Deborah Hayes: Good morning.   We are about ready to begin.

I would ask that if you have a cell phone, to please turn it off.


That's a good thing.   [ laughter ]

Turning it off now.   [ applause ]

Good morning.
I am Deborah Hayes, Director of the Office of Workforce Diversity,
and I will be serving as your mistress of ceremonies
for this outstanding event.   We are on a time schedule today,

because our exceptional guest speaker has been called
into another meeting immediately after this program.
So without further ado, I'm going to move right
to having our own Deputy Librarian of Congress,
General Donald L. Scott, to come before you and bring the welcome
as well as introduce the Librarian.
General Scott, let's welcome him; my boss.
[ applause ]   General Donald L. Scott: Thank you.

Thank you, Deborah.   Good morning everyone.

It is such a pleasure to have all of you here this morning to celebrate
and express our appreciation for the Library's Hispanic Americans;
for the countless contributions that they have given
to our country and the world.
We have a very special guest this morning,
who will deliver our keynote address.
And Dr. Billington will introduce our special guest,
but first I want to thank the staff.
I want to thank the staff and congratulate you on the efforts
that you've made to increase our awareness
of the contribution Hispanic Americans have made
to America and to the world.
First, I want to thank those who have worked
with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
to form a partnership with them.
We've had that partnership since 2004.
And since then we've had two interns who have worked here,
and both of them have been converted to permanent employees.
One of them, Lia Apodaca, is here with us,
and she works in Library Services.
Lia, please stand and let everybody know who you are
and get a round of welcome.   [ applause ]

Thank you.
We are also very pleased that Dr. Billington has worked very earnestly
-- and successfully, I might add --
to bring to the Library the Kislak collection.
This collection has more than 4,000 rare books, manuscripts,
historic documents, maps and art of the Americas.
And we have an exhibition that focuses on the early Americas,
from the time of the indigenous people of Mexico, Central America
and the Caribbean through the early European settlements.
Now, the collection will have a permanent place
in the New Visitors Experience that will open later
in the fall of next year.
Now, once this program is over, for those who have not had the chance
to go down and look at the special exhibit featuring Hispanic Americans
on the first floor in the lobby, I encourage you to do so.
And I'll bet if I can stand there and take bets
on who you thought was not a Hispanic American,
I'd win a lot of money.   But please go by and look at that.

And now I'm very pleased to invite to the podium Dr. Billington,
the 13th Librarian of Congress, who will introduce our guest speaker.
Dr. Billington.   [ applause ]

Dr. James Billington: It's a great pleasure
to introduce our special speaker as we celebrate the many contributions
of Hispanic Americans to America; a lot of which is recorded
in the approximately 10 million items we have that touch
on the Hispanic heritage in its many ways.
The theme this year is "Hispanic Americans:
Our Rich Culture Influencing America's Future."
On July 1, 1939 the Library established the Hispanic Foundation,
now the Hispanic Division, as a center -- and I'm quoting --
"for the pursuit of studies in Spanish, Portuguese
and Hispanic American culture;
charging it with creating an unsurpassed collection
of published materials pertaining to Spain, Portugal
and the countries of Latin America."   Also provided with some --

we got some private grants to support the Hispanic Foundation,
which first welcomed the public on Columbus Day, October 12, 1939.
That's the first separate area of studies reading room;
we now have reading rooms for every continent of the world.
This is in support of the work of scholars and students
for two-thirds of a century since.
And it's a happy occasion today to be welcoming one of the busiest men
in Washington and one of the highest ranking figures
in our executive branch, Mr. Alberto R. Gonzales, the Attorney General
of the United States, as a speaker for this year's observation.
Attorney General Gonzales was born in San Antonio,
Texas, raised in Houston.
Received a BA from Rice University in 1979,
a law degree from Harvard Law School, 1982.
Served in the United States Air Force between 1973 and '75,
and attended the United States Air Force Academy between 1975 and '77.
He was appointed General Counsel
to then governor George W. Bush in 1995.
Served as the Texas Secretary of State from 1979 till '99,
was Justice of the Texas Supreme Court from '99 till January 2001.
He became General Counsel to President George W. Bush.
He was sworn in as the nation's 80th Attorney General
on February 3, 2005.
I have a long list which is also in your program of the decorations
and recognition he's received, but that would take time away
from hearing from one of the busiest men in Washington.
However, I have to add the fact that he's married
to Rebecca Turner Gonzales, they have three sons.
Mrs. Gonzales has been a supporter
of the Library's National Book Festival.
They were both here for the recent homecoming evening
that General Scott presided over.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's a great privilege
to welcome the honorable Alberto R. Gonzales
as our guest keynote speaker on the busiest schedule in Washington,
and one of the most civil, and I think deeply admired and respected,
public servants we have today.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Attorney General of the United States.
[ applause ]
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales: Thank you very much.
I'm not quite that busy.   [ laughter ]

