Press Room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ursula Oaks, 202.737.3699 x253
For Release: Feb 11, 2008
Statement of NAFSA: Association of International Educators on the Death of Congressman Tom Lantos
WASHINGTON, February 11, 2008 - Today NAFSA: Association of International Educators issued the following statement on the death of Congressman Tom Lantos:
NAFSA is deeply saddened by the news of the death of Congressman Tom Lantos. Many Americans are familiar with his remarkable life journey: surviving the Holocaust, in which much of his family perished; overcoming the many challenges of life as an immigrant in a new land, beginning with his time as a foreign student at the University of Washington; and serving with distinction as a national leader during 27 years in the U.S. Congress, where he was a great champion of human rights.
Congressman Lantos was committed to a vision of U.S. leadership in the world that emphasizes responsible engagement, compassion, and a deeper understanding of the world's peoples and cultures. Among the achievements he counted as the most significant during his leadership of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2007 was the introduction and passage by that chamber of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007. On the day that bill was introduced, Congressman Lantos said: "Today our nation faces a deficit of cultural knowledge that is a clear impediment to our effort to prevail in the global war on terrorism and to keep America competitive in a global economy. Our foreign affairs agencies are struggling mightily to find recruits who have firsthand understanding of critical cultures and languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Pashto, and Dari. The Senator Paul Simon Act will rectify this by vastly expanding the talent pool of young Americans with global skills."
"Congressman Lantos' vision and commitment transformed the nation's awareness of the importance of global engagement through educational exchange," said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson. "We were honored to work with him to expand opportunities for Americans to gain the skills and knowledge that are so vital to U.S. leadership and competitiveness in the world. Inspired by his example, we will do everything we can to ensure that his legacy lives on through the study abroad foundation he fought so hard to establish in his final days in Congress."
Congressman Lantos' life stands as testimony to the highest ideals of the American dream. His remarkable contributions to the adopted homeland he loved and believed in so much will not be forgotten.
NAFSA is deeply saddened by the news of the death of Congressman Tom Lantos. Many Americans are familiar with his remarkable life journey: surviving the Holocaust, in which much of his family perished; overcoming the many challenges of life as an immigrant in a new land, beginning with his time as a foreign student at the University of Washington; and serving with distinction as a national leader during 27 years in the U.S. Congress, where he was a great champion of human rights.
Congressman Lantos was committed to a vision of U.S. leadership in the world that emphasizes responsible engagement, compassion, and a deeper understanding of the world's peoples and cultures. Among the achievements he counted as the most significant during his leadership of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in 2007 was the introduction and passage by that chamber of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007. On the day that bill was introduced, Congressman Lantos said: "Today our nation faces a deficit of cultural knowledge that is a clear impediment to our effort to prevail in the global war on terrorism and to keep America competitive in a global economy. Our foreign affairs agencies are struggling mightily to find recruits who have firsthand understanding of critical cultures and languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Pashto, and Dari. The Senator Paul Simon Act will rectify this by vastly expanding the talent pool of young Americans with global skills."
"Congressman Lantos' vision and commitment transformed the nation's awareness of the importance of global engagement through educational exchange," said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene M. Johnson. "We were honored to work with him to expand opportunities for Americans to gain the skills and knowledge that are so vital to U.S. leadership and competitiveness in the world. Inspired by his example, we will do everything we can to ensure that his legacy lives on through the study abroad foundation he fought so hard to establish in his final days in Congress."
Congressman Lantos' life stands as testimony to the highest ideals of the American dream. His remarkable contributions to the adopted homeland he loved and believed in so much will not be forgotten.
