ÿWPC8  /6Ò&숢¸—_wQ‘ã×½ Ð!£ñ6¸¿Š%—³—JC扊üÄ.Ÿæ*ä|¿ý‘ÄbÃàq&Ä€k l<ÊŽˆÄß#¯8"A*îmÞ&1áˆGGô~§È¦§MV \hXH ¬îé`= ¶Ï’–¤ËCLÀq Z‚±nóRºë%~Sšçd¾š€9€®J[¹IoÍжF‘Jä\=áêrÉ9ò›ë`€ *ÚºlÞ?çÁÑÎÆ'á´øþ+@t‰À•»§§)ìÚ ©lxóü“ºMô¯+`H ßÒ°·3š„/6žíÑóŒxf=Ÿ»—}8ý_æV:ý6”úþúÖ!µ‚´]‹Ž“:L4iƒªÞ”`yHùÞbKCS[-*ÓPMèX7Q }åu(™3ÿ˜›½üI‰ék|r“% ã4j·|?2…Êé´4ù]økÓôæ£û/âëb¦¸ÿŠÌ;ÿú,o°CÀÑY8´éŸ°î''Å®«À Žçé¡ZÌ^@ŠÞîÀÉÌF:*§ŸÉÃÒÙɱh.ôßaØ?…@* D·”J¼?½Î«„Îõ2׆s™Èóð “¡ä÷õ †±Ðkþ½º#‚!ŠÌ-MüU> 0Á> 0õÿU*ôÈæ 0Žö#!„UN¥ %ó Nù ^ û w 4  m! ô\  `&Times New Roman<lÿÿ:Default ParaÔ€ôôôÔÔ€XXXÔ0Xlÿÿ.Style0Ô€XXXÔÔ?€%ä2¼A`Arial?ÔÔ€XXXÔÔS€ô\  `&Times New RomanSÔ%ä2¼A`Arial'    0 .  `Thank you, Jose, for that kind introduction#|x(fd$¡¡ÒÜ°ÒÒÜ°ÒÓ  ÓÔ€ X†¼XX XÔÔ€X†¼XX X†¼Ô˜HP LaserJet 4,ü,,,,,ü0(ÈhH  Z6Times New Roman Regular Xyþ&cA{Ò&.wp¬e„ÿU‹ÿÀÀÀÝ ƒd!ÝÒÜ°ÒÒÜ°ÒÓ  ÓÔ€ X†¼XX XÔÔ€X†¼XX X†¼ÔÝ  ÝÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÔ_ÔRemarks€ofÐ ° ÐWilliam€E.€Kennard,€ChairmanÌFederal€Communications€CommissionÌto€the€ÌNational€Council€of€La€Raza€ÌHouston,€TX,€ÌJuly€28,€1999Ì(as€prepared€for€delivery)ÌÌ€"A€Rising€Tide:€La€Raza€in€the€New€Millennium"ÌÓ  ÓÌThank€you,€Jose,€for€that€kind€introduction.ÌÌMy€fellow€FCC€Commissioner,€Gloria€Tristani,€a€Latina€who€has€worked€tirelessly€toÏfight€for€consumers,€told€me€that€La€Raza€gives€a€warm€welcome.€€But€I€didn't€expectÏthose€very€generous€words.€€Thank€you,€and€please€know€that€Gloria€sends€her€regards.€ÌÌCongratulations€to€tonight's€award€winners,€and€thank€you€Raul€Yzaguirre€for€inviting€meÏhere€tonight.ÌÌFor€the€past€25€years,€Raul€has€been€one€of€the€most€effective€advocates€not€just€forÏLatinos,€but€for€all€of€us.€€I€love€working€with€Raul€because€Raul€is€a€fighter.€€He€is€theÏperson€you€want€next€to€you€in€a€tough€fight.€And€he€always€fights€hard,€and€alwaysÏfights€for€what€is€right.€Raul,€I€hope€that€you€will€give€us€another€25€years€of€service.ÌÌI€grew€up€in€Los€Angeles.€My€mother€was€a€school€teacher.€She€taught€bilingualÏeducation€at€a€little€school€in€the€barrio€called€Vine€Street€Elementary€School.ÌÌMy€mother€had€kind€of€a€unique€upbringing.€She€learned€to€speak€Spanish€at€the€sameÏtime€that€she€learned€English.€€ÌÌShe€is€not€Latina,€but€she€grew€up€in€the€San€Joaquin€Valley€of€California€and€spent€herÏearliest€days€playing€with€the€children€of€migrant€workers€who€lived€near€her€house.€€So,Ïin€many€ways,€she€was€training€to€be€a€bilingual€teacher€from€the€day€she€started€talking.ÌÌAnd€over€the€years,€while€she€taught€English€to€new€immigrants,€she€taught€Spanish€„„€òòunÐ €%Ð # Ðpoquitoó󀄄€to€me.Ð p&À!$ ÐÌAnd€she€taught€me€this€Spanish€saying,€òòA€buen€entendedor,€pocas€palabrasóó.€So,€friends,€IÐ P( #& Ðwill€be€brief€tonight.ÌÌI€am€very€honored€to€be€here€tonight.€€I€am€honored€because€I€have€worked€hard€to€bringÏto€my€work€as€Chairman€of€the€FCC€the€same€commitment€that€La€Raza€has€championedÏâ âfor€30€years:€to€make€sure€that€all€Americans€„„€the€sons€of€slaves,€the€daughters€ofÐ -P(+ Ðimmigrants,€and€the€children€of€refugees€„„€all€have€an€equal€opportunity€to€share€in€theÏpromise€of€American€life.