Cárdenas, Padilla, Salazar, Cornyn Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Support Increasing the Number of Latinos in STEM Careers
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Tony Cárdenas (Calif.-29-D) and Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.-27-R) introduced a bipartisan resolution to express support for increasing the number of Latino students and young professionals entering careers in STEM. The resolution was also introduced by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (Calif.-D) and John Cornyn (Texas-R) and passed in the Senate yesterday.
“STEM education has the power to change lives — it did for me and Alex,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “‘We both grew up on ‘that side of town’ and experienced people telling us that we would not amount to anything. We overcame that constant drumbeat of ignorance, and became engineers, and later elected leaders in the San Fernando Valley. Now, we’re fighting to empower more Latinos from communities like ours to pursue STEM careers. When we encourage students to dream big, we help them become our future mathematicians, astronauts and more.”
“As a Latino graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a degree in mechanical engineering, I understand the importance of making careers in STEM more accessible to communities of color,” said Senator Padilla. “America benefits from a strong and diverse workforce. This resolution is a good step toward recognizing the work we must do to encourage and support more Latinos to pursue STEM careers.”
“Investing in education and workforce development is critical and having more Latinos pursuing STEM degrees will help grow our economy when it is desperately needed,” said Congresswoman Salazar. “Latinos, who are currently underrepresented in STEM fields, can and should help fill our country’s need for more highly skilled and technical workers. I am proud to join this bipartisan resolution recognizing the importance of Latinos in STEM.”
The resolution is supported by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
“SHPE is extremely grateful to Senator Padilla, Senator Cornyn, Congressman Cárdenas and Congresswoman Salazar for officially recognizing the important role that Hispanics in STEM do, and will, play in the future of our country. As the Resolution notes, Hispanic workers remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce, making up 18 percent of total employees across all occupations but only 8 percent of all STEM workers. Seeing federal support for stimulating Hispanic STEM education and facilitating STEM career pathways gives me great hope that SHPE’s mission of bridging this gap between Hispanics and STEM will continue to be fulfilled. SHPE looks forward to a long-standing and impactful collaboration with our nation’s leaders in Congress on achieving this important and pressing objective,” said Dr. Chris Wilkie, SHPE Chief Executive Officer
“HACU is encouraged to see this bipartisan commitment to improve and support Latinos in STEM careers. The U.S. has an opportunity to build capacity and invest in critical STEM development that will strengthen our economy. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) have the potential to significantly contribute to STEM teaching, learning and research, and are poised to prepare a new contingent of STEM professionals for the nation’s workforce. We look forward to continue working together to ensure HSIs have the resources needed to support these efforts to boost the number of Latino students who pursue STEM careers,” said President and CEO Antonio R Flores, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
There are 60 million Latinos in the U.S., accounting for approximately 18 percent of the total U.S. population. Latinos also make up 17 percent of the overall workforce in the U.S., but represent less than 8 percent in all STEM fields. A recent report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts Latinos will grow from 17 percent of the workforce in 2017, to 22.4 percent in 2030, and to 30.3 percent in 2060. The amount of well-paying STEM jobs is expected to outpace non-STEM jobs in the coming years, and the share of Latinos in the U.S. is expected to grow. It is critical to ensure STEM fields are accessible and appealing for Latino students and young adults.
The resolution:
- supports the goal of increasing Latino men and women in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics as a way to promote economic empowerment and sustainability, not only in their community, but in the overall American economy;
- acknowledges that, while Latino men and women have been a foundation for the American economy, they are underrepresented in STEM fields to the detriment of these industries and the broader American economy;
- acknowledges that a strong commitment towards diversity and inclusion will require greater investment in our Latino community. This emphasis will help develop talented and capable STEM workers, reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign workers, and secure our nation’s future as a leader in STEM;
- encourages increased federal support for initiatives aimed at boosting the number of Latino students who pursue STEM education and career paths, particularly engineering; and
- recognizes the important role that Hispanic-Serving Institutions and all colleges and universities must play in order to achieve this goal.
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