WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) issued the following statement in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month:

Each year from September 15 to October 15, we observe National Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate and recognize the contributions of America's Latino communities.

And nowhere is that beautiful diversity more on display than in Georgia and the Fourth Congressional District.

From Clarkston to Conyers, Covington to Tucker, our Latino families enrich our communities and make immeasurable contributions across virtually every segment of our district.

As someone who has experienced segregation and discrimination, racism, and hate personally, I'm proud to stand with my Latino brothers and sisters who are sometimes disparaged despite serving on the front lines of our Armed Forces, creating jobs as small business leaders, building our economy in factories, on farms and in- our executive board rooms.

They create loving families and strong communities. Latino Americans love their country and want to see it succeed but recognize, like most Americans, that our broken immigration system is holding us back.

That's why I am a proud cosponsor of the American Dream and Promise Act, which Democrats in the House have passed twice. It protects our nation's Dreamers, our Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, allowing them to contribute fully to Georgia's communities and our country while providing a pathway to citizenship.

We must work toward commonsense bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform that will keep families united, reform our visa system, safely secure our borders, and offer an earned pathway to citizenship.

Let's celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month together by recognizing the past contributions of Latinos in America and Georgia by strengthening our shared future together with the commonsense reforms that are so urgently needed.