Congressman Roybal Leaves a Lasting Legacy with CHCI

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is mourning the loss of one of the founding members, Congressman Edward Roybal (CA-25), who passed away Monday evening from pneumonia. In 1978, Congressman Roybal was a founder and the first chairman of the Board of CHCI, a nonprofit and nonpartisan educational organization serving to increase the opportunities for Hispanics to participate in and contribute to the American political system. After hosting a small fundraising dinner for Latino youth in 1977, the founders moved forward to formalize the Institute. Today CHCI services over 500,000 students, parents, and educators annually, and is nationally recognized for its unmatched Latino leadership development programs.

"Congressman Roybal was a visionary leader who paved the way for so many of us. His tireless pursuit to empower the underserved -- minorities, the elderly, the physically-challenged and in particular, Hispanics -- is deep- rooted in our mission and guides each of us. His legacy is very much with us," remarked CHCI Chairwoman, Hon. Grace F. Napolitano (CA-38).

Roybal, elected as Congressman for California's 25th District in 1962, was the first Hispanic from the state to serve in Congress since the 1879 election of Romualdo Pacheco. He also began his career in 1949 on the Los Angeles City Council as the first person of Mexican descent to sit on council since 1881.

The conviction to expand opportunities and give Latinos a voice motivated him to also help establish the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), and the Tomas Rivera Center, a think tank headquartered in California.

Congressman Solomon Ortiz (TX-27), who worked alongside Congressman Roybal for a decade stated, "Realizing the future was literally ours to shape, Ed founded -- in 1978 -- a nonprofit called the Congressional Hispanic Institute, whose main purpose was: 'each one, teach one,'" referring to bringing young people to Capitol Hill, putting them in Congressional offices to learn and understand the dynamics of government, then sending them back to their communities with more savvy about affecting change on the national level.

In 1992, when Congressman Roybal retired, CHCI named a fellowship in his honor to help increase the number of Latinos in the health field -- an area important to him throughout his career. And with support from the Edward Roybal Foundation, CHCI awards annual scholarships to students interested in health fields.

"Congressman Roybal sought for CHCI to serve as a beacon of light for future generations. His vision lives on in CHCI's programs that empower Latino youth to reach their full potential and realize their dreams," commented CHCI's President and CEO, Esther Aguilera.

About CHCI:

For over 25 years, CHCI, a nonprofit and nonpartisan 501 (c)(3) organization, has been dedicated to developing the next generation of Latino leaders. To fulfill its mission, CHCI provides nationally recognized educational and leadership programs for Hispanic college and postgraduate students. The CHCI board of directors is comprised of Hispanic Members of Congress, nonprofit leaders, and corporate executives. For more information on CHCI, call (202) 543-1771 or visit http://www.chci.org/.