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105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. RES. 148

Designating 1998 as the ‘‘On ̃ate 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 and Mr. BINGAMAN) submitted the following

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

RESOLUTION

Designating 1998 as the ‘‘On ̃ate Cuartocentenario’’, the

400th anniversary commemoration of the first permanent

Spanish settlement in New Mexico.

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
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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

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;
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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,

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 ‘‘On ̃ate

3 Cuartocentenario’’ to commemorate the 400th anni-
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1 versary of the first permanent Spanish settlement in

2 New Mexico;

3 (2) recognizes the cultural and economic impor4 tance of the Spanish settlements throughout the

5 Southwest Region of the United States;

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

7 Espan ̃ola Plaza Foundation, the Santa Fe and Albu8 querque Cuartocentenario committees, the Arch9 diocese of Santa Fe, the New Mexico Hispanic Cul10 tural Center Board of Directors, the Hispanic Cul11 tural Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as other

12 interested groups that are preparing On ̃ate

13 Cuartocentenario activities;

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

15 held in New Mexico and the Southwest in observance

16 of the On ̃ate Cuartocentenario;

17 (5) requests that the President issue a procla18 mation—

19 (A) declaring 1998 as the ‘‘On ̃ate

20 Cuartocentenario’’ to commemorate the 400th

21 anniversary of the first permanent Spanish set22 tlement in New Mexico; and

23 (B) calling on the people of the United

24 States and interested groups to observe the

25 year with appropriate ceremonies, activities,
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1 and programs to honor and celebrate the con2 tributions of Hispanic people to the cultural

3 and economic life of the United States; and

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

5 to support, promote, and participate in the many

6 On ̃ate Cuartocentenario activities being planned to

7 commemorate the historic event of the early settling

8 of the Southwest Region of the United States by the

9 Spanish.

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