[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 21, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H4379-H4381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      IN HONOR OF THE INAUGURAL CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the House 
for 5 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentlewoman from 
California is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Caribbean 
American community in honor of the first-ever National Caribbean 
American Heritage Month.
  On June 27, 2005, the House unanimously adopted H. Con. Res. 71, my 
resolution to declare June National Caribbean American Heritage Month. 
On February 14, 2006, the Senate followed suit, thanks to the work of 
Senator Schumer of New York and Arielle Goren on his staff.
  And let me begin by recognizing the many people who helped realize 
this 2-year bipartisan, bicameral effort, because this was quite a 
feat. First, I want to recognize our colleague, a great leader on so 
many issues and especially on health care, Congresswoman Donna 
Christensen from the Caribbean, who has been tremendous in terms of 
bringing us together to address the issues of health disparities 
throughout our country and throughout the world.
  Also, I would like to thank the Institute of Caribbean Studies, 
especially Dr. Claire Nelson and her team, for joining us in this 
effort from the very beginning.
  Also, we must recognize our friends from the Caribbean diplomatic 
corps, who worked so hard to spread the word about this effort both at 
home in the Caribbean and in their embassies and consulates across the 
country.

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  There are so many Members of Congress who supported this effort. In 
addition to early support from my colleagues in the Congressional Black 
Caucus and friends of the Caribbean Task Force, the former chair of the 
Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Representative Cass Ballenger, was the 
first Republican to endorse this bill, and his successor, Chairman Dan 
Burton, was one of the first to help urge the President to issue an 
official proclamation.
  This was truly a bipartisan effort, with, of course, our chairman Mr. 
Hyde of the International Relations Committee and our ranking member 
Mr. Lantos, who lent their very strong support.
  And, of course, we never would have done any of this without our 
staff. First, let me commend and thank my staff person Jamila Thompson 
for her leadership and for her commitment to not only this issue and 
this bill, but for so many of the efforts that she mounts. She has 
roots in the Bahamas, and she understands the importance of recognizing 
Caribbean Americans and their proper role and proper recognition in our 
country.
  Also, we had many staff members, Ted Brennan, Jack Scharfen, Paul 
Oostburg, Dan Getz, and Mark Walker. They all worked in a bipartisan 
way to make this a reality and really to realize this dream for many, 
many people.
  The Government Reform Committee, Chairman Tom Davis, and our Ranking 
Member Henry Waxman. They applauded the passage of this resolution last 
year and were instrumental in its passage.
  And, of course, in the final weeks before the proclamation was issued 
by the White House, a coalition was formed that was very instrumental 
in urging the White House to officially declare June National 
Caribbean-American Heritage Month. This coalition included Senator Mel 
Martinez from Florida, Ambassador Tom Shannon, State Department's 
Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere, and Brian Nichols of 
his staff.
  And the Caribbean American community was very active around this 
effort. It could not have been done without them. From Glenn Joseph and 
John Felix in Florida; to Jean Alexander and Horace Morancie, Anthony 
Carter, and so many others in New York; to Shorron Levy in California, 
this became, quite frankly, an international grass-roots effort. It was 
really an exercise in democracy. So I am pleased that on June 5, the 
President responded by officially declaring June National Caribbean 
American Heritage Month.
  And let me also say that we know the Caribbean is as racially diverse 
and ethnically and religiously diverse as the United States. We have 
some phenomenal spokespersons who are traveling throughout the country, 
like Sheryl Lee Ralph and basketball legend Rick Fox. Sheryl Lee Ralph 
is a woman of Caribbean descent from Jamaica actually, and is a great 
actress as well. Her voice on HIV and AIDS, as well as promoting and 
spreading the word about Caribbean American Heritage Month, will be 
very valuable in terms of making sure that our entire country knows 
about the phenomenal contributions of Caribbean Americans.
  On a very personal level, my relationship with persons of Caribbean 
descent began with the late great former member of this body, the first 
African American woman elected to Congress, Congresswoman Shirley 
Chisholm. I worked as a volunteer in her historic 1972 Presidential 
campaign. As a woman of Barbadian and Guyanese descent, Congresswoman 
Chisholm never forgot her roots and connections to the Caribbean. Her 
work, whether it was fighting for equal access to education in the 
United States Congress or Haitian refugees in detention camps, her 
commitment always stemmed from her faith and her strong Caribbean 
values.
  When the United States-Caribbean relations began to deteriorate over 
the war in Iraq, the coups in Haiti, and the Cuban embargo, I knew that 
we needed to go back and really recognize our deep and strong relations 
with the Caribbean. So we need to send a message of goodwill to the 
Caribbean American community. So soon we will be introducing the 
Shirley Chisholm Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of 2006 to provide 
existing and expanded educational exchanges between our country and the 
Caribbean.

