IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 561 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 

Mr. CA ́RDENAS (for himself, Mr. AGUILAR, Ms. BASS, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 

BONAMICI, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. BROWN of 

Maryland, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. CARBAJAL, 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, 

Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. CLARK

of Massachusetts, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CORREA, 

Mr. COSTA, Mr. CUELLAR, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. DAVIS

of California, Ms. DEAN, Ms. DEGETTE, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. DEUTCH, 

Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. ESHOO, 

Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. EVANS, Ms. FRANKEL, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. 

GARAMENDI, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GARCI ́A of Illinois, Mr. GOMEZ, 

Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. HARDER of 

California, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. HIMES, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. 

HUFFMAN, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. 

KHANNA, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KILMER, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. 

LANGEVIN, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LEVIN of California, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. MALINOWSKI, Ms. MATSUI, 

Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. 

MENG, Ms. MOORE, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Mr. MOULTON, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. NADLER, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. NEAL, Ms. NORTON, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. OMAR, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. 

PASCRELL, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. PETERS, 

Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. POCAN, Ms. PORTER, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. LUJA ́N, 

Miss RICE of New York, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. SABLAN, 

Mr. SAN NICOLAS, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. 

SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. 

SERRANO, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. SIRES, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. SOTO, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. 

SUOZZI, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. TITUS, Mrs. 

TORRES of California, Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico, Mrs. TRAHAN, 

Mr. VARGAS, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. VELA, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. YARMUTH, 


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•HRES 561 IH 

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WATERS, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. 

FOSTER, Ms. HOULAHAN, and Mr. HASTINGS) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 

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, 2019, through October 15, 

2019, the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage 

Month; 

Whereas the Bureau of the Census estimates the Hispanic 

population living in the continental United States at over 

59,000,000, plus an additional 3,300,000 living in the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, making Hispanic Americans 18 percent of the total population of the United 

States and the largest racial or ethnic minority group in 

the United States; 

Whereas, in 2017, 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 between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2018, Latinos 

grew the United States population by approximately 

1,200,000 individuals, accounting for over 1⁄2 of the total 

population growth during that period; 


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•HRES 561 IH 

Whereas, by 2065, the Latino population in the United 

States is projected to grow to 107,000,000, and the 

Latino population will comprise more than 24 percent of 

the total United States population; 

Whereas the Latino population in the United States is currently the third largest worldwide, exceeding the size of 

the population in every Latin American and Caribbean 

country except Mexico and Brazil; 

Whereas, in 2018, there were more than 18,701,184 Latino 

children under the age of 18 in the United States, which 

represents approximately 1⁄3 of the total Latino population in the United States; 

Whereas more than 1 in 4 public school students in the 

United States are Latino, and the ratio of Latino students is expected to rise to nearly 30 percent by 2027; 

Whereas 19 percent of all college students 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 8.8 million to 17.9 million, 

and Hispanics now make up 22.7 percent of all people 

enrolled in school; 

Whereas a record 12,700,000 Latinos voted in the 2016 

Presidential election, representing a record 9.2 percent of 

the electorate in the United States; 

Whereas the number of eligible Latino voters is expected to 

rise to 40,000,000 by 2030, accounting for 40 percent of 


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•HRES 561 IH 

the growth in the eligible electorate in the United States 

by 2032; 

Whereas each year approximately 800,000 Latino citizens 

turn 18 years old and become eligible to vote, a number 

that could grow to 1,000,000 per year, adding a potential 

18 million new Latino voters by 2032; 

Whereas, in 2018, the annual purchasing power of Hispanic 

Americans was an estimated $1,700,000,000,000, which 

is an amount greater than the economy of all except 17 

countries in the world; 

Whereas there are more than 4,370,000 Hispanic-owned 

firms in the United States, supporting millions of employees nationwide and contributing more than 

$1,700,000,000 in revenue to the economy of the United 

States; 

Whereas Hispanic-owned businesses represent the fastest 

growing segment of small businesses in the United 

States, with Latino-owned businesses growing at more 

than 15 times the national rate; 

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 the rate of Latino labor 

force participation is expected to grow to 20 percent by 

2024, accounting for 1⁄5 of the total labor force as a result of the fastest population growth of all the race and 

ethnicity groups in the United States; 

Whereas with 66.1 percent labor force participation, Latinos 

have the highest labor force participation rate of any racial or ethnic group, resulting in the Latino labor force 

expanding 3 times as fast as the rest of the population; 


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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; 

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, there are more than 200,000 Hispanic 

active duty servicemembers serving in the Armed Forces, 

accounting for a total of more than 1,200,000 Hispanics 

who have served our country, including 136,000 Latinas; 

Whereas, as of 2018, more than 399,000 Hispanics have 

served in post-September 11, 2001, overseas contingency 

operations, representing 12.1 percent of the total veteran 

population who have served post-9/11 in operations in 

Iraq and Afghanistan; 

Whereas, as of August 2019, at least 688 United States military fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan 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 the conflict, even though Hispanics comprised only 4.5 percent 

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

Whereas approximately 148,000 Hispanic soldiers served in 

the Korean war, including the 65th Infantry Regiment of 


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the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, known as the 

‘‘Borinqueneers’’, the only active duty, segregated Latino 

military unit in United States history; 

Whereas 60 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, 4 seats in the Senate, and 

36 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 House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the celebration of Hispanic Her3 itage Month; 

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

5 manifold heritage of Latinos in the economy, cul6 ture, and identity of the United States; and 

7 (3) urges the people of the United States to ob8 serve Hispanic Heritage Month with appropriate 

9 programs and activities that celebrate the contribu10 tions of Latinos to the United States. 

Æ 


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