Dear Friend, 

As we near the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s important to remember that we must continue to highlight the incredible contributions Hispano, Latino, and Chicano communities have made to New Mexico and our nation. This month of celebration of our communities’ rich culture, history, and traditions provides us with the opportunity to learn more about our diverse communities and to raise awareness of the challenges our Hispanic communities are facing.  

Diversity and inclusion are key to supporting our communities across New Mexico, and the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month provides us with an important opportunity to uplift Hispanic American voices. Our stories both pre-date and are deeply rooted in American history, as we lift up our history while also embracing our identity as a nation of immigrants. It's absolutely crucial for us to remember and honor the contributions of those who helped lay the foundation of our state’s economy and rich cultural heritage. New Mexico is a minority-majority state with a rich and proud multicultural heritage – and uplifting the voices of our communities is what we are all about. Hispanic communities are our entrepreneurs, public servants, farmers, essential workers, conservationists, and so much more. The accomplishments and contributions of Hispanic Americans can be felt everywhere.  

To uplift our communities’ stories on Hispanic Heritage Month, my team sat down with New Mexico’s own Paul Gallegos, the owner and artisan coffee roaster of Cutbow Coffee Roastology. Check out what Paul had to share about Hispanic Heritage Month below!  

To commemorate Hispanic Heritage month, I also cosponsored a bill to recognize Latina Women’s Equal Pay Day alongside our state’s very own Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M) and 88 other House Democrats. More than 50 years have passed since the implementation of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and Latinas still earn only 49 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men, working more than 2 years to earn what their male counterparts earned in 12 months. It’s important that we continue to spread awareness about these disparities in pay so that we can come together to raise wages for Hispanic, Latino, and minority communities across New Mexico.  

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As always, if I can be of any assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my staff at (505) 346-6781. If you’d like to keep up to date on what I am working on in Washington on behalf of New Mexico’s First Congressional District and our communities, you can subscribe to our newsletter here, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  

Sincerely,   
Melanie 

Melanie A. Stansbury
Member of Congress