IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 389

Celebrating the ‘‘New Mexico Cuartocentenario’’, the 400th anniversary

commemoration of the first permanent Spanish settlement in New Mexico.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 18, 1998

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. REDMOND, and Mr. SKEEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Government

Reform and Oversight

RESOLUTION

Celebrating the ‘‘New Mexico Cuartocentenario’’, the 400th

anniversary commemoration of the first permanent Spanish settlement in New Mexico.

Whereas 400 years ago 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, located near the modern day cities of

San Juan Pueblo and Espan ̃ola, New Mexico;

Whereas 1998 marks the 400th anniversary, referred to as

the Cuartocentenario, of the first permanent settlement

in New Mexico;

Whereas the first Spanish capital was established at San

Juan de los Caballeros in July of 1598, twelve years earlier than the English settled Jamestown in 1610;
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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 from California to Kansas and across Arizona,

New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma from 1540 to 1542;

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, and 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 contributors, 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 House of Representatives—

2 (1) commemorates the first permanent Spanish

3 settlement in New Mexico;
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1 (2) recognizes the cultural and economic impor2 tance of the Spanish settlements throughout the

3 Southwest Region of the United States;

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

5 Espan ̃ola Plaza Foundation, the Santa Fe and Albu6 querque Cuartocentenario committees, the Arch7 diocese of Santa Fe, the New Mexico Hispanic Cul8 tural Center Board of Directors, the Hispanic Cul9 tural Foundation Board of Trustees, as well as other

10 interested groups that are preparing New Mexico

11 Cuartocentenario activities;

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

13 held in New Mexico and the Southwest in observance

14 of the New Mexico Cuartocentenario; and

15 (5) requests that the President issue a procla16 mation calling upon the people of the United

17 States—

18 (A) to commemorate the first permanent

19 Spanish settlement in New Mexico with appro20 priate ceremonies, activities, and programs to

21 honor and celebrate the contributions of His22 panic people to the cultural and economic life of

23 the United States; and

24 (B) to support, promote, and participate in

25 the many activities being planned to commemo-
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1 rate the historic event of the early settling of

2 the Southwest Region of the United States by

3 the Spanish.

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