[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 89 (Monday, June 15, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H6786-H6790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2009, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the 
majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this 
Congressional Black Caucus' Special Order this evening.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I am honored to rise today, along 
with my other colleagues, in honor of Caribbean American Heritage 
Month. This month marks the fourth anniversary of officially 
recognizing Caribbean American Heritage Month. And I want to applaud 
you, Madam Speaker, the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, for 
introducing the legislation and getting it passed in February of 2006. 
President Bush officially proclaimed it for the very first time in June 
of that year.
  The efforts to get us to that point began long before, though, with 
the Institute for Caribbean Studies, which started observing June as 
Caribbean American Heritage Month in 1999. So I want to also take this 
opportunity to applaud the work and leadership of its president, Dr. 
Claire Nelson, of Jamaican heritage.
  I also want to recognize the Carib News Foundation for its work over 
the years to bring Caribbean and United States leaders together to 
discuss issues of common interest over the past 14 years. They filled 
an important gap.
  Recent attempts to officially bridge this gap began in 1997, when 
President Clinton traveled to Barbados where the Bridgetown Declaration 
was crafted. This important declaration affirmed our common resolve to 
fight crime, violence, corruption, drug and illegal drug trafficking 
while, as President Clinton said, ``promoting open and fair trade, 
protecting the environment, strengthening education, spreading 
telecommunications, and helping Caribbean countries diversify their 
economies and become more competitive as well.''
  Upon his return, he submitted the Caribbean Basin Trade Enhancement 
Act, which Congress passed. The cooperation was further affirmed with 
the historic meetings held in June of 2007 between the heads of 
Caribbean governments and the Bush-Cheney administration and this 
Congress. This commitment was renewed and reinvigorated at the Summit 
of the Americas held in the Caribbean nations of Trinidad and Tobago in 
April of this year with the active participation and leadership of our 
President, Barack Obama, who set a new tone for our relationship with 
the region.
  But the relationship has even predated the birth of this Nation. In 
1751, our very first President, George Washington, reported to have had 
family connections in Barbados, traveled there with his brother for a 
health-related matter in November of 1751. They stayed 2 months, and he 
is said to have been enchanted by the island and the Caribbean.
  Over the years, many Congressional Black Caucus members have worked 
tirelessly to raise awareness and keep us focused and invested in 
ongoing affairs in the Caribbean. We have done this through Chairman 
Rangel's efforts with the Caribbean Basin legislation and other 
initiatives, Congresswoman Waters, who worked so hard to save the 
banana industry and who was then Chair of the Congressional Black 
Caucus. She and I traveled to Barbados in 1997 for that historic 
meeting.
  I also want to recognize the special work done by Congressman Donald 
Payne, who is the founding Chair of the Friends of the Caribbean 
Caucus, and Congressman Kendrick Meek, Congressman Gregory Meeks, and 
of course Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. But, truly, all of the 
Congressional Black Caucus members are champions of the causes of the 
Caribbean.
  Last year, one of our great achievements, led by Congressman Donald 
Payne and you, Madam Speaker, Congresswoman Lee, in one of those great 
efforts, PEPFAR was extended to all of the Caribbean for the very first 
time. Two months ago, health ministers and CARICOM leaders met to draft 
the 5-year plan which would build on the PANCAP, the Pan Caribbean 
Partnership, to address HIV and AIDS in this region. The Shirley 
Chisholm United States Caribbean Educational Exchange Act of 2009, 
introduced, again, by Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman and Madam 
Speaker Lee, is now working its way through Congress. It will help to 
build a stronger Caribbean workforce and promote greater collaboration 
between the United States and the Caribbean, as well as a sharing of 
values and culture.
  Madam Speaker, I do have a few colleagues here with me this evening, 
and I would like to yield some time to them so that they may bring some 
remarks about the special month that we're celebrating in which we are 
recognizing the contributions of people from the Caribbean to the 
United States.
  So at this time, I will yield such time as she might consume to 
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
  Ms. CLARKE. I would like to thank the gentlelady for yielding. And I 
would like to associate myself with your comments, your remarks, your 
historical context for this Congressional Black Caucus' hour 
commemorating Caribbean American History Month. I want to thank you, my 
colleague, Donna Christensen, for all of your work and advocacy being 
part of the U.S. Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Caribbean American Heritage 
Month. I thank my friend, the gentlelady from California, Ms. Barbara 
Lee, for her very hard work and her enduring commitment to the people 
of the CARICOM region and for ensuring that every June we bring 
recognition to the many contributions made by Caribbean Americans and 
people of Caribbean descent, and the issues facing the nations of 
CARICOM and the Caribbean American Diaspora.

