Jennice Fuentes Oral History Interview Final Edited
Jennice Fuentes Chief of Staff, Representative Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois Oral History Interview Final Edited Transcript December 20, 2018 Office of the Historian U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. “It was a combination of so many injustices that our community and innocent people were facing that really was enough of an encouragement day in, day out to keep doing the work we did because it was not really easy but it really was right. It was what was right by us as human beings. I mean, we would often work really long hours—we didn’t get paid by hour here. And quite frankly salaries are low. It’s not like everybody was paid per hour and putting in overtime by staying in that workshop on a Saturday and a Sunday. But we did it with joy because we knew the need for this community to be protected—rightfully so, because they qualified—and to be empowered....So, no, none of us— from the caseworkers in the district office, which we had great, great staff, to Luis Gutiérrez, the Congressman himself, and all of us in between—none of us ever, ever, ever, ever waivered.” Jennice Fuentes December 20, 2018 Table of Contents Interview Abstract i Interviewee Biography ii Editing Practices iii Citation Information iii Interviewer Biography iv Interview 1 Abstract Jennice Fuentes started her career in the House of Representatives as a caseworker for Puerto Rican Resident Commissioners Jaime Fuster and Antonio Colorado and rose to be chief of staff for Illinois Representative Luis Gutiérrez. In this oral history, she describes her role helping constituents, advocating for Puerto Rico, and working on a diverse array of legislation throughout her time on Capitol Hill.
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