Pete Domenici: “Hispanics of the Southwest and New Mexico will be celebrating an important milestone next year. 1998 is the 400th…”

“Hispanics of the Southwest and New Mexico will be celebrating an important milestone next year. 1998 is the 400th anniversary of permanent Hispanic presence in New Mexico. In 1598, Juan de Onate arrived in New Mexico and founded the second city of the United States, San Gabriel de los Espanoles. This was the first permanent Spanish settlement in New Mexico. From New Mexico, Juan de Onate traveled across the desert to California where he founded San Francisco in 1605. On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Spanish presence, New Mexico will be beginning a new era of Spanish pride and cooperation with other cultures. In New Mexico, we are very proud of our cultural relations between the Indian, Spanish, and Anglo people. It is now time to pay special tribute to the Spanish people of New Mexico, the Southwest, and the United States. In preparing for the 400th anniversary celebrations, the State of New Mexico has invested over $17.7 million toward the establishment of phase I of the New Mexico Hispanic Cultural Center.”