SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 472
WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to
recognize Raul Humberto Yzaguirre, cofounder of New America
Alliance, an American Latino business initiative; and
WHEREAS, A prominent American civil rights activist, Raul
Yzaguirre now works primarily as an advocate for the creation of
a political union between the United States, Mexico, and Canada
through a variety of nonprofit advocacy groups; and
WHEREAS, Raul Yzaguirre grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of
South Texas; he is a former president and chief executive officer
of the National Council of La Raza; under his leadership, from
1974 to 2004, the organization grew tremendously; during his
tenure, he built the regional advocacy group with 17 affiliates
into a 35,000-member organization with more than 300 affiliates
and revenues exceeding $42 million; in 2005, the council named
its headquarters building in Washington, D.C., in his honor; and
WHEREAS, Also named in his honor is the Raul Yzaguirre
Policy Institute, which operates out of The University of
Texas--Pan American; the institute's goal is to inform policy,
and the leaders who frame it, for the benefit of the Hispanic
community and the nation as a whole; Mr. Yzaguirre is a lifetime
member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on its
member selection committee; he was appointed to the position of
presidential professor of practice in community development and
civil rights at Arizona State University and serves on the board
of advisors for the university's North American Center of
Transborder Studies; and
WHEREAS, In 1979, Mr. Yzaguirre was the first Hispanic to
receive a Rockefeller Public Service Award for Outstanding
Public Service; in 1993, he received the Order of the Aztec
Eagle, the highest honor awarded by the Mexican government to a
citizen of another nation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 81st
Legislature, hereby commend Raul Yzaguirre on his outstanding
leadership in civil rights and foreign relations and on his
invaluable contributions and service to our country; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
him as an expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.
Ellis
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on March 19, 2009.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate