U.S. Congressman Lou Correa, who represents Southern California’s 46th district which includes cities such as Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange, Stanton and Fullerton, has reintroduced a resolution recognizing August as Chicano/Chicana Heritage Month. 

Over 60 members of Congress have sponsored the resolution.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually in September, but Correa's reintroduced resolution looks to place Mexican Americans in the front by highlighting their contributions a month before.

“Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates Hispanics in the United States — absolutely important,” Correa said in an interview, but added, “Is the Cuban struggle the same as the Mexican American struggle? Probably not. We have similarities, but it’s not the same.”

Correa, a Democrat, thinks a month devoted entirely to the historical and cultural significance of Mexican Americans, who account for 61% of U.S. Latinos is critical as he noted, Mexican American history is tied to the history of the Southwest, the farmworker movement, legal rulings such as the fight for desegregation, and activism such as against the Vietnam War and for civil rights.

“Even a lot of us don’t remember,” Correa said. “This stuff is kind of in the rearview mirror and we want to make sure it’s in the front mirror, so to speak, so people can see it and say, ‘This is who I am’ — and remember why things are the way they are. It’s because of the history, and they can be proud.”

Chicano, a term for Mexican Americans, was previously deemed a derogatory term but then became a part of ethnic pride during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, which focused on fair wages, education and housing. 

The resolution looks to celebrate Chicano figures, such as labor movement leaders Dolores Huerta and César Chávez, along with Selena (Quintanilla-Pérez, known as the Queen of Tejano), and the landmark Mendez v. Westminster, which made school segregation of Mexican Americans illegal. 

Co-sponsors include Latino legislators from California, Texas, New York and Illinois, including Democratic Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas; Yadira Caraveo of Colorado; Andrea Salinas of Oregon; Chuy García of Illinois; and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, among others.

“What we’re trying to do with our Chicano/Chicana Heritage Month is remind people — just telling our story,” Correa said.