[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 371 Introduced in House (IH)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 371
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should
be established a ``National African Immigrant Heritage Month'' in
September to celebrate the great contributions of Americans of African
immigrant heritage in the United States who have enriched the history
of the Nation.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 22, 2015
Ms. Clarke of New York (for herself, Ms. Meng, Ms. Lee, Mr. Serrano,
Mr. Payne, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mrs. Lawrence, Ms. Norton, Mr.
Hastings, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Lewis, and Mr.
Rangel) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should
be established a ``National African Immigrant Heritage Month'' in
September to celebrate the great contributions of Americans of African
immigrant heritage in the United States who have enriched the history
of the Nation.
Whereas people of recent African immigrant heritage are found in every State of
the Union;
Whereas the history of Americans of African immigrant heritage in the United
States is inextricably tied to the story of the Nation;
Whereas the community of Americans of African immigrant heritage in the United
States is an inherently diverse population comprised of more than 45
distinct ethnicities and more than 500 language dialects;
Whereas Americans of African immigrant heritage in the United States come from
all regions in Africa and do not constitute a homogeneous group,
including people from different national, linguistic, ethnic, racial,
cultural, and social backgrounds;
Whereas Americans of African immigrant heritage in the United States came to the
United States voluntarily, and are distinct from African-Americans, the
latter of whom are descendants of mostly West and Central Africans who
were involuntarily brought to the United States by means of the historic
Atlantic slave trade;
Whereas the month of September has been celebrated by the Africans and allies of
Montgomery County, Maryland, since 2008, month-long proclamations have
been issued by more than 20 Governors since 2011 and the White House
acknowledged the month in 2012 and hosted a full day White House
Briefing in 2013 because ``African Union Day'' is on September 9;
Whereas recent African immigrants have made significant contributions to
American culture such as having high educational and income levels, as
well as contributing to many areas of American life such as the
military, health care, arts, education, community service, and public
policy;
Whereas raising awareness about African immigrant heritage is crucial to
effectively fighting disparities within the greater Black population in
the American narrative and is essential to building a stronger community
and a stronger America;
Whereas during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a significant number of
slaves from the Africa region were brought to the United States;
Whereas African immigrants from Cape Verde first came to the United States in
the 1790s;
Whereas the Cape Verdean immigrants arrived aboard New England whaling ships,
which would often pick up crewmen off the coast of Cape Verde in Africa
and their descendants include the legendary Lena Horne and sailors who
fought in the Union Navy;
Whereas in 1922, the United States Government restricted the immigration of
peoples of color, greatly reducing Cape Verdean immigration;
Whereas the new regulations also prevented Cape Verdean Americans from visiting
Africa for fear of being denied reentry into the United States;
Whereas in the 1960s to 1970s, due to the more racially inclusive regulations of
the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, more African immigrants
from across the continent came to the United States primarily as
students;
Whereas in the 1980s and 1990s, Africans in the United States were primarily
refugees, who were fleeing hardships from countries such as Ethiopia,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Sudan;
Whereas in the 2000s, Africans in the United States were largely beneficiaries
of the highly popular Department of State program known as the Diversity
Visa Lottery Program;
Whereas much like the United States, the countries in Africa faced obstacles of
in-country slavery and colonialism and struggled for independence;
Whereas the independence movements in many countries in Africa during the 1960s
and the consequential establishment of independent democratic countries
in Africa strengthened ties between the region and the United States;
Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is of
Kenyan descent;
Whereas the countries in Africa are important economic partners of the United
States;
Whereas the people of Africa share the hopes and aspirations of the people of
the United States for peace and prosperity throughout the world, but
there remains much to be done to ensure that Americans of recent African
immigrant heritage have access to resources and a voice in the United
States Government and continue to advance in the political, social, and
economic landscape of the United States; and
Whereas celebrating ``National African Immigrant Heritage Month'' in September
would provide the people of the United States with an opportunity to
recognize the achievements, contributions, and history of and to
appreciate the challenges faced by Americans of recent African immigrant
heritage: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives
that--
(1) a ``National African Immigrant Heritage Month'' should
be established to celebrate the significant contributions of
Americans of recent African immigrant heritage to the history
of the United States; and
(2) the people of the United States should observe the
month with appropriate ceremonies, celebrations, and activities
to recognize that Americans of recent African immigrant
heritage enhance the rich diversity of and strengthen the
United States.
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