Nissan Donates $20,000 to Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Grant Supports Increasing Educational Opportunities for Hispanic Youth

WASHINGTON--Sept. 15, 2004--In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month and in support of its long-standing commitment to education, Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) presented a $20,000 donation to the Board of Directors of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI).

The donation, presented at the CHCI's VIP reception during its 27th Annual Gala, will support the CHCI education fund and provide scholarships for Hispanic students pursuing a goal of civic leadership and higher education.

"At Nissan, we believe that valuing diversity and investing in education is critical to ensuring the success of the next generation of leaders who will positively impact and improve our communities," said Walter Rodriguez, manager, strategic representation, NNA. "Our 10-year partnership with CHCI supports our mutual goal of promoting diversity, inclusion, and the development of Hispanic officials and community leaders who seek to become successful public servants."

"CHCI is proud of its long-standing partnership with Nissan and is committed to partnering with Nissan to improve educational opportunities for our Latino youth," said the Honorable Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX) and CHCI chairman. "We appreciate Nissan's support in helping CHCI achieve its mission of developing the next generation of Latino leaders."

The CHCI's VIP reception, hosted by its Board of Directors and supported by NNA, included 250 local and national business, community, corporate and political leaders. The CHCI's Annual Gala is one of the largest Hispanic events in the nation's capitol and is renowned for bringing people together from around the nation and with distinct backgrounds to achieve a common goal: to help Hispanic youth realize their dreams. The Gala follows the CHCI's annual Issues Conference that assembles elected officials, policy experts, academic scholars, corporate executives, and community leaders to discuss issues of importance to the Hispanic community. The theme of this year's conference was "Empowerment of a New Generation." The CHCI's gala and Issues Conference is held each September as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

About Nissan North America

In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.nissanUSA.com and www.infiniti.com.

About Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI)

CHCI, a non-profit and non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization, provides educational programs for Hispanic college and postgraduate students. The CHCI Board of Directors is comprised of Hispanic Members of Congress, non-profit leaders, and corporate executives. For more information on CHCI, call 1-800-EXCEL DC or visit www.chci.org.