       Who Supports the Caribbean-American Heritage Month Effort?

       The Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and CARICOM Foreign 
     Ministers included the following statement in their joint 
     press release issued at the conclusion of the US-CARICOM 
     Ministerial Meeting held in The Bahamas in March 2006:
       ``The Ministers and the Secretary of State welcomed the 
     recent resolution of the U.S. Congress to commemorate 
     Caribbean American Heritage Month in June. The resolution is 
     a recognition of the deep and lasting human ties that bind 
     the United States and the Caribbean.''
       This bi-partisan effort to create a National Caribbean-
     American Heritage Month is supported by Ambassador Albert 
     Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of 
     American States, the Caucus of CARICOM Ambassadors in 
     Washington, DC and the following organizations:
       The Institute for Caribbean Studies, DC; Caribbean-Central 
     American Action, DC; Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce 
     of Florida, Inc.; The West Indian American Day Carnival 
     Association, NY; Caribbean-American Cultural Association, 
     Inc. of North America (CACANA), FL; Caribbean-American Center 
     of New York; Conference of Heads of Caribbean Organizations 
     of Central Florida; TnT International, Inc.; The Caribbean 
     American Chamber of Commerce and Industry--Greater Washington 
     Area Network; South Florida Caribbean Diaspora Task Force; 
     Trinidad & Tobago Working Women's Committee, DC; Caribbean 
     Association of World Bank Group and IMF Staff, DC; Caribbean 
     American Chamber Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI), NY; 
     Global Exchange, CA; Caribbean Peoples International 
     Collective, NY (CPIC); The St. Lucia Nationals Association; 
     Dominica Academy of Arts & Sciences, DC; Metro Atlanta 
     Caribbean Cultural Arts Centre, Inc. (MACCA); The Washington 
     Office on Latin America (WOLA); The Caribbean Voice, NY; 
     Northern California Caribbean American Heritage Month 
     Committee; Central Florida's Caribbean Sun Newspaper; The 
     Guyanese Society of St. Louis; The Caribbean Club in Mount 
     Vernon, NY; Caribbean Professional Networking Series, DC; 
     Caribbean World Arts & Culture, Inc.; St. Kitts and Nevis 
     Association of Metropolitan Washington; The West Indian 
     Social Club of Hartford, Inc.; The Inter-American Economic 
     Council; Sunrise Symphony Steelpan Corporation; Barbados 
     Assoc. of Central Florida; Jamaican American Association of 
     Central Florida; Grenadian-American Educational and Cultural 
     Organization of Central Florida, Inc.; Caribbean and 
     Floridian Association, Inc. (CAFA); Guyanese American 
     Cultural Association of Central Florida; Orlando Carnival 
     Association, Inc.; Alliance of Guyanese Expatriates of 
     Central Florida; Caribbean Students' Association at the 
     University of Central Florida; Jamaican/American Partners in 
     Education, GA; Central Florida Cricket League; Caribbean Bar 
     Association (Central Florida Chapter); Antigua and Barbuda 
     Association of Central Florida; Association of Asian Cultural 
     Festivals, Inc.; Caribbean Community Connection of Orlando, 
     Inc.; Trinidad & Tobago Association of Central Florida; 
     Suriname American Network; Haitian American Support Group of 
     Central Florida, Inc.; Caribbean-Guyana Institute for 
     Democracy; The Indo-Caribbean Council, NY; The Haitian 
     American Historical Society, FL; Caribbean American 
     Intercultural Organization; Sistas-With Style, CA; Dominican 
     American National Roundtable, DC; West Indian Social Club of 
     Hartford, Inc.; Caribbean American Society of Hartford; The 
     Ballentine Group; Jamaica Progressive League; St. Lucian 
     American Society of Hartford. Mico Alumni Association Inc.; 
     Guyanese American Cultural Association; Connecticut Haitian 
     American Organization, Inc.; Barbados American Society of 
     Hartford; Sportsmen Athletic Club & Cricket Hall of Fame; 
     Cultural Dance Troupe of the West Indies; Trinidad and Tobago 
     Steel Symphony; Jamaica Ex-Policeman Association of 
     Connecticut; West Indian American Newspaper; Center for Urban 
     & Caribbean Research; CAYASCO, Inc.; Martin Luther King Jr. 
     Soccer League; Morancie Family Reunion, Inc., NY; Tropical 
     Paradise Restaurant and Juice Bar, NY; Jamaica Nationals 
     Association, DC; Medgar Evers College, NY; Carriacou 
     Charitable Health Services, Inc., NY; The Caribbean World 
     News Network, NY; The Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute for 
     Children, Inc., DC; Caribbean Research Center, NY; Montserrat 
     Progressive Society of NY, Inc.; The Georgia Caribbean-
     American Heritage Month Planning Committee, GA; Ainsley Gill 
     & Associates LLC, DC; SOCA Warriors United, NY; The Black 
     Diaspora, NY; Sunrise Symphony Steelpan Orchestra, Inc., NY; 
     Gloria's In & Out Restaurant, NY; Virgin Islands Association, 
     DC; CCB International, Inc., NJ; TATUCA, NY; Callaloo 
     Magazine, NY; Department of African American Studies, Ohio 
     University; Hannah's Place International, NY; Guyana Folk 
     Festival, DC; Caribbean Sunshine Awards, NJ; Trinidad and 
     Tobago Business Association, Inc., NY; RAJHUMARI Center for 
     Indo-Caribbean Arts & Culture, NY; Mauby Media Services, NY; 
     Merrymakers Cultural Association, NY; Caribbean People's 
     Association, NJ; Trin-American Social & Cultural Association, 
     DC; Trinidadian and Tobagonians Inc., NY; Gasparillo Group, 
     NY; Trinidad and Tobago Association of Washington, MA; 
     Caribbean Journal, NY; St. Anthony's Spiritual Baptist

