Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) applauded the Senate’s passage of a bipartisan resolution, led by Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), recognizing September 15th through October 15th as a month to celebrate and honor Hispanic culture in the United States.
“Hispanics are an inextricable part of the American fabric. In my home state of Nevada, Hispanic traditions and the Spanish language have shaped our identity and culture for hundreds of years,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “As the first Latina in the United States Senate, I’m uniquely honored to cosponsor this resolution recognizing the contributions and achievements of millions of Hispanic Americans across our country.”
This resolution recognizes the integral role of Latinos and Latinas in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States. Hispanic Americans are the largest racial or ethnic minority group in the U.S. representing more than 58 million people (18% of the U.S. population), plus another 3.4 million in Puerto Rico. Fifteen States – Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington – have populations of close to a million or more Latino and Latina residents.
With an annual purchasing power of $1.5 trillion, Hispanic Americans own more than 4,700,000 businesses that support millions of jobs and contribute more than six trillion in revenue to the economy of the United States.
Joining Senators Cortez Masto and Menendez were Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D- Calif.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.).