A Bold Start to Hispanic Heritage Month
San Antonio Congressman Joaquin Castro, California Senator Alex Padilla and Texas Senator, John Cronyn introduced a resolution to instate the week of Sept. 9, as “National Hispanic-Serving Institution Week.” Castro, a San Antonio native, is the co-chair of the Congressional Hispanic-Serving Institution Caucus.
A Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is any degree-granting educational institution where a minimum of 25% of their undergraduate full-time student enrollment identifies as Hispanic. Nationwide, 600 schools meet the requirements to be considered an HSI, with Texas being home to 141 of these institutions. San Antonio houses 14 HSIs, with UTSA being ranked among the top 15 in the nation for Hispanic students as of 2022. Other institutions include Texas A&M University-San Antonio, St. Mary’s University, University of
Incarnate Word, Our Lady of the Lake University and four out of five Alamo Colleges.
The bipartisan legislature proposed on Sept. 11 has already accumulated the support of over 50 members of The House of Representatives and 24 members of the Senate. Support for the proposal can be expected to increase as racial and ethnic diversity has continued to progress in congress with 56 total seats being occupied by Hispanic andLatino-identifying members. Institutions that fall under HSI provide a great service to Hispanic students. They create a more constructive and motivative college experience for Hispanic students which allows for higher graduation rates among the demographic. Providing a national holiday for HSI will continue to encourage diversity and inclusivity among higher education institutions.
The national acknowledgement for institutions operating in supporting and
furthering Hispanic students’ education will allow for continuous funding and nationwide recognition. “Millions of students across America — including many in San Antonio — benefit from the incredible education that Hispanic-Serving Institution provides,” said Congressman Castro. It is finally time we give these post secondary institutions the recognition they deserve.
