PUBLIC LAW 105-127—DEC. 1, 1997 111 STAT. 2543 Public Law 105-127 105th Congress An Act To provide for the design, construction, furnishing and equipping of a Center for ^ - -___ Performing Arts within the complex known as the New Mexico Hispanic Cultural ^ Center and for other purposes. [S. 1417] Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, Hispanic Cultural Center SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. Act of 1997. This Act may be cited as the "Hispanic Cultural Center Act of 1997". SEC. 2. CONSTRUCTION OF A CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS. (a) FINDINGS. —Congress makes the following findings: (1) The United States has an enriched legacy of Hispanic influence in politics, government, economic development, and cultural expression. (2) The ffispanic culture in what is now the United States can be traced to 1528 when a Spanish expedition from Cuba to Florida was shipwrecked on the Texas coast. (3) The Hispanic culture in New Mexico can be traced to 1539 when a Spanish Franciscan Friar, Marcos de Niza, and his guide, Estevanico, traveled into present day New Mexico in search of the fabled city of Cibola and made contact with the people of Zuni. (4) The Hispanic influence in New Mexico is particularly dominant and a part of dsiily living for all the citizens of New Mexico, who are a diverse composite of racial, ethnic, and cultural peoples. Don Juan de Oiiate and the first New Mexican families established the first capital in the United States, San Juan de los Caballeros, in July of 1598. (5) Based on the 1990 census, there are approximately 650,000 Hispanics in New Mexico, the majority having roots reaching back ten or more generations. (6) There are an additional 200,000 Hispanics living outside of New Mexico with roots in New Mexico. (7) The New Mexico Hispanic Cultural Center is a living tribute to the Hispanic experience and will provide all citizens of New Mexico, the Southwestern United States, the entire United States, and around the world, an opportunity to learn about, partake in, and enjoy the unique Hispanic culture, and the New Mexico Hispanic Cultural Center will assure that this 400-year old culture is preserved.
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