HOUSE MEMORIAL 65

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2016

INTRODUCED BY

Antonio "Moe" Maestas and Idalia Lechuga-Tena

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF A BILINGUAL WORKFORCE.

     WHEREAS, in today's global economy, the ability to communicate is vital; and

     WHEREAS, as more companies expand internationally, the ability to communicate in another language has become a significant advantage in the workforce; and

     WHEREAS, fluency in a second language can help employees stand out among prospective employers and can open doors to opportunities that people without foreign language skills might miss; and

     WHEREAS, having bilingual speakers in the workplace can afford business owners the opportunity to reach a wider customer and client base; and

     WHEREAS, additionally, bilingual speakers can serve as interpreters for potential and existing clients; and

     WHEREAS, the ability to speak both English and Spanish can provide financial rewards, such as bilingual pay differential, in the workforce; and

     WHEREAS, pursuant to Article 12, Section 8 of the constitution of New Mexico, the legislature has been required to provide for the training of teachers so that they may become proficient in both the English and Spanish languages; and

     WHEREAS, in 2013, seventy-three percent of Hispanics age five years and older spoke Spanish at home, according to United States census bureau statistics; and

     WHEREAS, as of 2015, nearly forty-eight percent of the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area is of Hispanic origin; and

     WHEREAS, according to the United States census bureau, seventeen and five-tenths percent of the Albuquerque working-age population speaks both English and Spanish, which places Albuquerque in the top twenty-five of all United States bilingual metropolitan areas; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico is uniquely positioned to supply employees to the workforce who speak Spanish as well as English; and

     WHEREAS, central New Mexico community college is in the forefront of this effort with a major bilingual education initiative to promote Spanish as a workforce development program;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the benefits of a bilingual workforce be recognized; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the continued growth and development of a bilingual workforce be supported; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of economic development, the secretary of workforce solutions, the secretary of tourism, the secretary of public education, the secretary of higher education and the president of central New Mexico community college.

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