Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Speech

Your work and mission to protect and promote the civil rights of the more than 40 million Latinos living in the United States is not only important and imperative - it's inspirational. And that's why I'm here tonight.

There are many issues facing Latino communities in the United States today - But there is a basic value embedded in the Latino community I think I understand exceptionally well and that is where I'd like to start today.

You know, I was just in Seneca, South Carolina this weekend - celebrating my 50th birthday. I went out to the house where I was born - my mom and dad showed me around our old neighborhood and swapped stories about me as a kid.

We didn't stay in that old house for very long - my dad was a millworker, and we moved a lot in my first years.

We finally settled in Robbins, NC. We went there to build a better life for ourselves. My family bought a house. Went to public schools during the week and to Church on Sunday.

Both my parents worked long hours for modest wages - my dad in the mill and my mom in numerous jobs, the last at the post office.

My parents still live in Robbins. And families are still coming to Robbins, just like my parents did, to build a better life for themselves.

There is one big difference. Today about half of the families living in Robbins now are Hispanic. You can go to church-services in Spanish, and you can get an enchilada at the Quick-Check.

But for all those differences, the values of Robbins are remarkably unchanged. The Hispanic families in Robbins believe in the same American Dream as my family did—if you work hard, you sacrifice for your family, and your children?s lives will be better.
That?s the basic bargain of America - this is who we are. It is the immigrant dream. It's the American dream.

And it's that dream - that bargain - that this president has turned his back on.

You know, this president keeps saying he wants to have a debate about values next year.

Well, America deserves that debate. It's time we talked about values.

And it's time we talked about our shared values.

This president comes from a very different place; a place where success is inherited, not earned; where opportunity is hoarded, not shared.

We believe in taking responsibility; they keep looking for new ways to pass the buck.

Look at this tax cut. This is all about one thing: rewarding wealth, not work.

They left out millions of working families because this president put a higher priority on cutting taxes for people who live off trust funds than people who drive their cars and mow their lawns! Under the Republican plan, if you are a wealthy investor, you will pay a lower tax rate than the person who answers your phone for a living.

My fight - your fight - is about our values. And together, it's a fight we're going to win.

And we have to win it - before it's too late!

The Census in 2000 revealed two major trends in the Latino community:

First, the Latino community grew by 60 percent nationally, jumping from 22 million to 35 million Americans in a decade, becoming the largest ethnic group in the country.

Second, Latinos are no longer concentrated in pockets around the country. North Carolina experienced over 400 percent growth of its Latino population, while Arkansas and Georgia each experienced over 300 percent Latino growth.

The Latino community - nationwide - faces many problems: Hispanic children are much less likely to have health insurance than white children. They're almost three times more likely to be in poverty. And they are more likely to drop out of school. And you can be sure that these trends are not getting better under this president.

I have a message for George W, Bush:

Just because you say you care about the Latino vote, does not mean you care about the Latino people. And just because you speak Spanish, it doesn't mean you understand the needs of these communities!

Now, in the Senate, I've worked on a lot of issues - better health care, cleaning up our environment, and reforming our government, to name a few.

But working to secure our nation's homeland is one of the most important issues facing this country.

I yield to nobody in my commitment to finding the terrorists, infiltrating their cells, and stopping them cold.

But I believe America can and must be both strong and free. We don't have to sacrifice our liberties or our equal rights in order to preserve our security.

If we're going to defend our country from acts of terror, we need to be willing to take on the FBI and set up a new domestic intelligence agency dedicated to protecting civil rights as we strengthen America's security.

Because we cannot allow this administration and John Ashcroft to use the war on terrorism to take away our civil rights, take away our liberties, and take away our freedom.

Judges too must take the same oath and live by the same standards. All judges.
As you know, the Senate reviews federal judicial nominations. I consider it one of my greatest responsibilities and I take it very seriously. The American people deserve judges who will respect and protect their civil rights - no matter who they are or where they come from.

I think we need more Hispanics on the federal bench, but we should choose people because they have the right record, not just the right last name. I have opposed the confirmation of Miguel Estrada and I have opposed several of President Bush's judicial nominees - I simply cannot support a judicial nominee who has a poor record on civil rights.

I cannot talk about civil rights without talking about voting rights. I understand just how crucial election reform is to the Latino community. But election reforms should increase opportunities for people to vote - not stop people from voting!
Nothing in America is more important than equal rights. This is not just about civil rights or voting right, but it's about the economy too and education and health care. It is about every aspect of our society.

The daughter of a migrant worker, the son of a maid, and the niece of a nursing aide—they deserve the same opportunity and the same respect as the child of a president. And we should face the truth: They don't have it today. And they are falling behind under this president.

Let me talk about two areas where I would take specific steps to turn things around.

In this country, we spend $1.4 trillion on health care every year, yet there are 40 million people in this country who do not have health insurance. That is a national disgrace.

And what's more reprehensible? There is a deepening gap between the health status of minorities and the health status of whites. Increasing rates of health coverage would be a huge step in the right direction—but it would still be only one step.

After surgery, a Hispanic patient with limited English skills tried to tell the nurses and doctor she had blurry vision. They didn't understand her and just discharged her. Three days later, the same woman was in the emergency room because of blood pooling on her brain.

Not long ago, in California, a doctor had to tell an Asian patient that she had advanced cervical cancer. The doctor couldn't communicate directly, and instead she asked the woman's twelve-year old son to tell his mother that she had cancer.

In a recent study of 23 hospitals across the country, about half of those who said they needed interpreters didn't get that help.

And the issues go beyond languages.

