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SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 40

TH LEGISLATURE

- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -

FIRST SESSION

, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Ben D. Altamirano

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR AND THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO

REINSTATE THE STATE SUPERVISOR OF SPANISH.

WHEREAS, the league of united Latin American citizens is

the nation's oldest and largest Latino membership organization,

and since its inception, it has fostered higher education and

advancement of all Hispanics at all levels and facets of our

American society; and

WHEREAS, before the United States achieved independence,

Spanish soldiers and colonists from Mexico established

settlements in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, when New Mexico was ceded to the United States

following the war of 1846-1848, Spanish was the dominant

language, with an estimated sixty thousand Spanish-speaking

residents; and

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.167142.1

WHEREAS, in 1943, the position of state supervisor of

Spanish was created "to bring about an improvement in the

teaching of Spanish in the schools of the state and in order to

insure the retainment and the development of the Spanish

language, with a view of future inter-American relations"; and

WHEREAS, the law providing for the state supervisor of

Spanish was repealed in 1967; and

WHEREAS, the league of united Latin American citizens

supports the reinstatement of the law creating the state

supervisor of Spanish to promote the teaching of Spanish in the

schools of the state of New Mexico and to promote the

development of the Spanish language, with a view of future

inter-American relations;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE

STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor and the public education

department be requested to reinstate the position of state

supervisor of Spanish; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the league of united Latin American citizens,

the governor and the secretary of public education.

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