SENATE MEMORIAL 35

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Carlos R. Cisneros

A MEMORIAL

CELEBRATING THE IMPORTANT AND LASTING LEGACY OF JOE CISNEROS.

     WHEREAS, Joe Cisneros is a native of Questa and was raised on a farm; and

     WHEREAS, Joe has a deep understanding of and respect for the land and water in northern New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Cisneros' legacy of activism dates back to the 1960s, when he alone protested the abuse of workers and the environment near his native Questa by a large mining corporation; and

     WHEREAS, with little support from his fellow workers, Joe stood up to the corporate leadership to address what he considered unfair work policies and discrimination against Hispanic workers; and

     WHEREAS, after the mining corporation took action against him, Joe Cisneros exposed certain unfair practices that the corporation was using against employees, and soon thereafter, Joe was fired by the corporation; and 

     WHEREAS, Mr. Cisneros continues his activism in the community of Questa and has served on the Questa school board; and

     WHEREAS, Joe, never one to back down from a fight against injustice, is known throughout his community as a battler for people that may be unable to fight for themselves; and

     WHEREAS, Joe Cisneros is the inspiration for Joe Mondragon, the protagonist in the book and movie "The Milagro Beanfield War"; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Cisneros, and indeed, the character that he inspired, stand tall in the face of powerful forces that threaten to pollute the land and water that sustain a community under the guise of economic development; and

     WHEREAS, due in large part to Joe's efforts, in September 2011, the mine near Questa was designated a superfund cleanup site by the federal environmental protection agency; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Cisneros will not be satisfied until the cleanup work is done;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the important and lasting legacy of Joe Cisneros be celebrated; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, Joe Cisneros and the mayor of Questa. 

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