"MEXICAN AMERICAN CHICANO HERITAGE DAY"

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A MEMORIAL
DECLARING FEBRUARY 2, 2026 "MEXICAN AMERICAN CHICANO HERITAGE
DAY" IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
WHEREAS, on February 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo was signed, marking a pivotal moment in the shared
history of the United States and Mexico and reshaping the
cultural and geographic landscape of North America; and
WHEREAS, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ceded to the
United States the lands that make up most of today's American
southwest and granted United States citizenship to Mexican
citizens living in that territory, thus creating a new ethnic
identity, Mexican Americans; and
WHEREAS, Mexican Americans are the largest indigenous
ethnic group in the United States, representing nearly forty
million people who acknowledge their historical and cultural
roots with the Mexican people, separated only by an
artificial border; and
WHEREAS, February 2, 1848 is a date that symbolizes the
birth of a new identity for Mexican Americans, including the
activist movement known in art, literature, politics and
culture as the Chicano movement, whose legacy lies in a
determination to preserve the culture, language, traditional
values and honor of a people who have survived and thrived
despite marginalization and discrimination; and
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WHEREAS, the date of the signing of the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo honors the vital roles Mexican Americans
and the Chicano movement have carried out in building and
strengthening the fabric of the United States by reshaping
politics, the economy and society; creating new art forms in
visual arts, music and literature; serving in the defense of
the nation in times of war; and advocating for civil rights
and labor reforms;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that February 2,
2026 be declared "Mexican American Chicano Heritage Day" in
the house of representatives in recognition of the diverse
history, culture and heritage of New Mexico's Mexican
American and Chicano communities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the observance of Mexican
American Chicano Heritage Day be an occasion to foster unity
in a diverse nation and promote a greater understanding of
the Chicano movement in New Mexico; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
transmitted to the governor and members of the legislature.