III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 417 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 7, 2021 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. PADILLA, Ms. CORTEZ

MASTO, Mr. LUJA ́N, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BENNET, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. BROWN, Ms. CANTWELL, 

Mr. CARDIN, Mr. CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. COONS, Ms. 

DUCKWORTH, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. HAGERTY, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. HICKENLOOPER, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. KAINE, Mr. 

KELLY, Mr. KING, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. 

MURPHY, Mr. OSSOFF, Mr. REED, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, 

Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. SMITH, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WARNER, Mr. WARNOCK, Ms. WARREN, and Mr. WYDEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

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. 

Whereas, from September 15, 2021, through October 15, 

2021, the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage 

Month; 


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•SRES 417 IS 

Whereas the Bureau of the Census estimates the Hispanic 

population living in the 50 States at more than 

60,000,000 people, plus close to 3,200,000 people living 

in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, making Hispanic 

Americans 18.75 percent of the total population of the 

United States and the largest racial or ethnic minority 

group in the United States; 

Whereas, in 2021, 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, from 2010 to 2019, Latinos grew the population of 

the United States by approximately 9,829,000 individuals, accounting for more than 1⁄2 of the total population 

growth of the United States during that period; 

Whereas the Latino population in the United States is projected to grow to 111,000,000 people by 2060, at which 

point the Latino population will comprise more than 28 

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 2019, there were more than 18,687,000 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; 


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•SRES 417 IS 

Whereas 27.3 percent of 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 19.5 percent of all college students in the United 

States 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, 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 24 percent of all people enrolled in school in the United States; 

Whereas a record 32,000,000 Latinos were eligible to vote in 

the 2020 Presidential election, representing 13.3 percent 

of the electorate in the United States; 

Whereas, in the 2020 Presidential election, Latinos cast 

16,600,000 votes, a 30.9-percent increase from the number of votes cast by Latinos in the 2016 Presidential election; 

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 2030; 

Whereas, each year, approximately 800,000 Latino citizens of 

the United States reach 18 years of age and become eligible to vote, a number that could grow to 1,000,000 per 

year, potentially adding 10,000,000 new Latino voters by 

2032; 

Whereas it is estimated that, in 2020, the annual purchasing 

power of Hispanic Americans was $1,700,000,000,000, 


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•SRES 417 IS 

which is an amount greater than the economy of all except 17 countries in the world; 

Whereas there are close to 4,000,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States, supporting millions of employees nationwide and contributing more than 

$700,000,000,000 in revenue to the economy of the 

United States; 

Whereas, in 2018, Hispanic-owned businesses represented the 

fastest growing segment of small businesses in the 

United States, with those businesses representing 5.8 

percent of all businesses in the United States; 

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, in 2017, the labor force participation rate of 

Latinos was 66.1 percent, higher than the labor force 

participation rate of non-Hispanics, which was 62.2 percent; 

Whereas, as of 2017, there were approximately 326,800 

Latino elementary and middle 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; 


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•SRES 417 IS 

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— 

(1) more than 200,000 Hispanic members of the 

Armed Forces serve on active duty; and 

(2) there are 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 that conflict, even though Hispanics comprised only 4.5 percent 

of the population of the United States during the Vietnam war; 

Whereas approximately 150,000 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; 


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Whereas 61 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, 6 seats in the Senate, and 

47 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 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the celebration of Hispanic Her3 itage Month from September 15, 2021, through Oc4 tober 15, 2021; 

5 (2) esteems the integral role of Latinos and the 

6 manifold heritages of Latinos in the economy, cul7 ture, and identity of the United States; and 

8 (3) urges the people of the United States to ob9 serve Hispanic Heritage Month with appropriate 

10 programs and activities that celebrate the contribu11 tions of Latinos to the United States. 

Æ 


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