III 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 254 

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 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. REID, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. BENNET, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BROWN, Mr. CASEY, Mr. 

COONS, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. FRANKEN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, 

Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. HELLER, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. KAINE, Mr. MARKEY, 

Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON, Mr. PETERS, Mr. REED, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. 

SCHUMER, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. UDALL, Mr. WARNER, and Ms. WARREN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed 

to 

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 the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage 

Month from September 15, 2015, through October 15, 

2015; 

Whereas the United States Census Bureau estimates the Hispanic population in the United States at more than 

55,000,000 people, making Hispanic Americans 17.4 perVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:49 Sep 15, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR254.ATS SR254

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•SRES 254 ATS 

cent of the population of the United States and the largest racial or ethnic minority group in the United States; 

Whereas there were 1,000,000 or more Latino residents in 

Puerto Rico and each of the following 8 States in 2014: 

Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Texas; 

Whereas Latinos grew the United States population by more 

than 1,150,000 people between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 

2014, accounting for nearly 1⁄2 of all population growth 

during this period; 

Whereas the Latino population in the United States is projected to grow to 105,550,000 by 2050, at which point 

the Latino population will comprise more than 25 percent 

of the total population of the United States; 

Whereas the Latino population in the United States is currently the third largest worldwide, exceeding the population in every Latin American and Caribbean country 

except for Mexico and Brazil; 

Whereas there were 12,200,000 Latino family households in 

the United States and more than 17,900,000 Latino children under the age of 18 in 2014, representing 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 is Latino, and the share of Latino students 

is expected to rise to nearly 30 percent in the next decade; 

Whereas 19 percent of all college students between the ages 

of 18 and 24 years old are Latino, making Latinos the 

largest racial or ethnic minority group on college camVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:49 Sep 15, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR254.ATS SR254

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puses in the United States, including both 2-year community colleges and 4-year colleges and universities; 

Whereas a record 11,200,000 Latinos voted in the 2012 

Presidential election, representing a record 8.4 percent of 

the electorate in the United States; 

Whereas an estimated 28,500,000 Latinos will be eligible to 

vote in the 2016 Presidential election, and 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 over the next 15 

years; 

Whereas more than 2,000 Latino citizens currently turn 18 

and become eligible to vote every day, and an estimated 

1,000,000 Latino citizens will turn 18 and become eligible to vote every year by 2024; 

Whereas the annual purchasing power of Hispanic Americans 

was an estimated $1,300,000,000,000 in 2014, larger 

than the economy of all but 15 countries in the world; 

Whereas there are more than 3,200,000 Hispanic-owned 

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

$468,000,000,000 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 entrepreneurs starting businesses at 

more than twice the national rate; 

Whereas, as of August 2015, more than 26,000,000 Latino 

workers represented 16.6 percent of the total civilian 

labor force in the United States, and the Latino share of 

the labor force is expected to grow to 19.1 percent by 


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2022, with the Latino population accounting for more 

than 40 percent of the increase in employment in the 

United States over the next 5 years; 

Whereas Latinos have the highest labor force participation 

rate of any racial or ethnic group at 65.6 percent, compared to 62.6 percent overall; 

Whereas there were 270,000 Latino elementary and middle 

school teachers, 75,000 Latino chief executives of businesses, 63,000 Latino lawyers, and 64,000 Latino physicians and surgeons contributing to the United States 

through their professions in 2014; 

Whereas Hispanic Americans serve in all branches of the 

United States Armed Forces and have bravely fought in 

every war in the history of the United States; 

Whereas, as of July 31, 2015, more than 164,000 Hispanic 

active duty service members served with distinction in the 

United States Armed Forces; 

Whereas, as of August 31, 2015, approximately 284,000 

Latinos have served in overseas contingency operations 

since September 11, 2001, including more than 8,500 

Latinos currently serving in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; 

Whereas, as of September 2015, at least 675 United States 

Armed Forces fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan were 

Hispanic; 

Whereas an estimated 200,000 Latinos were mobilized for 

World War I and approximately 500,000 Latinos served 

during World War II; 

Whereas more than 80,000 Latinos served in the Vietnam 

War, representing 5.5 percent of individuals who made 

the ultimate sacrifice for the United States in the conVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:49 Sep 15, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR254.ATS SR254

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flict, even though Latinos comprised only 4.5 percent of 

the population of the United States at the time; 

Whereas approximately 148,000 Hispanic soldiers served in 

the Korean War, including Puerto Rico’s 65th Infantry 

Regiment known as the ‘‘Borinqueneers’’, the only activeduty segregated Latino military unit in the history of the 

United States; 

Whereas, as of September 2015, there are an estimated 

1,500,000 living Latino veterans of the United States 

Armed Forces; 

Whereas 61 Hispanic Americans have received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed on an 

individual serving in the United States Armed Forces; 

Whereas Hispanic Americans are dedicated public servants, 

holding posts at the highest levels of government, including 1 seat on the Supreme Court of the United States, 

3 seats in the Senate, 34 seats in the House of Representatives, and 3 seats in the Cabinet; 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, 2015, through Oc4 tober 15, 2015; 


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•SRES 254 ATS 

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

2 manifold heritage of Latinos in the economy, cul3 ture, and identity of the United States; and 

4 (3) urges the people of the United States to ob5 serve Hispanic Heritage Month with appropriate 

6 programs and activities that celebrate the contribu7 tions of Latinos to life in the United States. 

Æ 


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