In Memory of Jessica Alana Sanchez

Floor Speech

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Ms. ESCOBAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Jessica Alana Sanchez, who was born and raised in my community of El Paso, Texas. Jessica sadly passed away in July at the age of 38 after a courageous battle with cancer.

She leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter, her husband, a sister, parents, and extended family, many of whom are my constituents.

I met Jessica as a young woman when she and I were volunteering on a local campaign. From the first time I met her, it was clear that she was a brilliant individual who was guided by a strong sense of responsibility toward social justice.

When Jessica was enrolled in Mesita Elementary School, she participated in a rally to protest a plan to build a nuclear waste facility on the outskirts of our community in El Paso. She was a brave and outspoken girl and wanted to voice her classmates' worries about the negative effects on the environment if the facility were to come to fruition. After months of protests, the site was never built, and the community prevailed.

She continued to advocate for people while at El Paso High School, and her advocacy transcended our borders. She was particularly concerned about drug cartel violence and the disappearance and murders of hundreds of women factory workers across the border from us in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. She petitioned city leaders on both sides of the border to take action to curb violence and to safeguard those vulnerable workers.

Her activism and community involvement were evident to others. She attended Stanford University for her undergraduate degree and Boston University Law School.

Incensed by our country's failed immigration policies and actions that gave rise to the separation of families, Jessica decided to return to California. She would go on to work on advocacy on behalf of migrants and refugees at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles.

Jessica was also a mother to her daughter, Leila. She raised Leila to embody her core values of fairness, equality, and giving back to her community. She felt it was her obligation that Leila be raised to speak out as a woman in our society and be proud of her Latina heritage and family background.

It was not all about politics. Jessica and Leila also had fun singing and dancing and reading books. They enjoyed making arts and crafts together and decorating their annual Christmas tree with projects made throughout the year. They watched children's television shows, like ``Sesame Street'' and ``Bluey,'' and spent summer afternoons playing in their neighborhood park and feeding the ducks there.

Jessica was a woman of faith and believed strongly that we are all tasked with utilizing our God-given gifts and talents to journey in solidarity with those we encounter in life and contributing to the common good.

I close by sharing a reflection Jessica delivered as an intern with the Catholic community in June 2009 during a Sunday service at Stanford's Memorial Church. It captures her philosophy and her outlook on Christian discipleship that she practiced throughout her young life very well.

Jessica's reflection is as follows:

``I remember the first time I answered my call to service. My home parish in El Paso, Texas, sponsors a Thanksgiving dinner for homeless residents in our binational community. My family and I showed up at the church cafeteria and were assigned the task of serving guests plates of food. I was 8 years old and extremely intimidated by strangers.

``Anxiety grew in the pit of my stomach as I carried a meal to my first guest, an older woman in a Dallas Cowboys' jersey. As I placed the plate in front of her, she glanced up. She didn't speak, but there was a calm gratitude in her eyes. I felt connected to her. God opened my heart in that moment and enveloped me with peace.

``For the first time, I understood the gift of service. It has made an indelible impression upon me. My commitment to service played a huge role in my decision to accept the intern position with our Catholic community at Stanford. I was called to give back to a community that supported me in my time of need.''

Those were Jessica's beautiful words.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of El Paso, I extend my deepest condolences to Jessica's family. Jessica left us too soon, and I and everyone who knew her will cherish our memories with her. I am proud to honor the life of Jessica Alana Sanchez and ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing her lifetime commitment to advocating for her community.

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