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     Church, PA; Friends of the Caribbean, Inc., DC; The 
     International Consortium of Caribbean Professionals (ICCP); 
     Tropicalfete.com, NY; St. Louis-Georgetown Sisters Cities 
     Committee, MO; Virgin Islands Association of the District of 
     Columbia (VIA); Patterson Dental Clinic, NJ; Barbados 
     American Society of Hartford, Inc.; TransAfrica Forum, DC; 
     Caribbean-African-American Hotline, Ads, News, Gospel & 
     Global Events (411XCHANGE), NY; Belizean Information & 
     Services International, NY; St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
     Nationals Association of Washington, DC; eCaroh Caribbean 
     Emporium, MA; Caribbean American Weekly (CAW), NY; Council of 
     St. Vincent and the Grenadines Organizations U.S.A., Inc., 
     NY; St. Vincent Benevolent Association; Bequia United 
     Progressive Organization, Inc.; Chateaubelair Development 
     Organization; Club St. Vincent, Inc.; Canouan United Social 
     Organization, Inc.; Friends of the St. Vincent Grammar 
     School; Girls High School Alumnae; Hairoun Sports Club; St. 
     Vincent and the Grenadines Humanitarian Organization; Mas 
     Productions Unlimited; Striders Social and Cultural 
     Organization; St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ex-Police 
     Association; St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ex-Teachers 
     Association; St. Vincent and the Grenadines Nurses 
     Association; United Vincie Cultural Group of Brooklyn; 
     Concerned Americans for Racial Equality, NY; Benevolent 
     Missions of Atlanta, Inc. (BMA); Barbados Association of 
     Greater Houston; Bahamian Junkanoo Association of 
     Metropolitan DC.