€Ìâ âÌAnd€now€as€we€enter€the€Information€Age€as€a€nation€with€a€high„tech€economy€that€is€the€envy€of€the€world,€this€promise€is€greater€than€ever.€€We€have€the€opportunity€to€use€the€tools€of€technology€„„€like€satellites€and€the€Internet€„„€to€uplift€our€people,€to€bring€us€together€as€a€nation,€to€narrow€the€divides€of€race€and€income€and€class€that€have€divided€us€for€too€long.€€But€only€if€we€make€the€right€choices€today.€€Otherwise,€this€wonderful€technology€will€be€the€tool€only€of€the€fortunate,€the€affluent,€the€privileged.ÌÌThat€is€the€choice€that€we€face€today€as€we€go€forth€into€the€Information€Age.€€I've€seen€the€potential€of€this€technology€in€neighborhoods€across€the€nation.€I've€seen€it€at€Vine€Street€Elementary€where€my€mother€taught€so€many€years€ago.ÌÌFour€months€ago,€I€went€back€to€Vine€Street€Elementary.€There,€I€saw€a€school€built€at€the€beginning€of€this€century€being€transformed€by€the€technologies€of€the€next.€ÌÌThis€school€„„€despite€being€in€a€poor€neighborhood€„„€€was€just€as€neat€and€tidy€as€when€my€mother€taught€there€many€years€ago.€It's€mission€was€the€same€too:€to€give€the€children€of€the€barrio€the€knowledge€and€the€skills€that€they€would€need€to€seize€the€opportunities€of€the€future.€ÌÌBut€to€remain€true€to€this€unchanging€mission,€the€school€had€to€change.€So€that€day€in€March,€I€found€myself€with€my€sleeves€rolled€up,€working€with€Congressman€Xavier€Beccera€and€School€Superintendent€Ruben€Zacarias€to€literally€wire€the€school€to€the€Internet.€ÌÌAnd€Vine€Street€Elementary€was€able€to€do€all€of€this€because€of€the€e„rate,€a€national€program€to€wire€schools€and€libraries€to€the€Internet,€a€program€administered€by€the€FCC.€ÌÌBecause€of€the€foresight€of€President€Clinton€and€Vice€President€Gore,€we€have€this€program€that€in€its€first€year€helped€over€80,000€schools€and€libraries€„„€and€more€than€half€of€the€unconnected€classrooms€„„€connect€to€the€Internet.ÌÌBut€despite€this€success,€there€are€those€in€Washington€who€want€to€play€politics€with€our€children's€future.€ÌÌPerhaps€they've€never€seen€„„€€as€I€have€„„€a€child's€eyes€light€up€as€they€go€on„line€for€the€first€time€and€discover€the€unlimited€fount€of€information€and€the€countless€connections€to€a€world€thousands€of€miles€from€their€neighborhood.€Or€perhaps€they€are€just€too€focused€on€today's€partisan€wrangling€to€consider€preparing€our€children€and€our€workforce€for€the€future.ÌÌWhatever€the€reason,€they€fought€to€kill€the€e„rate.€But€with€the€hard€work€of€the€President€and€the€Vice€President,€and€allies€on€Capitol€Hill€like€Lucille€Roybal„Allard€and€the€Congressional€Hispanic€Caucus,€and€with€the€help€of€committed€advocates€like€La€Raza,€we€defended€the€e„rate.€And€the€FCC€fully€funded€the€program€this€year.€ÌÌAnd€I€want€to€thank€Raul€and€La€Raza€for€fighting€by€my€side€to€save€the€e„rate.€ÌÌAnd€what€does€this€victory€mean?