[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 645 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 645
Recognizing the significance of ``Chicano Heritage Month'' in August as
an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Mexican
Americans to the history of the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 4, 2023
Mr. Correa (for himself, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Castro of Texas, Mr. Ruiz,
Ms. Crockett, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Norton, Mr. Vargas, Mrs.
Napolitano, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Gomez, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr.
Carbajal, Ms. Caraveo, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Sanchez, Ms. Salinas, Mr.
Takano, Mr. Grijalva, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr. Carson, Mr. Garcia
of Illinois, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. Clark
of Massachusetts, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Davis of
Illinois, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Gallego, Ms. Porter, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Ivey,
Mr. Vasquez, Mr. Crow, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Leger Fernandez, Mr. Levin, Mr.
Thompson of California, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Jeffries, Ms. Titus, Ms.
Escobar, Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Lieu, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez,
Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Costa, Mr. Peters, Mr. Bera, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Kildee,
Mr. Schiff, Ms. Waters, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Cardenas, Mrs.
Ramirez, Mr. Soto, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Budzinski, Ms.
Kamlager-Dove, and Ms. Chu) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the significance of ``Chicano Heritage Month'' in August as
an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Mexican
Americans to the history of the United States.
Whereas the term Chicano/Chicana was previously used to insinuate inferiority
but was later transformed into a term of empowerment, used to embrace
and uplift the Mexican-American identity;
Whereas the Chicano/Chicana Movement, or El Movimiento, in the 1960s advocated
for the social and political empowerment of Mexican Americans;
Whereas Chicano/Chicanas have contributed toward significant technological and
scientific advancements in the United States;
Whereas physicist Albert Vinicio Baez coinvented the x-ray reflection microscope
in 1948;
Whereas Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic female astronaut and the second
female director of the Johnson Space Center;
Whereas prominent Chicano/Chicana leaders spearheaded the fight for labor rights
and education reform;
Whereas, in 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that exclusion of eligible jurors due
to their ancestry of national origin violated the Equal Protection
Clause of the 14th Amendment in the case of Hernandez v. Texas, which
was ``the first and only Mexican-American civil-rights case heard and
decided by the United States Supreme Court during the post-World War II
period'';
Whereas, in 1946, the Supreme Court issued another landmark ruling in Mendez v.
Westminster School District of Orange County that declared school
segregation of Mexican Americans illegal;
Whereas John J. Herrera, an experienced Houston trial lawyer and 21st president
of the League of United Latin American Citizens, was the attorney who
won both of those landmark Supreme Court cases;
Whereas Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez are prominent figures in the labor
movement and advocates for workers', immigrants', and women's rights;
Whereas Ruben Salazar, a significant civil rights advocate, was the first
Mexican-American columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and the first
journalist to shed light on the Chicano/Chicana community through
mainstream media;
Whereas Sal Castro, a high school social studies teacher, initiated and
facilitated the East Los Angeles Walkouts, which advocated for the
teaching of Mexican-American heritage in schools, by highlighting the
racial inequalities in the Chicano/Chicana community and instilling
cultural pride into his pupils;
Whereas Sal Castro's then-student, Paula Crisostomo, is credited as the first
student to walk out in protest of the unequal education that Latino
students received, and led her peers in five East Los Angeles high
schools in walking out of classes in the first mass protest against
racism ever undertaken by Mexican Americans;
Whereas Chicano/Chicana entertainers and artists have shaped American culture in
the United States;
Whereas Emigdio Vasquez, from Orange, California, was known as the ``Godfather
of Hispanic artists'', and painted over 30 public murals in central
Orange County, most notable are his art contributions to Santa Ana City
Hall;
Whereas Selena Quintanilla Perez, also known as Selena, was called the ``Queen
of Tejano music'' and contributed tremendously to American music and
fashion in the late 20th century;
Whereas, as of 2019, approximately 37,000,000 Chicano/Chicana immigrants reside
within the United States and comprise about 61.4 percent of the United
States Latino population;
Whereas the Chicano/Chicana population makes up 12 percent of the United States
while facing a disproportionate amount of representation within the
public and private sectors;
Whereas the city of Santa Ana, California, has a majority Chicano/Chicana
population;
Whereas, in 2021, the city of Santa Ana, California, was the first major city in
the United States to declare August as ``Chicano Heritage Month'';
Whereas the Chicano/Chicana community values family relationships, which
encourages a sense of comradery and companionship within each household
and serves as a means of embracing Mexican lineage and ensuring
principal traditions from Chicano/Chicana culture are instilled in the
younger generation;
Whereas systemic prejudices targeting the Chicano/Chicana population are
becoming especially apparent as domestic terrorism attacks surge, as
seen in the 2019 shooting in El Paso, Texas;
Whereas the elimination of Chicano/Chicana discrimination requires the awareness
and acknowledgement of the community's struggle and the culmination of
decades-worth of marginalization; and
Whereas, in 2023, the city of Anaheim, California, declared August as ``Chicano
Heritage Month'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the significance of ``Chicano Heritage
Month'' as an important time to celebrate the significant
contributions of Mexican Americans to the history of the United
States;
(2) recognizes that Mexican Americans enhance the rich
diversity of and strengthen the United States; and
(3) acknowledges Chicano Heritage Month and encourages its
observation with appropriate events and activities.
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