       H. Con. Res. 71 cosponsors (81) during the 109th Congress

       Reps. Becerra, Berkley, Berman, S. Bishop, C. Brown, S. 
     Brown, Bordallo, Burton*, Butterfield, Capuano, Carson, 
     Christensen, W.L. Clay, Clyburn, Conyers, Crowley, Cummings, 
     D. Davis, J. Davis, Delahunt, Engel, Faleomavaega, Farr, 
     Fattah, Feeney, Ford, Fortuno. B. Frank, A. Green, Grijalva, 
     Gutierrez, A. Hastings, Honda, Jackson-Lee, Jefferson, E. B. 
     Johnson, Tubbs Jones, Kaptur, Kilpatrick, Kucinich, Kuhl, 
     Lantos, Lewis, Lofgren, Maloney, McCarthy, McDermott, 
     McGovern, McKinney, McCollum, Meek, Meeks, Menendez, 
     Millender-McDonald, G. Moore, Nadler, Napolitano, Norton, 
     Owens, Pallone, Payne, Rangel, Rush, T. Ryan, Serrano, D. 
     Scott, Schakowsky, Shimkus, Slaughter, Solis, B. Thompson, 
     Towns, Van Hollen, Velazquez, Waters, Watt, Weiner, Wexler, 
     Woolsey, Wynn


         H. Res. 570 Co-Sponsors during the 108th Congress (65)

       Reps. Payne, Ney, Christensen, Ballenger, Owens, Rangel, 
     Serrano, Hastings (FL), Tubbs Jones, McDermott, Meek (FL), 
     Clyburn, Capuano, Watt, Lewis, A. Davis, B. Scott, S. Bishop, 
     B. Thompson, Norton, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Waters, Cummings, 
     Kilpatrick, Rush, Lofgren, Towns, Grijalva, D. Scott, 
     Majette, Weiner, Meeks (NY), Acevedo-Vila, Conyers, Kucinich, 
     Wynn, Jackson-Lee, Sweeney, Berman, Delahunt, Woolsey, 
     Feeney, Shimkus, Van Hollen, Engel, Deutsch, Watson, 
     Ballance, Menendez, Berkley, Jefferson, Ruppersberger, 
     Lantos, Maloney, Israel, Maloney, Gonzalez, Lacy Clay, 
     Wexler, Ros-Lehtinen, Ford, Jackson, Millender-McDonald, C. 
     Brown, D. Moore.
       *Republicans are italicized.

Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2006--By the President of the United 
                   States of America--A Proclamation

       During Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we celebrate the 
     great contributions of Caribbean Americans to the fabric of 
     our Nation, and we pay tribute to the common culture and 
     bonds of friendship that unite the United States and the 
     Caribbean countries.
       Our Nation has thrived as a country of immigrants, and we 
     are more vibrant and hopeful because of the talent, faith, 
     and values of Caribbean Americans. For centuries, Caribbean 
     Americans have enriched our society and added to the strength 
     of America. They have been leaders in government, sports, 
     entertainment, the arts, and many other fields.
       During the month of June, we also honor the friendship 
     between the United States and the Caribbean countries. We are 
     united by our common values and shared history, and I join 
     all Americans in celebrating the rich Caribbean heritage and 
     the many ways in which Caribbean Americans have helped shape 
     this Nation.
       Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United 
     States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by 
     the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby 
     proclaim June 2006 as Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I 
     encourage all Americans to learn more about the history of 
     Caribbean Americans and their contributions to our Nation.
       In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth 
     day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of 
     the Independence of the United States of America the two 
     hundred and thirtieth.
                                                   George W. Bush.

     

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