Congressman Charles B. Rangel released the following statement today in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15:

"Hispanic Americans have a triumphant and rich history in this great country, one that should be honored and celebrated − not just this month − but all year long. They have been on the front lines of every major military conflict − from the ongoing battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, dating back to the Revolutionary War. In New York City, the vivacity and freshness that come with a sizeable immigrant population have been defining cultural elements in our communities – and we are the better for it. And today, a Latina of Puerto Rican descent sits on the country's highest court for the first time in its 220 years. Their stories are inextricably woven into the tapestry of American history.

Hispanic families are facing the same challenges any other American family faces today: securing access to affordable health care in a system too broken to provide it and working hard to put their kids through college in a fledgling economy. We must come together − as Americans, but each with our own cultural flair, part of one beautiful mosaic − to solve these problems, rejoice in our diversity, and be grateful for the blessings we enjoy in our great democracy.

Today, and every day thereafter, can be a teachable moment, too. The rate of hate crimes committed against Hispanic Americans is rising at a troubling speed, endangering and intimidating whole communities. Intolerance has no place in our nation’s moral consciousness. We pull through as a nation when we rally behind our common humanity and protect one another in the name of equality and justice before the law.

It is a good day in America when our commonalities bind us, and an even better day when our differences bring us that much closer."

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