119-hres640

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 640 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 640

 Recognizing the significance of ``Chicano/Chicana 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 8, 2025

 Mr. Correa submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Recognizing the significance of ``Chicano/Chicana 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 co-invented 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, 
 Guzman, Palomino, Estrada, Ramirez 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 5 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 approximately 37,000,000 Chicano/Chicana immigrants reside within the 
 United States, and comprise about 61.5 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/Chicana 
 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/Chicana Heritage Month and 
 encourages its observation with appropriate events and 
 activities.
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