SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 531

WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to join the members of various Texas and Tejano organizations and the members of Tejano Monument, Incorporated, in celebrating the fifth anniversary of the unveiling of the Tejano Monument at the Texas Capitol; and

WHEREAS, Tejanos are Texans of Spanish and Mexican descent whose ancestors were among the first non-indigenous people to explore and colonize the region that would become Texas; Tejano Monument, Incorporated, was established in 2001, with the goal of erecting a monument on the Capitol grounds to commemorate Tejano influences in Texas history and culture; and

WHEREAS, The founding Tejano Monument, Incorporated, executive board consisted of board president Dr. Cayetano Barrera, who called for the first meeting; vice president Andrés Tijerina, a professor of history at Austin Community College; vice president Homero Vera, the editor and publisher of El Mesteño magazine; vice president Renato Ramirez, the president and chief executive officer of the International Bank of Commerce in Zapata, Texas; and secretary-treasurer Richard Sanchez, the associate vice president for governmental relations at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; these dedicated community leaders advocated for legislation to authorize the monument, and in 2001, a concurrent resolution approving the construction of a privately funded Tejano monument on the Capitol grounds was passed by the Texas Legislature and signed by Governor Rick Perry; and

WHEREAS, Initial funding for the monument was established through grants, individual donations, and corporate contributions; in 2007, the legislature approved the use of public funds to complete the project; and

WHEREAS, The talented team of professionals selected to design and construct the monument were engineer Jose I. Guerra, architect Jaime Beaman, and artist Armando Hinojosa; the impressive bronze and granite statue was unveiled at a public ceremony on March 29, 2012, with hundreds of well-wishers in attendance, and it has since been viewed by thousands of State Capitol visitors; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th Legislature, hereby commend the members of Tejano Monument, Incorporated, and all who participated in creating the Tejano Monument for raising the public's awareness of the contributions of Tejanos to our state's storied history and extend best wishes to all on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the unveiling of the Tejano Monument at the Texas Capitol; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as a memento of this special anniversary. Zaffirini

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President of the Senate

I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 29, 2017.

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Secretary of the Senate

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Member, Texas Senate