€It€means€an€additional€600,000€classrooms€will€be€wired€to€the€Internet€„„€touching€40€million€schoolchildren,€many€of€them€in€our€poorest€and€most€rural€schools.€ÌÌIt€means€that€we€can€invest€over€$2€billion€this€year€to€wire€thousands€more€classrooms€to€the€Internet.€In€fact,€it€means€that€just€this€week,€we€were€able€to€send€about€$12€million€to€schools€and€libraries€right€here€in€Texas.ÌÌIt€means€that€we€will€be€able€to€continue€our€fight€to€close€the€digital€divide€that€is€emerging€in€our€country.€ÌÌIn€a€report€released€this€month€by€the€Commerce€Department,€they€found€that€black€and€Hispanic€house-holds€are€only€40€percent€as€likely€as€white€house-holds€to€be€online.€That€means€that€of€the€blacks€and€Hispanics€who€are€on„line,€they€are€more€likely€to€rely€on€access€in€public€facilities,€like€schools€and€libraries.€ÌÌBy€fully€funding€the€e„rate,€we€are€building€footbridges€across€this€divide€for€millions€of€young€Americans€in€thousands€of€towns€and€cities€throughout€the€nation.€ÌÌWe€are€helping€the€third„graders€I€met€at€Vine€Street€Elementary€in€LA;€the€high„schoolers€I€talked€to€in€South€San€Antonio;€and€the€children€I€visited€with€in€inner€city€Newark€get€a€leg€up€in€a€race€that€too€many€people€for€too€long€have€told€them€that€they'll€never€finish,€much€less€win.€ÌÌWe€are€making€it€possible€for€children€in€San€Antonio€and€Los€Angeles,€in€New€York€and€Miami€to€become€the€entrepreneurs€of€tomorrow.€Today,€a€higher€percentage€of€Latinos€have€their€own€businesses€than€in€any€other€group€in€America.€ÌÌBut€in€the€future,€hard€work€and€determination€won't€be€enough.€You'll€also€need€to€know€how€to€use€a€computer,€how€to€sell€on„line,€and€how€technology€will€shape€our€lives€in€the€Information€Age.€The€e„rate€is€a€first€step€in€investing€for€that€future.ÌÌNow,€I'm€pleased€to€see€that€America€is€finally€waking€up€to€the€power€of€the€Hispanic€community.€€How€could€they€not€help€but€notice?€This€community€is€reshaping€this€country.€òòNewsweekóó€summed€it€up€a€few€weeks€ago€in€its€cover€story€on€how€Generation€N€is€exploding€onto€the€scene,€from€Ricky€Martin€to€Oscar€De€La€Hoya€to€Selina€to€tonight's€fabulous€award€recipients.ÌÌAmerica€is€finally€waking€up€to€the€fact€that€Latinos€are€soon€to€become€America's€largest€minority€group.€€America€is€finally€waking€up€to€the€fact€that€Latinos€are€reinvigorating€our€culture€and€our€economy,€infusing€it€with€energy,€entrepreneurship,€and€soul.ÌÌAmerica€is€getting€a€glimpse€of€the€next€century€and€realizing€that€Latinos€are€key€to€America's€future.ÌÌIf€Latinos€are€key€to€the€future€of€American€society€and€communications€is€key€to€the€future€of€the€American€economy,€than€to€be€strong€as€a€nation,€we€need€to€make€sure€that€we€invest€in€both.ÌÌThat€means€not€only€using€the€e„rate€to€bring€the€Internet€into€every€school€and€library€in€the€nation.€ÌÌThat€also€means€making€sure€that€Latino€radio€stations€can€provide€the€music,€news,€and€local€information€that€communities€around€the€country€rely€on.