U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) to continue the annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month by leading a bipartisan group of 47 colleagues in introducing a Senate resolution that recognizes Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, 2021 as a month to celebrate and honor the invaluable contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States.
The commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month started in 1968 as ‘Hispanic Heritage Week’ under President Lyndon B. Johnson, and President Ronald Reagan subsequently expanded the celebration in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting Sept. 15 and ending Oct. 15.
“New Mexico’s Hispanic and Latino families trace their rich heritage in this country back for centuries,” Heinrich said. “During Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize all of the vital contributions that Hispanic and Latino Americans continue to make to our nation’s success. I am honored to support this resolution to lift up the achievements of our nation’s diverse Hispanic communities and will continue to fight for the issues important to these Americans.”
“With a rich culture and long-held traditions that have become part of the fabric of our nation, the Hispanic community has played a vital role in American society and continues to produce leaders in every facet – from serving in our military, to teaching in the classroom, to running small businesses, to leading in the arts, science, and medicine, and taking care of our entire country as essential workers. This year and every year, we need to honor the resilience and the creativity of our community. This resolution is an important part of that celebration,” Luján said.
The Senate resolution recognizes the immense contributions of Latinos and Latinas to the economy, culture, and identity of the United States. This point has never been more salient than during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Latinos and Latinas across the country kept our country afloat by working essential, front-line jobs and will play an even more critical role as the nation recovers from the ongoing impacts of this unprecedented health crisis.
Hispanic Americans are the largest racial or ethnic minority group in the U.S., representing more than 62 million people (18.7% of the U.S. population), plus another 3.2 million in Puerto Rico. Fifteen States – Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington – have nearly one million or more Latino and Latina residents.
Earlier this month, as part of the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Senators Heinrich and Luján co-sponsored a unanimously-passed bipartisan Senate resolution honoring the work and achievements of 569 Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). HSIs are defined as degree-granting institutions where the number of Hispanic students enrolled is at least 25% of total enrollment. Senators Heinrich and Luján also joined the first-ever Senate HSI Caucus.
Joining Sens. Heinrich and Luján in cosponsoring the Senate resolution were Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
Led by Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.-29), the companion House resolution was cosponsored by Reps. Albio Sires (D-N.J.-08), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.-18), Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Ga.-07), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.-12), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.-32), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.-05), J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.-46), James Langevin (D-R.I.-02), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Jesús G. “Chuy García (D-Ill.-04), Jim Costa (D-Calif.-16), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-51), Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.-04), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.-38), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.-03), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.-40), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio-09), Marie Newman (D-Ill.-03), Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (D-Guam), Nanette Díaz-Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Norma Torres (D-Calif.-35), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.-31), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-36), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.-07), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-53), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.-08), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.-01), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas-29), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.-03), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.-03), Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.-01), and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas-15).
The full text of the resolution can be found HERE.
