[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 175 Referred in Senate (RFS)]


109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 175


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2005

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Acknowledging African descendants of the transatlantic slave trade in 
 all of the Americas with an emphasis on descendants in Latin America 
and the Caribbean, recognizing the injustices suffered by these African 
     descendants, and recommending that the United States and the 
     international community work to improve the situation of Afro-
       descendant communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Whereas during Black History Month it is important that we not forget that 
        African-Americans are not the only survivors of the transatlantic slave 
        trade;
Whereas like the United States, many European nations benefited greatly from the 
        colonization of Latin America and the Caribbean and their participation 
        in the slave trade;
Whereas the story of African descendants in all of the Americas remains untold, 
        leading them to be forgotten, made invisible, and allowed to suffer 
        unjustly;
Whereas it is important to acknowledge that as a result of the slave trade and 
        immigration, approximately 80,000,000 to 150,000,000 persons of African 
        descent live in Latin America and the Caribbean, making them the largest 
        population of persons of African descent outside of Africa;
Whereas Afro-descendants are present in most all Latin American countries, 
        including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, 
        Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela;
Whereas the size of Afro-descendant populations vary in range from less than 1 
        percent in some countries to as much as 30 percent in Colombia and 46 
        percent in Brazil and make up the majority in some Spanish speaking 
        Caribbean nations, such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic;
Whereas Afro-descendant populations have made significant economic, social, and 
        cultural contributions to their countries and the Western Hemisphere 
        from their unfortunate involvement in the transatlantic slave trade to 
        their recent contributions to trade, tourism, and other industries;
Whereas although persons of African descent have made significant achievements 
        in education, employment, economic, political, and social spheres in 
        some countries, the vast majority are marginalized--living in 
        impoverished communities where they are excluded from centers of 
        education, government, and basic human rights based upon the color of 
        their skin and ancestry;
Whereas Afro-descendants have shorter life expectancies, higher rates of infant 
        mortality, higher incidences of HIV/AIDS, higher rates of illiteracy, 
        and lower incomes than do other populations;
Whereas Afro-descendants encounter problems of access to healthcare, basic 
        education, potable water, housing, land titles, credit, equal justice 
        and representation under the law, political representation, and other 
        economic, political, health, and basic human rights; and
Whereas skin color and ancestry have led African-Americans in the United States 
        and African descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean to share 
        similar injustices, leading to economic, social, health, and political 
        inequalities: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes and honors African descendants in the 
        Americas for their contributions to the economic, social, and 
        cultural fabric of the countries in the Americas, particularly 
        in Latin American and Caribbean societies;
            (2) recognizes that as a result of their skin color and 
        ancestry, African descendants in the Americas have wrongfully 
        experienced economic, social, and political injustices;
            (3) urges the President to take appropriate measures to 
        encourage the celebration and remembrance of the achievements 
        of African descendants in the Americas and a resolution of 
        injustices suffered by African descendants in the Americas;
            (4) encourages the United States and the international 
        community to work to ensure that extreme poverty is eradicated, 
        universal education is achieved, quality healthcare is made 
        available, and equal access to justice and representation under 
        the law is granted in Afro-descendant communities in Latin 
        America and the Caribbean; and
            (5) encourages the United States and the international 
        community to achieve these goals in Latin America and the 
        Caribbean by--
                    (A) promoting research that focuses on identifying 
                and eradicating racial disparities in economic, 
                political, and social spheres;
                    (B) promoting programs that focus on Afro-
                descendant communities;
                    (C) providing technical support and training to 
                Afro-descendant advocacy groups that work to uphold 
                basic human rights in the region;
                    (D) promoting the creation of an international 
                working group that focuses on problems of communities 
                of Afro-descendants in the Americas; and
                    (E) promoting trade and other bilateral and 
                multilateral agreements that take into account the 
                needs of Afro-descendant communities.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 18, 2005.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.