€It€means€that€discriminatory€advertising€practices€are€stopped€so€that€when€a€station€such€as€KSCA€in€Los€Angeles€which€is€number€one€in€the€ratings€is€not€stuck€at€number€twenty€in€ad€revenues.€ÌÌBuilding€a€strong€future€also€means€using€creative€ways,€like€the€tax€certificate€program,€to€create€incentives€for€the€sale€of€all€types€of€communications€businesses€„„€radio,€TV,€cable,€wireless€„„€to€small€businesses,€and€especially€small€businesses€run€by€Latinos,€women,€and€other€minorities.€ÌÌBefore€this€program€was€killed,€it€opened€the€door€for€people€like€Tom€Castro€right€here€in€Houston€to€enter€and€to€thrive€in€the€radio€business.€We€need€more€Tom€Castro's.€ÌÌAnd€perhaps€when€those€who€own€and€run€America's€networks€look€more€like€America,€so€will€their€shows.€America€needs€TV€shows€that€reflect€the€diversity€that€we€see€in€our€own€neighborhoods,€not€programs€that€distort€the€reality€of€America.ÌÌI€remember€what€it€meant€to€me€growing€up€when€Bill€Cosby€was€the€first€African„American€in€a€starring€role€on€TV.€€Remember€"I€Spy"?€€I€remember€how€important€it€was€in€my€family€to€finally€see€an€African„American€in€a€starring€role€on€network€television.€Thirty€years€later,€we€are€still€waiting€for€network€television€to€fully€reflect€what€America€really€looks€like.ÌÌAnd€let€us€never€forget€that€these€network€programs€are€exported€around€the€world.€€For€many€people€in€many€countries,€their€only€image€of€America€is€the€image€they€see€on€these€shows.€€My€friends,€the€image€they€see€is€not€the€America€I€live€in,€and€this€has€got€to€change.ÌÌWe€have€to€work€now€to€make€sure€that€these€great€communications€networks€that€are€sending€images€and€business€and€data€all€over€the€world€are€not€only€making€our€economy€stronger,€but€promoting€the€values€that€we€cherish.ÌÌCesar€Chavez€once€said€that,€"We€cannot€seek€achievement€for€ourselves€and€forget€about€progress€and€prosperity€for€our€community.€.€.€.€€Our€ambitions€must€be€broad€enough€to€include€the€aspirations€and€needs€of€others,€for€their€sakes€and€for€our€own."ÌÌMartin€Luther€King,€Jr.€captured€this€same€thought€when€he€talked€about€the€"inescapable€network€of€mutuality"€that€connects€people€of€all€colors:€black€and€white,€brown€and€white,€black€and€brown.ÌÌMany€of€us€have€come€far€and€achieved€much.€It's€wonderful€to€look€around€this€room€tonight€and€see€so€many€successful€people€„„€Latinos€who€have€reached€the€top€of€their€fields,€fields€from€all€aspects€of€American€life.€€ÌÌWe€are€here€tonight€to€celebrate€this€success,€but€also€to€rededicate€ourselves€to€the€aspirations€and€needs€of€others€who€await€success.€€We€do€this€for€their€sakes€and€our€own.€€For€the€progress€of€a€people€„„€La€Raza€„„€is€greater€when€all€rise€together.ÌÌI€know€that€this€organization€will€never€forget€this.€€I€know€that€I€won't.€€And€I€know€that€if€we€continue€to€work€together€we€can€€build€an€America€for€the€next€millennium€that€leaves€no€one€behind.ÌÌThank€you,€òògraciasóó,€and€òòbuenas€nochesóó.Ì