Assembly Passes Resolution Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Unanimous vote after uproar involving its author Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez.
Sylvia Ortiz-Velez. File photo by Graham Kilmer.
Monday marks the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, and this year’s celebration could be the first time that the Wisconsin Legislature officially recognizes the month.
Assembly Joint Resolution 83 recognizes that Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 and that it presents an opportunity to honor the contributions of Hispanics and Latinos to the “past, present and future” of Wisconsin and the country. The month starts halfway through September because Sept. 15 marks the anniversary of independence from Spanish rule for several Central American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
The Assembly unanimously passed the resolution authored by Milwaukee Democrat Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, though its journey to the floor was marred by a public dispute among Democratic lawmakers. Black History Month resolutions have also stirred controversy in the past and for many years faced roadblocks to passage. This year the Black History Month resolution passed smoothly.
Ortiz-Velez authored her resolution after she was not included as an author on a similar effort by members of the Hispanic Legislative Caucus. Ortiz-Velez had declined to join the newly formed caucus, and its members explained that the authors of their resolution were exclusively caucus members.
Ortiz-Velez’s resolution differed from the caucus version in that it doesn’t honor the work of any specific individuals.
Ortiz-Velez secured Republican support for her resolution and, unlike the Hispanic Caucus, was able to get a scheduled floor vote.
Ortiz-Velez said on the floor that in writing her resolution she “wanted to make sure that I focused on the values that bind us together, so everyone can feel that they were included and had a seat at the table.” She noted in her speech that Hispanic and Latino people make up 7.8% of the state’s population — the largest minority group in Wisconsin.
“Across the state, Hispanic and Latino families are helping revitalize small towns and urban neighborhoods by opening businesses and buying homes and restoring vacant properties, supporting local schools and churches,” Ortiz-Velez said. “Hispanic and Latino Wisconsinites share the same core values… faith, family, hard work and service to community and country.”
The resolution states that Hispanic and Latino people settled in the area before Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848 and that the 20th century was a time when Central and South Americans increasingly migrated to Wisconsin for work, becoming a “vital part of Wisconsin’s agricultural economy.”
“Wisconsin has become home to more than 450,000 Hispanics and Latinos, who represent one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the state,” the resolution states. “Hispanics and Latinos live and work all across the state, enriching and revitalizing rural and urban communities alike.”
It also recognizes that Hispanic and Latino residents have served as elected officials and “have risked their lives to defend the United States in every armed conflict in modern history.”
Several lawmakers spoke in favor of the resolution ahead of the unanimous vote last week, including Rep. Priscilla Prado (D-Milwaukee), the leader of the Hispanic Legislative Caucus.
Prado said the resolution was a “long overdue acknowledgment of the meaningful contributions that Hispanic communities have made to our great state.”
“Unity is possible, even if we disagree on other issues, and at a time when division can feel ever so present, this resolution promises to lean into our shared humanity. It is not about winners or losers. It’s about the community I represent, and that I identify with,” Prado said. “Today, let’s pass this resolution, not just as a formality, but with excitement and heartfelt recognition to our Hispanic communities and their contribution to our great state.”
Ortiz-Velez said in a statement that if the resolution passes the Senate, it will be the first time a joint resolution recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month will have ever passed the full Legislature.
The resolution also has bipartisan support in the Senate with Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) as the leading coauthor. The Senate does not have a scheduled floor session during September.
As Hispanic Heritage Month starts, resolution celebrating it advances was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.
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