Hispanics are twice as likely as whites to have diabetes and 1.7 times more likely to die of cancer.

They are less likely to undergo bypass surgery and receive kidney dialysis or organ transplants.

And they still are only 3 percent of doctors and just 2 percent of registered nurses.

A year ago, the Institute of Medicine issued a report called "Unequal Treatment." The report documented disparities and identified solutions. But what has happened to the report under the Bush administration? A year of gathering dust.

If we are to live up to our ideals as Americans, we cannot allow the color of your skin or the country your family came from to change the quality of your health care. It should be that simple.

Today, I want to offer four proposals to achieve that goal.

First, we need to stop differences in language and culture from interfering with good health care. I'd start with a National Medical Translation System. That means an effective, in-person translation system at every hospital in the biggest cities. For smaller cities and rural hospitals, we need a National Medical Translation Center—24 hours a day, 7 days a week, translators on call. To make this work, it'll take new incentives for doctors and nurses to become translators. At the end of the day, we will have solid medical translation services for the most vulnerable people in our society.

We also need new incentives to training doctors and nurses for cultural competency. And if we are serious about having medical professionals who understand the communities they're serving, then bringing together diverse students in our medical schools will remain essential....It's one more reason affirmative action is so important.

Second, we need to improve and expand research on medical disparities. There is so much we don't know today about why different disease attack different communities. We should improve data collection and double federal funding for NIH research on these disparities.

Third, we need to ensure full enforcement of our civil rights laws on health care. Thanks to Title VI, health providers receiving federal money already have a legal duty to provide equal access. Until recently, individuals could enforce that duty, but the Supreme Court's bitterly divided Sandoval decision took that right away. Sandoval was wrong. For folks who just want an injunction to enforce their rights, Congress ought to be able to work on a bipartisan basis to reverse the Sandoval decision. I will be a leader in that fight.

But relying just on private enforcement will never be enough. It is no surprise that this administration's Justice Department has had an anemic commitment to basic civil rights enforcement. That must change, especially when it comes to health care rights. We need a new section within the civil rights division that is dedicated to protecting health care rights under our laws.

Finally, we need to increase outreach and prevention to improve health in the Hispanic community. Government can help send better messages, but corporate America needs to be more responsible, too. Let me mention just one way they should do that.

Young people under age 21 drink one-fifth of the alcohol sold in America each year. And that drinking contributes to all kinds of health problems and fatalities.

Yet while this is happening, the alcohol industry spends a small fortune on ads geared to teenagers. They see more magazine ads for alcohol than adults do. According to a new study, Hispanic teenagers see even more ads than other kids do. In fact, alcohol ads appear on 12 of the 15 TV programs most popular with Hispanic youth.

This is wrong. It is wrong for the alcohol industry to make millions encouraging drinking by minority teens that destroys thousands of lives each year. As I've said before, it's time for the alcohol industry to quit these practices. I hope you'll add your voices to mine.

Just as every family deserves basic fairness in quality heath care - every child deserves to go to school and get a good education.

Hispanics earn less than three-quarters of what white households earn, and the number-one reason why is education. Hispanic Americans are four times more likely to drop out of high school. They are less than half as likely to earn a four-year college degree.

This isn't because Hispanics don't value education. Hispanics battle extraordinary hard against unique obstacles. In fact, as all of you know, the Hispanic community is waging a great crusade against those high dropout rates.

But our schools need to pay more attention to the special needs of Hispanic children—their concentration in some of our worst schools, the high drop-out rates, the language barriers, and the need to support parents, brothers, and sisters.

This president, of course, is totally disconnected from these problems.

Here's what I'd do. I'd fund current law like we should, but I'd also add reforms to expand educational opportunity for the kids who need it most.

We should start with teachers. President Bush seems to believe that all we need are more tests. I think we need to pay teachers better, and I'd put a special emphasis on raising pay for the teachers at the poorest schools.

I'd reduce the size of high schools, so kids go to schools where teachers know their names and their needs.

I'd build new partnerships between colleges, high schools, and middle schools to reach the kids at greatest risk. Programs like GEAR UP have been extraordinarily successful. We should double them.

This is personal to me - like it is maybe to many of you with me today - I was the first in my family to go to college. I'm here before you today because I was lucky and with the support of my mom and dad, I worked hard and went to college and law school.

There are some kids out there who aren't as lucky - who are getting left behind - not because they're not willing to do the work to go to college, but because they're afraid they won't be able to keep up, they won't be able to afford it, and they see no use in an education because they don?t see how it can help them rise above the hand they've been dealt.

That's why I believe should make college affordable for everyone whose willing to work for it. My "College for Everyone" plan would pay for the first year at a state school for everyone who finishes a college prep curriculum and is willing to take a part-time job. And I'd support the DREAM Act, so that in America, every child has the chance to go to college.

Finally, I want to talk briefly about affirmative action. Affirmative action remains critical to giving everyone a fair shot at a college education. I am proud to have submitted an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to do the right thing and they should.
You know, I've heard people say that education is the great equalizer and I believe it's true. But the true virtue of education is the dignity that accompanies it. And I believe all Americans deserve that.

Earlier tonight, I talked about those Hispanic families living in Robbins, NC. They are every bit the Americans that my parents were.

They believe, as you and I believe - as our parents believed. That their children might get the chance to go to college, get a good job, and provide for their children.

And the reason is, as it is often said, in America, we are united by something stronger than blood. We're united by our beliefs. We believe in the American dream. We believe that in the pledge that we recite in Congress every morning: One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.

If we are to live out our true meaning as a country, those can't be just words. They must live the lives of all Americans in every corner of this great nation.