[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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