Latinos Leading in the Arts

The hallmark event of Hispanic Heritage Month, CHCI's 32nd Annual Awards Gala, drew more than 2,200 guests, including 62 Members of Congress, ambassadors, celebrities, dignitaries, CHCI sponsors, fellows, and alumni to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. During an elegant night to remember, CHCI honored "Latinos Leading in the Arts."

A few statements by the President's are as follows:

"For more than 30 years, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute has through scholarships and fellowships and internships sought to lift up the next generation of Latino leaders. I came here one year ago as a candidate and said this was a goal I shared. Today, I am here as a President to say that this is a goal my administration is helping to meet ... I don't mean to brag, but the number of Latinos and Latinas I've nominated to senior positions at this point exceeds that of any administration in history -- and we are not finished yet ... Nearly half of those appointments, by the way, are Latinas ... across America, millions of children's sights are now set higher. Their dreams are a little bigger. That benefits all of us ... we face many challenges as a nation. Many of those challenges are felt far more acutely by Latinos. But our ability to solve any of the problems we face -- from health care to education, from economic recovery to immigration reform -- depends on our willingness to recognize that our destiny is shared ... our willingness to live up to a simple ideal: Todos somos Americanos. We are all Americans."


"Because when there's a young Latina stuck in a crumbling school, who starts to actually believe she's worth less because she doesn't have more, that isn't just a problem for that child. That isn't just a problem for the Hispanic community. That's a problem for a nation. That's why I've challenged states to raise the bar across their early education programs, so that more of our children enter kindergarten ready to learn."

"... we'll provide a complete and competitive education for every student, because our prosperity as a nation requires that we harness the talents of all our people, not just some -- Todos somos Americanos."

"You know how important it is to pass health insurance reform...we'll offer a tax credit to individuals to help them afford coverage and to small business owners to help them provide coverage for their workers...That's why we'll provide greater security and stability to those who already have insurance... Because no one in America should have to worry that their coverage will be dropped the moment they need it most... No one in America should be denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition... No one in America should go broke because they got sick... That's a basic principle that we seek to uphold."

"Now, as you know, there's been a little controversy about who exactly will be covered under reform. I want to be clear: If someone is here illegally, they won't be covered under this plan. That's a commitment I've made."

"We know that here, in America, we can only prosper as one nation, as one people. We know that here in America we rise or fall together. Todos somos Americanos."

"Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you and God bless the United States of America. Thank you."