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Repatriation Bill Pending in Congress

By immigrationprof

From the office of Rep. Hilda Solis:

DEPRESSION-ERA U.S. CITIZENS UNJUSTLY REMOVED FROM U.S. COMEMORATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH Support H.R. 5161 — the Commission to Study the Removal of Mexican-Americans to Mexico.

During 1929-1941 Act Dear Colleague: During this Hispanic Heritage Month I ask you to join me in supporting H.R.5161, the Commission to Study the Removal of Mexican-Americans to Mexico During 1929-1941 Act, to bring to light the forced removal of U.S. citizens of Mexican ancestry to Mexico during the Great Depression. From 1929 to 1941, federal, state and local government authorities throughout the United States undertook an aggressive program to remove individuals of Mexican ancestry from the United States. As many as 1.2 million U.S. citizens living in California, Michigan, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico were forcibly removed. These raids separated U.S. citizens from their families and deprived them of their livelihoods and constitutional rights. To this day, no official inquiry into this mass removal of U.S. citizens has been made. Like the legislation which established a commission to study the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, H.R. 5161 would create a federal body to investigate the mass removals and to report its findings to Congress. This legislation has been endorsed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), The Dolores Huerta Foundation, American GI Forum and Bienestar Human Services Inc. If you would like more information or would like to co-sponsor this bill, please contact me or Eleonor Velasquez of my staff at 5-5464 or Eleonor.velasquez@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely, /s/ HILDA L. SOLIS Member of Congress

Current Co-sponsors: Rep Berman, Rep. Becerra, Rep Doggett, Rep Emanuel, Rep. Farr, Rep Gutierrez, Rep Gonzalez, Rep. Grijalva, Rep Honda, Rep Jackson-Lee, Rep Lee, Rep Lofgren, Rep Lewis, Rep Matsui, Rep McDermott, Rep. Roybal-Allard, Rep. Schakowshy, Rep Wexler.

KJ