117 HRES 941 IH: Supporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month. U.S. House of Representatives 2022-02-25 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV117th CONGRESS2d SessionH. RES. 941IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFebruary 25, 2022Mr. Espaillat (for himself and Mr. Payne) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign AffairsRESOLUTIONSupporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month.

Whereas the House of Representatives is proud to recognize and commemorate Dominican Heritage Month, an observance that celebrates the contributions of Dominican Americans;Whereas, in keeping with its time-honored traditions, we recognize and pay tribute to those who foster cultural pride and enhance the profile of diverse communities across the United States;Whereas Dominicans are freedom-loving people who first began their campaign for their independence in 1831 under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte;Whereas, after the long and hard-fought campaign for freedom, a ceremonial musket shot fired on February 27, 1844, marked the Dominican Republic’s first official Independence Day;Whereas January 26 marks the beginning of the Mes de la Patria (Month of the Fatherland), a period in which the country celebrates the founding fathers and the symbols that identify Dominicans in the world;Whereas it would be befitting to celebrate Dominican heritage beginning on January 21, The Day of the Procession of Altagracia, the Dominican Republic’s most important religious celebration;Whereas it would also be befitting to end the period of Dominican heritage on February 27, the Dominican Republic’s Independence Day;Whereas Dominicans in the United States and abroad reserve the period between January 21 to February 27 to celebrate and honor Dominican heritage;Whereas celebrating Dominican Heritage Month gives the Nation the opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the economic, cultural, and social contributions Dominican Americans have made to the United States;Whereas the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York is working on a National Register of Historic Places application for submission to the National Park Service that would create a noncontiguous cultural heritage district to document, acknowledge, and honor the contributions of the Dominican community; andWhereas approximately 2,400,000 people of Dominican origin currently reside in the United States, and over 2,000,000 United States tourists visit the Dominican Republic annually, accounting for the largest number of foreign tourists to the country and bolstering its economically critical tourism sector: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives—(1)supports the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month;(2)reaffirms its commitment to strengthening the historic partnership between the United States and the Dominican Republic based on shared democratic values and efforts to advance economic prosperity and national security;(3)supports the establishment of a national Dominican Heritage Month to honor the Dominican people and their contributions; and(4)encourages the people of the United States to observe a national month of recognition for Dominican Americans with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.