[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 156 (Thursday, September 26, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5755-S5756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 352--RECOGNIZING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AND 
 CELEBRATING THE HERITAGE AND CULTURE OF LATINOS IN THE UNITED STATES 
     AND THE IMMENSE CONTRIBUTIONS OF LATINOS TO THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Bennet, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Braun, Mr. Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, 
Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. 
Durbin, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Gardner, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Harris, Ms. 
Hassan, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, 
Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Reed, Ms. Rosen, Mr. 
Rubio, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schumer, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Sinema, Ms. Smith, 
Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Udall, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Ms. Warren, Mr. 
Whitehouse, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 352

       Whereas, from September 15, 2019, through October 15, 2019, 
     the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month;
       Whereas the Bureau of the Census estimates the Hispanic 
     population living in the 50 States at more than 59,000,000 
     people, plus an additional 3,300,000 living in the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, making Hispanic Americans 18 
     percent of the total population of the United States and the 
     largest racial or ethnic minority group in the United States;
       Whereas, in 2017, there were close to 1,000,000 or more 
     Latino residents in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and in 
     each of the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, 
     Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New 
     Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and 
     Washington;
       Whereas, between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2018, Latinos 
     grew the population of the United States by approximately 
     1,200,000 individuals, accounting for more than \1/2\ of the 
     total population growth during that period;
       Whereas the Latino population in the United States is 
     projected to grow to 107,000,000 people by 2065, at which 
     point the Latino population will comprise more than 24 
     percent of the total population of the United States;
       Whereas the Latino population in the United States is 
     currently the third largest population of Latinos worldwide, 
     exceeding the size of the population in every Latin American 
     and Caribbean country except Mexico and Brazil;
       Whereas, in 2018, there were more than 18,701,184 Latino 
     children under 18 years of age in the United States, which 
     represents approximately \1/3\ of the total Latino population 
     in the United States;
       Whereas, from 1996 to 2016, the number of Hispanic students 
     enrolled in schools, colleges, and universities in the United 
     States doubled from 8,800,000 to 17,900,000, and Hispanics 
     now make up 22.7 percent of all people enrolled in school in 
     the United States;
       Whereas more than 1 in 4 public school students in the 
     United States are Latino, and the share of Latino students is 
     expected to rise to nearly 30 percent by 2027;
       Whereas 19 percent of all college students are Latino, 
     making Latinos the second largest racial or ethnic minority 
     group enrolled in higher education in the United States, 
     including 2-year community colleges and 4-year colleges and 
     universities;
       Whereas a record 12,700,000 Latinos voted in the 2016 
     Presidential election, representing a record 9.2 percent of 
     the electorate in the United States;
       Whereas the number of eligible Latino voters is expected to 
     rise to 40,000,000 by 2030, accounting for 40 percent of the 
     growth in the eligible electorate in the United States by 
     2032;
       Whereas each year approximately 800,000 Latino citizens 
     reach 18 years of age and become eligible to vote, a number 
     that could grow to 1,000,000 per year, potentially adding 
     18,000,000 new Latino voters by 2032;
       Whereas, in 2018, the annual purchasing power of Hispanic 
     Americans was an estimated $1,700,000,000,000, which is an 
     amount greater than the economy of all except 17 countries in 
     the world;
       Whereas there are more than 4,370,000 Hispanic-owned firms 
     in the United States, supporting millions of employees 
     nationwide and contributing more than $1,700,000,000 in 
     revenue to the economy of the United States;
       Whereas Hispanic-owned businesses represent the fastest 
     growing segment of small businesses in the United States, 
     with Latino-owned businesses growing at more than 15 times 
     the national rate;
       Whereas, as of August 2018, more than 28,000,000 Latino 
     workers represented 17 percent of the total civilian labor 
     force of the United States, and, as a result of Latinos 
     experiencing the fastest population growth of all race and 
     ethnicity groups in the United States, the rate of Latino 
     participation in the labor force is expected to grow to 20 
     percent by 2024, accounting for \1/5\ of the total labor 
     force;
       Whereas, with 66.1 percent of Latinos participating in the 
     labor force, Latinos have the highest rate of participation 
     in the labor force of any racial or ethnic group, resulting 
     in an expansion of the Latino labor force at a rate that is 3 
     times as fast as the rest of the population;
       Whereas, as of 2017, there were approximately 326,800 
     Latino elementary and middle

[[Page S5756]]

     school teachers, 77,033 Latino chief executives of 
     businesses, 54,576 Latino lawyers, 73,372 Latino physicians 
     and surgeons, and 15,895 Latino psychologists, who contribute 
     to the United States through their professions;
       Whereas Hispanic Americans serve in all branches of the 
     Armed Forces and have fought bravely in every war in the 
     history of the United States;
       Whereas, as of 2019, there are more than 200,000 Hispanic 
     members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty and 
     approximately 1,200,000 Hispanic veterans of the Armed 
     Forces, including 136,000 Latinas;
       Whereas, as of 2018, more than 399,000 Hispanics have 
     served in post-September 11, 2001, overseas contingency 
     operations, and Hispanics represent 12.1 percent of the total 
     number of veterans who have served in operations in Iraq and 
     Afghanistan since September 11, 2001;
       Whereas, as of August 2019, at least 688 fatalities in Iraq 
     and Afghanistan were members of the Armed Forces who were 
     Hispanic;
       Whereas an estimated 200,000 Hispanics were mobilized for 
     World War I, and approximately 500,000 Hispanics served in 
     World War II;
       Whereas more than 80,000 Hispanics served in the Vietnam 
     war, representing 5.5 percent of individuals who made the 
     ultimate sacrifice for the United States in the conflict, 
     even though Hispanics comprised only 4.5 percent of the 
     population of the United States during the Vietnam war;
       Whereas approximately 148,000 Hispanic soldiers served in 
     the Korean war, including the 65th Infantry Regiment of the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, known as the ``Borinqueneers'', 
     the only active duty, segregated Latino military unit in the 
     history of the United States;
       Whereas 60 Hispanic Americans have received the 
     Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in 
     action against an enemy force bestowed on an individual 
     serving in the Armed Forces;
       Whereas Hispanic Americans are dedicated public servants, 
     holding posts at the highest levels of the Government of the 
     United States, including 1 seat on the Supreme Court of the 
     United States, 4 seats in the Senate, and 36 seats in the 
     House of Representatives; and
       Whereas Hispanic Americans harbor a deep commitment to 
     family and community, an enduring work ethic, and a 
     perseverance to succeed and contribute to society: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month 
     from September 15, 2019, through October 15, 2019;
       (2) esteems the integral role of Latinos and the manifold 
     heritages of Latinos in the economy, culture, and identity of 
     the United States; and
       (3) urges the people of the United States to observe 
     Hispanic Heritage Month with appropriate programs and 
     activities that celebrate the contributions of Latinos to the 
     United States.

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