                              {time}  2000

  I have the honor of representing New York's 11th Congressional 
District, previously represented, in part, by Shirley Chisholm, the 
first African American Member of Congress and the child of Caribbean 
American immigrants from Barbados and Guiana.
  Other prominent Caribbean Americans that we may be aware of or have 
known throughout our history includes such luminaries as Jean Baptiste 
Point Du Sable, the founder of Chicago; Founding Father Alexander 
Hamilton, who was born in Nevis; actor and social activist Harry 
Belafonte; revolutionary Marcus Garvey; noted journalist Gwen Ifill; 
Hazel Scott, the first woman of color to have her own television show; 
Malcolm X, revolutionary; our own Attorney General Eric Holder; former 
Secretary of State Colin Powell; super model Tyson Beckford; athlete 
and coach Patrick Ewing; boxer and athlete Lenox Lewis; and Wyclef 
Jean, performer and philanthropist. And the list goes on and on.
  As a child of Jamaican immigrants, I have been an outspoken advocate 
for Caribbean Americans and Caribbean issues and concerns my entire 
public life and proudly carry forth my district's rich Caribbean 
heritage. The success of the Caribbean immigrant and their Caribbean 
American descendants has been evidenced in just about every field of 
endeavor.

[[Page H6787]]

  While Caribbean Americans have made great strides and very historic 
contributions to the prosperity and strengthening of our Nation, there 
are still lingering issues that adversely affect Caribbean Americans in 
the United States. Caribbean immigrants often have very little money or 
access to resources when making their transition to the United States, 
making them vulnerable targets of immigration fraud. I have introduced 
H.R. 1992, the Immigration Fraud Prevention Act of 2009, making it a 
Federal crime to willfully misrepresent the immigration process through 
fraud and false representation.
  I have also introduced H.R. 2071, which directs the Secretary of 
Commerce to include Caribbean descendants as an option on census 
questionnaires. I believe that this will bring recognition to the broad 
diversity of Caribbean natives and descendants that call our country 
home and ensure an accurate count and proper representation and 
resource.
  I was also pleased this year to be present at the Summit of the 
Americas along with our own President Barack Obama earlier this year. 
That summit was the beginning of what I know will be an enduring 
commitment to a mutually beneficial relationship with our ``third 
border.'' Our Nation's third border, shared with the CARICOM community, 
links not only families, not only travel and industry, but I believe 
the security of our own United States and our island-nation neighbors. 
In 2007 a joint report by the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime 
and the World Bank linked some of the rising crime rates in Caribbean 
nations to an increase in drug transshipment. In the previous Congress, 
I introduced H. Res. 1504, which calls for increased cooperation 
between the United States and Caribbean officials to combat this 
problem. Last week I stood proudly on this floor to express my support 
for provisions which were in H.R. 2410, the Foreign Relations 
Authorization Act of 2009, which added the Caribbean community, or 
CARICOM, to the Merida Initiative. I also want to commend the Honorable 
Barbara Lee for her work in establishing the Shirley A. Chisholm 
Educational Exchange Program authorized within the bill. These 
provisions promote security and education within the CARICOM region, 
fostering social and economic development abroad and keeping all of us 
safe here at home.
  Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I stand here, a descendant 
of Caribbean immigrants, able to stand in the House of Representatives' 
second generation representing a constituency that is the disapora of 
the Caribbean, and I'm proud that we here in the U.S. Capitol take this 
time to commemorate the very accomplishments, the binding of our 
nations and our people, in making sure that we strengthen and build 
prosperity here in the United States and share that good wealth and 
democracy with the region from whence so many have come.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Congresswoman Clarke, for your remarks 
this evening. And thank you, most of all, though, for your leadership 
on behalf of the Caribbean countries. We appreciate the work that you 
do both on your committee, the subcommittee that you Chair on Homeland 
Security, and in all of the work that addresses issues in the 
Caribbean. Thank you for joining us this evening.
  I would like now to yield to the gentlewoman from Texas, 
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the gentlewoman for yielding 
to me, and allow me to acknowledge as well the Congressional Black 
Caucus for the collective effort that they have made and thank our 
present chairwoman for the 2004 resolution, House Resolution 517, that 
ultimately was proclaimed by the President of the United States. This 
is an enriching day and an opportunity for us to emphasize the vastness 
of diversity that is in this country, and I stand here as a Caribbean 
American proudly exercising and relishing in the history of my 
ancestry.
  Let me also acknowledge the work that we have collectively done. As 
the ranking member on the Immigration Subcommittee, we have had a 
history of working for the issues of parity as it relates to the 
opportunities for Haitians to become statused here in the United 
States, as we have seen the Cubans also have this opportunity through 
what we call the ``wet foot, dry foot'' provision. We have worked 
unending to ensure that that parity comes about. And as we look forward 
into the comprehensive immigration reform debate, I hope that language 
from the Save America comprehensive immigration legislation that I 
authored will be part of the debate so that our reform will include all 
aspects of those who are seeking to be statused and particularly those 
from the Caribbean.
  We have worked on issues that addressed the questions of many 
Caribbean leaders when there was massive deportation of individuals 
from the United States who had never been to the Caribbean, had never 
been to the countries of their birth, and therefore were coming and 
providing the need for extra resources by Caribbean leaders. This is 
paying attention to the issues of the Caribbean and recognizing that 
they are a vital ally to us. And that was recognized by the recent 
organization of the meeting in the Caribbean in Trinidad where many 
Caribbean nations came, and I believe the new relationship was cemented 
between this new President, this Congress, and the Caribbean leaders.
  So as we speak about the greatness of Caribbean Americans, I want to 
emphasize that we should also be engaged with the Caribbean as our 
allies, as those who can participate with us in homeland security and 
securing the borders, as we look to Caribbean Americans who have made 
great strides here in this country.
  Caribbean Americans are educators, linguists, actors, athletes, 
soldiers, politicians, economists, historians, activists, doctors, 
lawyers, and everyday men and women. There are those of us who enjoy 
the music of the Caribbean, and certainly one of our most famous poets 
and musicians is Bob Marley, whose reggae music continues to permeate 
the music channels and the ears of Americans. We are proud of the 
contributions of Caribbean Americans. Those like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; 
those like Timothy ``Tim'' Theodore Duncan; those like Garcelle 
Beauvais-Nilon; those like Sidney Poitier; those like Stokely 
Carmichael and Marcus Garvey; and, of course, Colin Powell, the former 
Secretary of State, a Caribbean American; certainly the Honorable 
Shirley Chisholm, who herself ran as an African American woman for 
President of the United States of America. Bold, unashamed of their 
roots and history, ready to make a difference, that is the character of 
Caribbean Americans and those who live in the Caribbean.

