i would like to welcome nicole rivera to come and read a letter from the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi. thank you for being with us, nicole. [applause] >> thank you, joaquin, for that great introduction of our house speaker. i'm really happy to be here on her behalf. she sends her regrets for not being able to be here in person, but she did send a little greeting that i'm happy to read now. dear friends, congratulations to all the san francisco latino heritage committee honorees for providing leadership and service to the san francisco bay area. the many contributions of latinos reflect america's diversity, our rich heritage and a promising future. hispanic americans will continue to add to our national portrait, to our culture and to our history of progress. tonight we honor the waves of hispanic immigrants who have come to our shores and enriched our nation. many have been here for generations. others may have just arrived. with their determination to build a better future and their commitment to safe family and community, we are all making america more american. this is the es