IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 229 

Recognizing the significance of the 1973 New Mexico Bilingual Multicultural 

Education Act on its 50th anniversary and the importance of cultivating 

education in both the mother tongue as well as English for the preservation of culture, identity, and Indigenous knowledge. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2023 

Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the significance of the 1973 New Mexico Bilingual Multicultural Education Act on its 50th anniversary 

and the importance of cultivating education in both the 

mother tongue as well as English for the preservation 

of culture, identity, and Indigenous knowledge. 

Whereas, when New Mexico became a territory of the United 

States in 1848, the predominant languages spoken were 

Dine ́ (Navajo), Jicarilla and Mescalero Apache, Keres, 

Tiwa, Towa, Tewa, Zuni, and Spanish; 

Whereas the citizens of the New Mexico territory recognized 

the importance of maintaining Spanish and these Indigenous languages, and rejected and resisted attempts to 

eradicate these languages as a precondition for becoming 

a State; 


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Whereas, when New Mexico was finally admitted as a State 

in 1912, its constitution provided for the education of 

teachers and students in Spanish; 

Whereas Indigenous leaders recognized that their language 

was a gift from their creator which was essential for 

them to continue teaching successive generations of their 

purpose, way of life, customs, and laws; 

Whereas Senator Matı ́as Chaco ́n introduced bill 421, the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act to the New Mexico 

State Legislature in 1973 in collaboration with several bilingual education advocates including Senator Ray Leger 

and Mela Leger, the director of bilingual education in the 

West Las Vegas schools; 

Whereas New Mexico was the first State to adopt a bilingual 

multicultural education law, and the New Mexico Bilingual Multicultural Education Act is the only State legislation that acknowledges culture as an important part of 

language acquisition; 

Whereas, since 1973, New Mexico has allocated State funds 

to districts for the implementation of bilingual multicultural education programs, and 70 percent of New Mexico 

school districts currently implement bilingual multicultural education programs; 

Whereas the New Mexico 520 Alternative Certificate allows 

members of New Mexico’s 22 Pueblos and Tribal Nations 

to teach their respective languages in New Mexico public 

schools; 

Whereas, pursuant to section 2A of the New Mexico Bilingual 

Multicultural Education Act of 1973, a ‘‘bilingual multicultural education program’’ is a program where children 

learn through 2 languages, enhance and foster a positive 


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understanding of the cultures of their environment, and 

participate in ‘‘the wealth and beauty of such a rich cultural heritage’’ in ‘‘the pluralistic society in which we 

now live’’; 

Whereas bilingual multicultural education supports emergent 

bilingual students, prepares all students to participate in 

a multicultural society, and ensures equal access to education; 

Whereas, in 1968, Congress passed the first major Federal 

legislation concerning bilingual education, the Bilingual 

Education Act (BEA), which became the English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act; 

Whereas the State Court held in Yazzie/Martinez v. State of 

New Mexico that the State failed to provide adequate 

education for students, particularly low-income students, 

English learners, Native Americans, and students with 

disabilities, thus requiring the State to ensure schools 

have the necessary resources, including sufficient funding, to provide all students with equal access to education; 

Whereas New Mexico is 1 of the 49 States that has approved 

a Seal of Biliteracy; 

Whereas New Mexico is 1 of at least 39 States that provides 

for training, professional development, teaching standards, certification, or endorsements for alternative language teachers in statute or regulation; 

Whereas Federal legislation has been proposed to create 

grants for States to fund the Seal of Biliteracy program 

but remains unfulfilled; 


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Whereas nearly 22 percent of people in the United States 

speak a language other than English at home, and the 

Census Bureau reported that the 5 most frequently spoken languages other than English are Spanish or Spanish 

Creole, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic; 

Whereas there are roughly 245 Indigenous languages spoken 

across the United States, and many of these are at risk 

of extinction with only a small number of speakers remaining; 

Whereas English learners are entitled to receive special services based on the 1974 Supreme Court decision in Lau 

v. Nichols so that they may learn the same academic content as English speakers and have access to public education; 

Whereas, in 2002, Public Law 107–110 changed the name of 

the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs at the Department of Education to the 

Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited 

English Proficient Students; 

Whereas there are thousands of dual language programs 

across the country, and States like California, Massachusetts, Utah, North Carolina, Delaware, and Washington 

have moved toward dual language initiatives; 

Whereas bilingual multicultural education is beneficial to all 

students, as it helps promote the development of a student’s home or heritage language, bilingualism, biliteracy, 

and global awareness; 

Whereas language skills, abilities, and practices are interconnected, and the more a student’s home or heritage 


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language is supported, the stronger effect it will have on 

acquiring another language; and 

Whereas language is an important aspect of a student’s identity and culture, and studies show that being bilingual or 

multilingual has several benefits such as increased problem-solving abilities, increased creativity, increased concentration skills, increased learning, and increased interpersonal skills: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports efforts to incorporate bilingual 

3 multicultural education; 

4 (2) supports efforts to encourage the Office of 

5 English Language Acquisition, Language Enhance6 ment, and Academic Achievement for Limited 

7 English Proficient Students to become the Office of 

8 Multilingual Education; 

9 (3) supports creating grants for teacher devel10 opment to increase the number of bilingual teachers 

11 and professors in the United States; 

12 (4) supports creating grants to fund the Seal of 

13 Biliteracy program; and 

14 (5) supports efforts to help American-Indian 

15 Tribes and Nations maintain, revitalize, and teach 

16 their Indigenous languages. 

Æ 


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