  Let me also thank John Conyers, whom I worked with as we visited 
Haiti and went to see many of those who have been incarcerated because 
of the, if you will, inconsistency of leadership in Haiti. We are 
delighted to see President Preval leading out. We visited many who were 
political prisoners and worked with the then-Bush administration to try 
to secure their freedom. I want to continue to express my appreciation 
to Chairman Conyers for the work that he has continuously done working 
with the Jubilee that we celebrated in Haiti when we traveled there 
together.
  So there are many aspects of the Caribbean that we can celebrate. I'm 
here to celebrate the great connection that I have had the privilege of 
having. And I'm delighted to be joined on the floor of the House by 
Congresswoman Donna Christensen as well as Congresswoman Yvette Clarke 
and Congressman Donald Payne and the chairwoman, who is now serving as 
the Speaker pro tempore. We do this because we want to ensure that 
people realize how great America is, and it is only great because it 
relies upon the strength of those who come from different cultures and 
bring that wonderment to our wonderful Nation.
  So I want to acknowledge the creation of the Institute of Caribbean 
Studies in 1994. I want to acknowledge the ad hoc Caribbean Council of 
Washington, D.C., that disbanded, and ICS takes over leadership of 
celebrating June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in Washington, 
D.C. This is just part of the history that was generated in the bill to 
make this the month that we celebrate Caribbean Heritage Month.
  Finally, might I say proudly that I want to speak of my grandparents, 
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. My grandmother and grandfather were true sons and 
daughters at that time of the King and

[[Page H6788]]