I feel I should be running out the door and shouting out these remarks.
I want to begin by thanking Dr. Billington and the Library
of Congress staff for having me here today; for this invitation
and for having this wonderful celebration
for Hispanic Heritage Month.
As the nation's oldest federal cultural institution
and as the largest library in the world,
there is perhaps no more fitting a place than here
to display highlights of the contributions
of Hispanic Americans to this great nation.
Last year during a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration I participated
in a tribute to the many Hispanic men and women
who have served our nation in the armed forces.
And at that tribute, Congressman John Salazar spoke about his father,
who served proudly in combat and had instructed his family
to bury him in his uniform.
Sadly, Mr. Salazar had just suffered a heart attack and passed away.
Before his father died, Congressman Salazar was called
to the house by his mom.
And with his last breath Mr. Salazar said to his son,
"I love you," and "uniform."
In those few words, Mr. Salazar captured the essence of our culture;
duty to family and duty to country.
This story causes me to reflect on the honor
that many Hispanics have brought not only to our great country,
but also to the proud heritage of Hispanic leaders in our nation.
Hispanic Americans have a vibrant culture and a community spirit
that has made tremendous contributions to this country.
And it strikes me that, really,
a celebration of our heritage is a celebration of America.
And throughout my career I have not forgotten where I came from,
or the obstacles that I've had to overcome to stand before you today.
The values of my Hispanic heritage have played a very important role
in getting me to this point.
This month our nation recognizes what many of us in this room know
from personal experience.
The values of America's Hispanic community are the same values
that sustain our nation's greatness; sacrifice, hard work, trust,
personal initiative and perseverance in the face of adversity.
Growing up in Texas, I saw these values every day
in the life of my parents.
My father, Pablo, was not an educated man,
but he worked hard every day
to give his eight children the American dream.
As a young man my father picked crops in the fields of South Texas,
where he met another migrant worker;
a young woman named Maria who became my mother.
Later on, my dad and two of my uncles built the house
that I grew up in, in Houston.
I still remember when I was a small boy, playing in the field
as they laid the cinder blocks for the foundation.
Then they nailed together the 2x4s, put up the sheet rock
that would form the walls
and skillfully hammered the composition shingles onto the roof.
From that sweat and toil and vision arose a small two-bedroom house
that became our home.
And my mother still lives there today, proudly.
Now, that home is my past, but it also represents our heritage
as Americans who always dream and work for a better tomorrow.
Humble beginnings are not something that hold you back in this country,
because we all have the foundation of freedom to build on.
Watching my parents build on this foundation always inspired me.
As a young boy, I always asked that my mother wake me up before dawn
so that I could eat scrambled eggs and tortillas
with my father before he left for work.
As my father and I ate breakfast together,
my mother would dutifully prepare a modest lunch of beans and tortillas,
and she would then carefully place them in a brown lunch sack.
After breakfast, my mother and I would wave goodbye to my father
as he left to catch his ride for work.
The memories of this daily ritual burn strong in my chest
as I recall the simple time, simple food; in those deep,
enduring American values of family, hard work and sacrifice.
This is the heritage of our community.
These are the values that our nation reaffirms during National
Hispanic Month.
Just a few years ago my mother came to stay with my family
as she visited Washington for the first time.
We walked the monuments and the museums like other curious tourists,
but I also took her into the Oval Office --
this little woman who once picked cotton --
to see the President of the United States.
It was important for me to be able to do that for her.
I wanted to thank her for her guidance,
and to show her what I had accomplished
because of her sacrifices and those of my father.
At dawn on the last day of her visit she was up early to say goodbye
as I left for work, just as she had been there
for my father on so many mornings.
Only I wasn't going to labor at a construction site; I was reporting
to the White House to advise the most powerful person in the world.
I don't think that she ever dreamed, when she was working
in the cotton fields, that her son would one day take her
on his arm to the Oval Office.
But she and my father did know that the proud heritage that they passed
on to their children, and that I pass on to my sons --
a heritage of hard work and sacrifice, of faith in family,
hope in perseverance -- could open untold doors
in this land of opportunity.
The story of America is a story of constant renewal and reaffirmation
of our founding ideas and our enduring values
of faith, family and freedom.
These are values that demand the best from every American,
whether you are a new citizen who has just taken the oath to protect
and defend the Constitution, or you are a citizen
who traces his roots back to the first wave of refugees
to come to this new world.
We must all treasure the opportunities
that abound in this promised land.
There are many Hispanic Americans around the nation today
who are striving for the American dream.
Many of these men and women come
from backgrounds not unlike my own, not unlike yours.
National Hispanic Heritage Month provides the American people,
and particularly Hispanic children, with the opportunity to see as well
as to hear that no matter their background or heritage,
the possibilities for the future are limitless.
They too can one day be members of Congress,
Attorney General or corporate leaders.
One day there will be a Hispanic American deciding cases
on the U.S. Supreme Court, and one day there will be a Hispanic man
or woman leading our country as President.
The future of Hispanic American culture is as exciting as our past,
and that is why we are here today to honor and remember this heritage
that continues to give every American Hispanic,
and non-Hispanic neighbors all over this great country so very much
to learn from and be proud of.
While National Hispanic Heritage Month is limited to the month
of September, our heritage, history and impact
on this nation is limitless.
As Americans, we are a people dedicated to justice,
opportunity and equality.
As Hispanics we cherish our heritage of hard work,
perseverance, faith and family.
With our heritage rooted deeply in these values,
and our hope in the future of a great America, we will continue
to strive towards excellence in all that we do, leaving a strong legacy
for our children and future generations.
I thank you again for having me here today.
It is such a privilege
to be Attorney General of this great country.
And while I'm the Attorney General for all the people
in this great country, I know that for a segment
of the communities here in America there's a special pride in knowing
that someone named Gonzales is the chief law enforcement officer
of the country, and I think it's a great testament
to the wonderful opportunities that exist here.
Thank you again for having me.   [ applause ]

