Prominent Hispanic-Americans top state dinner guest list

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Prominent Hispanic-Americans top state dinner guest list
By Christina Wilkie - 05/19/10 05:33 PM ET


President Barack Obama's state dinner Wednesday evening for Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife, Margarita Zavala, will be attended by a who's who of powerful and politically connected Hispanic-Americans.

Topping the list are Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Democratic Reps. Xavier Becerra (Calif.), Silvestre Reyes (Texas), and Nydia Velázquez (N.Y.), and Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Actors Eva Longoria-Parker and George Lopez will attend, as will New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Goya Foods president Robert Unanue will also attend, according to the White House.

Other notable guests will include Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, actress Whoopi Goldberg, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and American Express CEO Ken Chenault. They'll be joined by an A-list Washington roster typical of a state dinner: Vice President Joe Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

In an unexpected turn of events, the White House announced Wednesday that the evening will be split into two sections, with two separate guest lists for each one. Following dinner in the East Room, approximately 100 more guests will join the 200 dinner attendees for a performance by Grammy Award-winning pop star Beyonce.

Billed as a "reception following dinner," this portion of the evening will be attended by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Democratic Reps. Linda Sanchez (Calif.), Loretta Sanchez (Calif.), Grace Napolitano (Calif.), Ben Lujan (N.M.), Ruben Hinojosa (Texas), Raul Grijalva (Ariz.), Nita Lowey (N.Y.) and Eliot Engel (N.Y.), none of whom will be attending the dinner.

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http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/98755-prominent-hispanic-americans-top-state-dinner-guest-list