Queen because Jamaica was then a colony of Great Britain. However, 
their dignity allowed them to know that Jamaica could be a free and 
democratic nation. And through the leadership of those in Jamaica who 
recognized that it could be a free nation, they secured their freedom, 
and what a celebratory time that was.
  I want to acknowledge so many prime ministers, but former Prime 
Minister Manley, former Prime Minister Seaga, former Prime Minister 
P.J. Patterson, all great leaders that brought greatness to the 
Caribbean, and to acknowledge the present prime minister as he 
continues to work, to acknowledge the first woman Prime Minister as 
well that was in Jamaica for at least a time in the last 2 years. We 
know that she has been called with great love and affection Prime 
Minister Portia, but we respect the service that she has given.
  My grandparents left Jamaica and went to work in Panama in the Panama 
Canal, and I had the privilege of going to the Panama Canal for a 
Homeland Security mission and seeing my grandfather's name listed as 
one of those who worked on the Panama Canal. As he came to the United 
States and then settled between South Carolina and Brooklyn, New York, 
to know that he was part of that wonderful tradition of history and 
heritage, the wonderful cuisine of oxtails and rice and peas and 
plantains and many other good things that we continue to enjoy 
culturally in my family that I raised my children on, that I was raised 
on, so that this nexus of knowing your roots is so very key.
  So what I say to all who are listening, this Nation is valuable 
because it respects the culture of all of us. And today we salute 
Caribbean Americans, and I have been privileged and proud to have 
served in the United States Congress with that history but also to work 
on a number of issues helping to make their land, their nation, better 
and creating a better partnership between the United States and 
Caribbean.

                              {time}  2015

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Congresswoman Jackson-Lee, and thank you 
for your hard work, your service, and your support for all issues 
relating to the Caribbean. I know you are very proud of your Jamaican 
heritage because you speak of it very often. Thank you.
  At this time I would like to yield such time as he might consume to 
the founding Chair of the Friends of the Caribbean Caucus, the 
gentleman from New Jersey, Congressman Donald Payne.
  Mr. PAYNE. Thank you. Let me commend the Congressional Black Caucus 
and its chairperson, leader this evening, Barbara Lee from California, 
for the outstanding job that she is doing as Chair of the Congressional 
Black Caucus. As the caucus moves forward, being the conscience of the 
Congress, let me also commend Representative Fudge, who is from the 
great State of Ohio, who continues to lead the Special Orders on our 
evenings, and of course our Caribbean queen, Delegate Donna Christian-
Christensen, who, as you know, is our representative from the U.S. 
Virgin Islands. Not only is she an expert on the Caribbean but, as we 
all know, she is an internist, a physician and has been very, very 
helpful as we move forward in very difficult health care reform. Her 
input is invaluable. I also want to commend her for the recent 
involvement in a documentary about the relationship between St. Croix 
and Puerto Rico that went through the history of the sugarcane industry 
back at the turn of the century in the late 1800s, early 1900s and the 
number of Puerto Ricans who came to St. Croix to work there. This was 
shown last weekend, will be shown in New York, and has received many 
praises for the interesting history that it brings about.
  Let me just say that it's a pleasure to be here--as chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health but also as Chair of the 
Caribbean Caucus, the bipartisan caucus that we have here--to kind of 
expand our relationship with the Caribbean. This Caribbean American 
Heritage Month is well deserved. It's recognizing the diversity and 
success of people from the Caribbean. You've heard other speakers talk 
about the many people from the Caribbean who have been so outstanding. 
The achievements and impacts made from Caribbean people have 
continually made a positive contribution to the well-being of American 
society. We could go back to our beginning with Alexander Hamilton, who 
came from St. Kitts, our first Secretary of the Treasury. Secretary 
Colin Powell is from the Caribbean as well as Cicely Tyson, W.E.B. 
DuBois, James Weldon Johnson, Malcolm X, Harry Belafonte, Sidney 
Poitier, and, in my own district, two people that I might talk about 
here, Antoinette K. Ellis-Williams and Dr. Claire Nelson. Dr. Claire 
Nelson, the founder and president of the Institute of Caribbean 
Studies, is known for her leadership in making Caribbean Americans 
heard. I am proud to say I work with her on a regular basis, as many of 
us do; and we admire her and the great work that she does. We just had 
the opportunity to be with her last week, and we are extremely pleased 
at the outstanding work that the institute is doing. The second person 
that I mentioned, Dr. Antoinette K. Ellis-Williams, a leader in my 
congressional district, currently serves as president for the Essex 
Valley Health Care and serves on the board of East Orange General 
Hospital. She is a proactive member of the Caribbean Medical Mission, a 
nonprofit organization of doctors, nurses, health care workers, 
engineers and other professionals who give back to the community 
through their services. She is a founder and director of the Statewide 
Female Leadership Development Institute and Research Center at the New 
Jersey City Institute.
  The Caribbean community's presence also plays a wide role in our 
elections, especially in my district, where the greater settlement of 
many people from the Caribbean in East Orange, Irvington and Newark 
make their voices heard. In past elections we have seen many people 
from the Caribbean community educate fellow Caribbean Americans about 
the U.S. political process and encourage their participation in the 
democratic process.
  In recognizing June as Caribbean month, in my work with the caucus, 
this Congress has continually focused on enhancing relationships 
between the United States and the Caribbean states by reviewing 
proposals and pending legislation that have a direct impact on the 
Caribbean. I believe that by facilitating an ongoing dialogue, we can 
continue to recognize the Caribbean as America's third border for 
trade, for political stability, for the fight against drug trafficking 
and for economic development. We need to remember that the Caribbean is 
not just a place for vacationing, but it's a place in need of economic 
development. With the current open trade regime, the challenge for the 
Caribbean is to quickly develop high productivity sectors that could 
drive the region's development. We know that the same problems that 
have stricken us in the U.S. have stricken the Caribbean. HIV and AIDS 
has become a problem, but we're very pleased that the PEPFAR program 
now has been expanded to 14 Caribbean countries. In 2005 an estimated 
300,000 adults and children in the Caribbean were reported living with 
HIV, making it the leading cause of death among adults aged 15 to 44. 
We know that in Haiti, life expectancy has also been impacted 
tremendously by HIV and AIDS.
  However, like I said, we have a tremendous relationship with our 
friends in the Caribbean. There are several problems that we need to 
help them with.
  Deportation. As you know, in 1996 the U.S. law changed that anyone 
convicted of an offense had to face deportation from the United States; 
and as a result, many of these small nation countries have had to 
absorb persons who may have come to the United States as infants but 
have engaged in crime and now are sent back 20, 30, 40 years later as 
hardened criminals; and many of the countries in the Caribbean are 
having a difficult time dealing with these deportees. Another problem 
that we see is with the drug trafficking in Mexico. We're finding that 
they are pushing drug trafficking into the Caribbean, and we need to 
assist the Caribbean in fighting this and give them assistance with law 
enforcement, training and Coast Guard assistance. But we are very proud 
of many of the Haitians, as I mentioned. Track and field is something 
that they have excelled in. I

