such as Elsa Murano, former
Undersecretary for Food Safety in the Department of
Agriculture; Heidi Marquez Smith, Special Assistant
to the President and Director of Cabinet Liaison;
and Anna Cabral, U.S. Treasurer, have made and
continue to make significant contributions to our
government and our nation. An active voice in the
area of financial literacy, Rosario Marin, former
U.S. Treasurer, is a legendary role model for
Hispanic businesswomen worldwide. Florida
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was the first
Hispanic woman elected to Congress and is still in
office today. With a passion for freedom,
Ros-Lehtinen is a true champion of democracy,
dedicated to improving education for adults and
children nationwide.
As the first Cuban-American senator in the history
of the United States, I understand more clearly than
ever before the role Hispanics as a community play
in policy-making, in business, in the enrichment of
American culture. We must keep up the momentum and
focus on creating opportunities to facilitate change
here on our soil and beyond.
In February, I had the opportunity to speak on the
Senate floor regarding the confirmation of Alberto
Gonzales. I delivered a portion of my speech in
Spanish, speaking not only to the U.S. Hispanic
population but to all Hispanics around the globe.
Days after I completed my speech, I received a
letter from an old friend. He explained the scene in
my hometown of Sagua La Grande, Cuba, directly
following the completion of the speech. People from
all over the city gathered around one single
television at a neighborhood park to watch the
coverage of my words in support of then-Judge
Gonzales. The letter described the smiles of the
people and their emotional reactions to my words and
to the official confirmation of Judge Gonzales a
fellow Hispanic to such a noble post in the freest
and most prosperous country in the world.
Moving forward in 2005, we must find ways to expand
educational and professional opportunities for
Hispanics to continue achieving success and to
realize the American Dream. The road we have paved
for our children and grandchildren is a continuation
of the road our parents paved for us. In my next six
years as a Senator, I want to represent my
constituents not as the Hispanic Senator from
Florida but as the Senator from Florida who is lucky
enough to be Hispanic. |
