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 preserva-
tion 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 Bilin-
gual 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 Indige-
nous languages, and rejected and resisted attempts to 
eradicate these languages as a precondition for becoming 
a State; 
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•HRES 229 IH 
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 Bi-
lingual Multicultural Education Act to the New Mexico 
State Legislature in 1973 in collaboration with several bi-
lingual 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 Bilin-
gual Multicultural Education Act is the only State legis-
lation 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 multicul-
tural education programs, and 70 percent of New Mexico 
school districts currently implement bilingual multicul-
tural 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 multi-
cultural education program’’ is a program where children 
learn through 2 languages, enhance and foster a positive 
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•HRES 229 IH 
understanding of the cultures of their environment, and 
participate in ‘‘the wealth and beauty of such a rich cul-
tural 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 edu-
cation; 
Whereas, in 1968, Congress passed the first major Federal 
legislation concerning bilingual education, the Bilingual 
Education Act (BEA), which became the English Lan-
guage Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Aca-
demic 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 fund-
ing, to provide all students with equal access to edu-
cation; 
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 stand-
ards, certification, or endorsements for alternative lan-
guage 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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•HRES 229 IH 
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 spo-
ken 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 re-
maining; 
Whereas English learners are entitled to receive special serv-
ices based on the 1974 Supreme Court decision in Lau 
v. Nichols so that they may learn the same academic con-
tent as English speakers and have access to public edu-
cation; 
Whereas, in 2002, Public Law 107–110 changed the name of 
the Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Lan-
guages Affairs at the Department of Education to the 
Office of English Language Acquisition, Language En-
hancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited 
English Proficient Students; 
Whereas there are thousands of dual language programs 
across the country, and States like California, Massachu-
setts, 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 stu-
dent’s home or heritage language, bilingualism, biliteracy, 
and global awareness; 
Whereas language skills, abilities, and practices are inter-
connected, and the more a student’s home or heritage 
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