RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF OCTOBER 3, 2019
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month
Body
WHEREAS, on September 17,1968, Congress passed Public Law bill 90-498 as a Joint Resolution which authorized and requested the office of the President to issue an annual proclamation to designate the week including September 15th and September 16th as National Hispanic Heritage Week in recognition of the extraordinary contributions of Hispanic Americans. President Lyndon Johnson issued the first proclamation, Proclamation 3869, the same day; and
WHEREAS, the dates of September 15th and September 16th were chosen specifically because the anniversaries of the declarations of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua are on September 15th, and the anniversary for Mexico is on September 16th; and
WHEREAS, on August 17,1988, the law was amended by Congress to proclaim September 15th through October 15th as National Hispanic Heritage Month. The amendment became effective on January 1, 1989. President George H.W. Bush issued the first proclamation on September 14, 1989; and
WHEREAS, as of the 2010 Census, 25.5% of the population of Cook County are of Hispanic or Latino origin; and
WHEREAS, Hispanics of every generation have made contributions to the arts, education, mathematics, science, literature, technology, and philanthropy in this country and the world, and have served bravely and honorably in the United States military. Some notable Hispanic figures are Sylvia Mendez, Ron Rivera, Sonia Sotomayor, Ellen Ochoa, Carlos Juan Finlay, and Oscar Hijuelos; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (District) celebrates the vast contributions made by Hispanic residents in our communities; and
WHEREAS, the District is committed to continue to work towards diversity and inclusion and recognizes the contributions of our Hispanic staff members, including the work that they do to serve the diverse municipalities that lie within the District’s borders; and
WHEREAS, the Mexican American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois was founded in 1990 to provide the growing Hispanic population with tools and resources for establishing and maintaining successful businesses. In 2002 the organization changed its name to the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC); and
WHEREAS, since its inception, the IHCC’s membership has grown dramatically as more corporations, cities, and public agencies seek to diversify their pool of vendors. The IHCC currently represents more than 70,000 businesses that contribute greater than $15 billion dollars to the Illinois economy in addition to providing more than 100,000 jobs; and
WHEREAS, in observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the District is hosting its inaugural Latinx Heritage Month Celebration on October 3, 2019, "Celebrating Our Roots”, recognizing staff and the achievements of the Hispanic community; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, do hereby honor the contributions of the Hispanic community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Dated: October 3, 2019