[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.
                                 <all>