September 14, 2023

Bipartisan Bicameral Resolution recognizes National HSIs Week, Sept. 11-15, 2023

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities applauds the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for recognizing the contributions made by Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

A bipartisan bicameral Resolution introduced by Senators Bob Menendez (NJ), John Cornyn (TX), and Alex Padilla (CA) and Reps. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Jenniffer González-Colón (PR), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07), and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) designates the week starting on September 11, 2023, as National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week. Most of the bill’s lead sponsors are co-chairs of the Senate and House Congressional HSI Caucuses and are joined by over 70 members of Congress.

The Resolution recognizes that HSIs “play an important role in educating many low-income and underserved students and creating opportunities and increasing access to higher education for such students,” and “are engines of economic mobility and a major contributor to the economic prosperity of the United States.” Click here for release from Senate Menendez and here for release from Rep. Castro.

In addition to Sens. Menendez, Cornyn, and Padilla, the resolution is supported by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Penn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Penn.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (D-Wash.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and James Lankford (R-Okla.) in the Senate.

Joining Reps. Castro, González-Colón, Grijalva, and Ciscomani in supporting the resolution in the House of Representatives are Reps. Linda T. Sanchez (D-Calif.-38), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52), Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.-09), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas-16), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.-19), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.-01), Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.-24), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.-09), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Jim Costa (D-Calif.-21), Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.-31), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.19), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.-04), Darren Soto (D-Fla.-09), Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-Calif.-44), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.-34), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.-30), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.-03), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.-14), Jose Luis Correa (R-Puerto Rico-02), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.-12), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Michelle Steel (R-Calif.-45), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.-16), David G. Valadao (R-Calif.-22), Katie Porter (D-Calif.-47), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.-04), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-04), Nydia M. Velazquez (D-N.Y.-07), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas-29), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas-28), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas-37), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.-03), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-Ill.-04), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.-29), Marc Veasey (D-Texas-33), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.-03), Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Colin Allred (D-Texas-32), and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas-30).

In 1992, HACU led the effort to convince Congress to formally recognize campuses with high Hispanic enrollment as federally designated HSIs and to begin targeting federal appropriations to those campuses.

Congress first formally recognized campuses with high Hispanic enrollment as federally designated HSIs in 1992, and in 1995 HSIs received the initial federal appropriations.

Below are some links to additional information about HSIs:
Download HSIs Fact Sheet here.
Download HSIs Quick Fact Sheet here.
View the list of HSIs here and Emerging HSIs here.

Celebrate the role HSIs play in improving access to education and advancing equity for historically underserved students. Tag @HACUnews in social media and use hashtag #HSIsWeek.