Normandia Maldonado Post Office Building

Floor Speech

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Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Normandia Maldonado, an icon of Dominican culture, and my bill H.R. 3870, which designates the U.S. Post Office located at 511 W. 165th Street in Washington Heights as the ``Normandia Maldonado Post Office Facility.''

Normandia Maldonado is renowned for her decades of artistic leadership within the Dominican diaspora of New York City, where she co-founded Club Civico y Cultural Juan Pablo Duarte, Inc., directed and released various films, and helped establish the Dominican Day parade.

But, perhaps even more so, she is revered as a pioneering activist who was instrumental in the establishment of the Dominican population within the mosaic of New York City.

From the time she arrived in New York City in 1960, the Dominican diaspora leaned on her fiery yet elegant and inspirational character.

And much like the United States Postal Service, Normandia ALWAYS answered the call to service, especially for the Dominican community and our fellow New Yorkers.

She taught in neighborhood schools.

She led efforts in the community to build a statue in honor of Juan Pablo Duarte, the Dominican Republic's foremost founding father.

And she established the Cassandra Damiron Hall of Fame to ensure that fellow Dominican artists' accomplishments and talent receive the recognition they deserve.

In the wake of the Administration's unprecedented attacks on the Postal Service, I am honored to enshrine and underscore Ms. Maldonado's altruistic spirit, fortitude, and commitment to public service via this designation at the facility on 165th Street.

This will stand for decades in the community and hopefully come as a reminder--and perhaps a mandate--to the Postal Service employees working there, who I know will weather this Administration's storm of punitive policies and will continue to dutifully serve the people of Washington Heights and New York City.

I want to thank my friend and fellow New Yorker, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, for her help in bringing this to the floor, Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly, and the staff of the Committee on Oversight and Reform for helping us through this process.

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