III

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. RES. 148

Designating 1998 as the ‘‘New Mexico Cuartocentenario’’, the 400th anniversary commemoration of the first permanent Spanish settlement in New

Mexico.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

NOVEMBER 8, 1997

Mr. DOMENICI (for himself, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. LOTT, Mr. DASCHLE, Mr.

COVERDELL, Mr. HAGEL, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. MURKOWSKI, Mr.

THOMAS, Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire, Mr. BENNETT, Ms. COLLINS,

Mr. NICKLES, Mr. BURNS, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. HUTCHINSON,

Mr. D’AMATO, Mr. GORTON, Mr. HATCH, Mr. COCHRAN, Mr. ALLARD,

Mr. BOND, Mr. DEWINE, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr.

FAIRCLOTH, Mr. COATS, Mr. HELMS, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. GREGG, Mr.

FRIST, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. INOUYE, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. MOYNIHAN,

Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN, Mr. KERRY, Mr. KOHL, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr.

BUMPERS, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. KERREY, Mr. DODD, Mr.

THURMOND, Mr. ROBB, Mr. BRYAN, Mr. REID, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr.

WYDEN, Mr. ASHCROFT, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr.

TORRICELLI, Mr. STEVENS, Mr. KEMPTHORNE, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BAUCUS, and Mr. SPECTER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

FEBRUARY 12, 1998

Reported by Mr. HATCH, with an amendment and an amendment to the title

[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic]

FEBRUARY 27, 1998

Considered, amended, and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Designating 1998 as the ‘‘New Mexico Cuartocentenario’’,

the 400th anniversary commemoration of the first permanent Spanish settlement in New Mexico.
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SRES 148 ATS

Whereas Don Juan de On ̃ate of Spain settled the first permanent colony of Europeans in the Southwest Region of

the United States, known as San Gabriel de Los

Espan ̃oles, and located near modern day San Juan Pueblo and Espan ̃ola, New Mexico;

Whereas the first Spanish capital was established at San

Juan de los Caballeros in July of 1598, predating the

English settlement of Jamestown in 1610 by 12 years;

Whereas Spanish exploration activity in the New World

began in 1512 when Ponce de Leo ́n explored the Florida

peninsula, and included the explorations of Francisco

Coronado throughout California to Kansas and across

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma from 1540

to 1542;

Whereas the major Spanish settlement efforts were focused

in modern day Florida and New Mexico, and 1998 marks

the 400th anniversary of the first permanent settlement

in New Mexico, referred to as the Cuartocentenario;

Whereas Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing minority group in the United States and include descendants

of the Spanish, Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Central

American, and other Hispanic peoples;

Whereas the United States Census Bureau estimated in

March 1993 that the Hispanic population of the United

States was 22,800,000; the current estimate of the Hispanic population in the United States is 26,000,000, with

projections of 30,000,000 by the year 2000, 40,000,000

by 2010, and almost 60,000,000 (or 20 percent of the

total United States population) by the year 2030;

Whereas the number of Hispanic immigrants to the United

States has increased from 1,500,000 in the 1960’s, to
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2,400,000 in the 1970’s, to 4,500,000 in the 1980’s, and

the number of Hispanic immigrants is expected to continue to rise;

Whereas two-thirds of all Hispanics in the United States

today are of Mexican origin, and 70 percent of United

States Hispanics live in 4 States: California, Texas, New

York, and Florida;

Whereas New Mexico’s Hispanic population is 39 percent (or

over 660,000 of the 1995 total State population of

1,700,000) and represents the highest percentage of Hispanics in any State in the United States;

Whereas the United States has an enriched legacy of Hispanic influence in politics, government, business, and culture due to the early settlements and continuous influx

of Hispanics into the United States;

Whereas the New Mexico State Government has funded a

Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico,

with assistance from the Federal Government, local governments, and private contributions, to celebrate and preserve Hispanic culture including literature, performing

arts, visual arts, music, culinary arts, and language arts;

Whereas the Archbishop of Santa Fe, Michael Sheehan, is

planning events throughout 1998 in New Mexico, including the opening of ‘‘Jubilee year’’, an encuentro at Santo

Domingo Pueblo to mark the meeting of the missionaries

with the Pueblo peoples, an Archdiocesan reconciliation

service at the Santuario de Chimayo, and an Archdiocesan celebration of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe;

Whereas in order to commemorate Don Juan de On ̃ate’s arrival, the city of Espan ̃ola will have a fiesta in July 1998,

the city of Santa Fe is planning several special events,
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and the New Mexico statewide committee is planning a

parade, a historical costume ball, and a pageant in Albuquerque; and

Whereas many other religious, educational, and social events

are being planned around New Mexico to commemorate

the 400th anniversary of the first permanent Spanish

settlement in New Mexico: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate—

2 (1) designates the year 1998 as the ‘‘New Mex3 ico Cuartocentenario’’ to commemorate the 400th

4 anniversary of the first permanent Spanish settle5 ment in New Mexico;

6 (2) recognizes the cultural and economic impor7 tance of the Spanish settlements throughout the

8 Southwest Region of the United States;

9 (3) expresses its support for the work of the

10 Espan ̃ola Plaza Foundation, the Santa Fe and Albu11 querque Cuartocentenario committees, the Arch12 diocese of Santa Fe, the New Mexico Hispanic Cul13 tural Center Board of Directors, the Hispanic Cul14 tural Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as other

15 interested groups that are preparing New Mexico

16 Cuartocentenario activities;

17 (4) expresses its support for the events to be

18 held in New Mexico and the Southwest in observance

19 of the New Mexico Cuartocentenario;
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1 (5) requests that the President issue a procla2 mation—

3 (A) declaring 1998 as the ‘‘New Mexico

4 Cuartocentenario’’ to commemorate the 400th

5 anniversary of the first permanent Spanish set6 tlement in New Mexico; and

7 (B) calling on the people of the United

8 States and interested groups to observe the

9 year with appropriate ceremonies, activities,

10 and programs to honor and celebrate the con11 tributions of Hispanic people to the cultural

12 and economic life of the United States; and

13 (6) calls upon the people of the United States

14 to support, promote, and participate in the many

15 New Mexico Cuartocentenario activities being

16 planned to commemorate the historic event of the

17 early settling of the Southwest Region of the United

18 States by the Spanish.

Æ