Deborah Hayes: Would Dr. Billington and General Scott please join me
on the podium for a special presentation?

Male Speaker:   [ Inaudible ]

.   [ applause ]

Female Speaker: On behalf of the Library of Congress
and the 2006 Hispanic Heritage Planning Committee,
I want to thank our distinguished speaker, our keynote speaker today,
for taking his valuable time, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales,
and for the remarks in celebrating the Hispanic Heritage Month today
with us here at the Library.   It means an awful lot.

Thank you.   [ applause ]

We also want to recognize the members
of the 2006 Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee,
and ask that you stand.
Let's give these people a big applause.
[ applause ]
Deborah Hayes, Francisco Apodaca, Lia Apodaca, Angela Clark,
Reid Graham, Hector Moray   [ spelled phonetically ]

, Juan Perez, David Fam   [ spelled phonetically ]

, Roberta Phillips, Leon Turner, Maarja Vigorito and Anthony Ybarra.
Thank you, thank you all so very much.
[ applause ]
We especially want to thank all of you for joining us
for this special keynote program.
You're encouraged to participate in the remaining of the programs
in honor of the Hispanic Heritage Month;
there are many exciting activities.
A calendar of events provides a listing of these programs,
and is available at the entrance.
Finally, we invite you to join us in an ethnic food sampling
of traditional Hispanic cuisine, right outside in the lobby.
So don't walk, run!   [ laughter ]

Thank you all for being here.
[ applause ]   [ end of transcript ]