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Diversity and Innovation
"Increasing diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields is vital to America's future economic competitiveness in the global economy."
-Congressman Silvestre Reyes
Congressman Reyes is a strong advocate for expanding educational and career opportunities for under-represented minorities in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 39 percent of the population under the age of 18 is a racial or ethnic minority. Yet, only 4.4 percent of the science and engineering jobs were held by African Americans and only 3.4 percent by Hispanics. Women constitute over half of the college students in the nation, but represent a little more than one-quarter of our science and engineering workforce.
Because increasing diversity in these critical fields is vital to both America's and El Paso’s future economic competitiveness, Congressman Reyes has brought leaders such as NASA Astronaut and El Paso native, Danny Olivas, to visit El Paso schools to talk to students.
Establishing the Diversity and Innovation Congressional Caucus
In 2008, Congressman Reyes and five other colleagues in the House of Representatives founded the Diversity and Innovation Caucus. The Diversity and Innovation Caucus was established to generate policy ideas for increasing the participation of groups under-represented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). The Caucus also communicates the importance of promoting diversity in STEM for the achievement of America's innovation and competitiveness goals. The Caucus has been successful in crafting provisions in key legislation, like the America COMPETES Act which will send more highly qualified teachers to and invest in laboratory facilities in high-need schools.
The Caucus has been instrumental in expanding resources to enrich STEM experiences for under-represented groups and attract young people to the STEM fields in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and other pieces of legislation. The Caucus has also worked closely with STEM partners across the country to formulate caucus objectives to increase participation by under-represented groups in these fields.
Diversity in the Intelligence Community Workforce
As a Member and then Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Congressman Reyes worked to ensure that the Intelligence Community recruits and retains a workforce that resembles the American population and is highly qualified to pursue complex, global missions.
Congressman Reyes worked to secure legislation to enhance the preparation and recruitment of diverse candidates for intelligence careers, including the annual Intelligence Authorization law which provided resources to Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to prepare under-represented students for careers in the intelligence community. Congressman Reyes also directed the Intelligence Community to place more of an emphasis on diversity.
Speeches and Statements
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Statement of Congressman Silvestre Reyes on NAACP Centennial Celebration
7.31.2009
Speeches and Statements
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Congressman Reyes' keynote speech at the CIA's 2009 Annual Diversity Awards
7.28.2009
Press Releases
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Reyes announces nearly $1 million federal grant to increase opportunities for under-represented minorities in STEM fields at UTEP
6.5.2009
Press Releases
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Reyes introduces legislation to name new downtown federal courthouse in honor of late El Paso Judge and civil rights leader Albert Armendariz
4.23.2009
Press Releases
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Reyes announces over $1 million in federal grants for new Sun Metro bus, SISD school counselors, and UTEP research
4.7.2009
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