[[Page H6789]]

recall when I was running back in the early fifties, George Rhoden was 
a quarter miler who won the gold medal in the Helsinki Olympics. George 
Rhoden and many other Jamaicans came up and went to Morgan State 
University. At the Penn Relays, these Jamaicans in the late forties and 
early fifties started to get recognition. And we know that in the 
Beijing Olympics, Usain Bolt, at 20, 21 years old, won the 100 meters 
and the 200 meters. He was one of the youngest persons to ever win 
those events, and the first person since Mr. Lewis from New Jersey to 
win both sprints in the Olympics. We have had many outstanding people 
that started politics in New York, Hulan Jack, way back, a fellow from 
St. Lucia. He was born in 1905, moved up to New York, a high school 
dropout, went to work for a company, and worked his way up from a 
janitor to become a vice president of the firm. He became active in 
politics, and he became a New York City Democratic political leader, 
loyal to the Tammany Hall operation, which was run then by a fellow 
named Carmine De Sapio. But in 1940 Hulan Jack won seven straight 
elections to the New York State Assembly, representing his Harlem 
district. And in 1953, Hulan Jack was elected to borough president of 
Manhattan, becoming the first African American to hold the post. 
Elected more than a decade before the rise of big city black mayors in 
the sixties, Hulan Jack was the highest ranking African American 
municipal officer in the Nation. With an annual salary at that time of 
$25,000, he was the highest paid black office holder in the country. He 
served as Manhattan Borough president for several terms; and because of 
his emerging strength, the powers that be interrupted his career, and 
he left office. But Hulan Jack showed that politics was something that 
many of our Caribbean folks brought to the leadership of politics in 
our country.

  I'll just finally end with a person that we all admired so much and 
has been mentioned earlier, Mr. Michael Manley, son of Norman Manley 
who served as the Prime Minister from '59 to '62. Michael Manley came 
in and became a three-term Prime Minister from '72 to '80 and '89 to 
'92, and he stepped down because of bad health. But just look at what 
Michael Manley did in Jamaica: Minimum wage for all workers; free 
education at secondary and university level, to the extent that space 
was available; instituted a literacy campaign; subdivision of what he 
called idle land to poor blacks, a formation of agrarian cooperatives 
where they worked together; price control on numerous staples to 
benefit the poor; reduction of the voting age to 18, thus increasing 
the black vote that then was able to continue to move forward. Listen 
to this--institutionalizing paid maternity leave and free milk to 
mothers. This was way back then in Jamaica where, as you know, we are 
still fighting to get family leave instituted in some of our States in 
the United States of America 30 years later. A person like Mr. Michael 
Manley did such an outstanding job. So we're just pleased to celebrate 
this heritage month.
  Once again, I certainly commend the gentlelady from the U.S. Virgin 
Islands for her leadership. I know that we will have a wonderful month 
as we celebrate the great attributes that people from the Caribbean 
have made not only to the United States, and Europe but of course the 
Caribbean.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Congressman Payne, and thank you for 
your leadership both as our leader on Africa and global health as well 
as for all of the work that you've done with us in the Caribbean 
Caucus. Thank you for joining us this evening.
  There are so many men and women of Caribbean American heritage who 
have contributed greatly, and so many events that have created ties 
that forever bind us together. President Obama in his proclamation this 
year, recognizing Caribbean American Heritage Month wrote, 
``Generations of immigrants have preserved the traditions of their 
homeland, and these traditions have defined our Nation's identity. This 
multi-lingual and multi-ethnic tradition has strengthened our social 
fabric and enriched the diversity of our Nation.'' He continues, ``We 
are neighbors, partners and friends. We share the same aspirations for 
our children, and we strive for the very same freedoms. Together we can 
meet the common challenges we face.''
  I want to highlight several of those ties that bind. The birth of our 
Nation was supported by many Caribbean islands. Many do not know that 
the guns that were manned by the colonies during the American 
Revolution were gunpowdered by shipments from the Caribbean. While I 
believe most of it originated from St. Kitts, it was in the St. Croix 
Harbor in the then Danish West Indies where that gunpowder was loaded 
for shipment to the early colonies. In fact, it was also in that St. 
Croix Harbor, according to Robert Amandus Johnson in his book Saint 
Croix 1770 to 1776, that the first salute to the Stars and Stripes 
occurred in June of 1776.

                              {time}  2030

  And, of course, there is the direct relationship between Haiti and 
New Orleans, the latter of which in the beginning of the 19th century 
was considered a minor adjunct to the island which was then considered 
France's most valuable possession. It was only after Napoleon failed to 
reconquer the colony after the Africans had won their freedom and begun 
to establish their republic, only then did he decide to sell the 
Louisiana Territory. Many from the island of Saint Domingue who had 
fled that island became early inhabitants of New Orleans, contributing 
to the culture which is so recognized and renowned today.
  There are also many U.S. Virgin Islanders today and in the past and 
from the then Danish West Indies who have and who continue to 
contribute much to our Nation. I have spoken of many of them on several 
occasions, people like Casper Holstein. Congressman Payne mentioned 
Raymond Jones. Jon Lucien in music, Emile Griffith in boxing, Valmy 
Thomas, Horace Clarke and Tim Duncan in sports. There are many, many 
others.
  One, Denmark Vesey, was born in St. Thomas and settled in Charleston, 
South Carolina, one of my favorite cities. He settled there in 1783. 
Seventeen years later he bought his freedom, and inspired, I am sure, 
by the 1733 African rebellion of St. John and the 1791 successful 
African rebellion in the Isle of Saint Domingue, now Haiti, he also 
planned a well-known slave uprising that was to have taken place in 
1822, but was thwarted.
  I would be truly remiss if I didn't speak briefly about Alexander 
Hamilton, who has been named several times this evening, who was born 
in Nevis, which is now a part of the independent nation of St. Kitts 
and Nevis, and who spent his formative years in St. Croix before coming 
to New York and eventually becoming, as Ron Chernow puts it, ``Arguably 
the most important figure in American history who never attained the 
Presidency, but had a far more lasting impact than many who did.''
  Alexander Hamilton was credited with having been Washington's aide-
de-camp, a Revolutionary War hero, a member of the Constitutional 
Convention, the leading author of the Federalist Papers and head of the 
Federalist Party, as well as the first Secretary of the Treasury, who 
forged our tax and budget systems. I bet he would have let us budget 
for prevention, as we are trying to do in health care reform. He 
started the Customs Service, the Coast Guard, and the Central Bank.
  We are proud that he was a Virgin Islander, a Crucian, and we are 
seeking to make his family home, the site where his mother was buried, 
a part of the National Park Service. It carries the same name as his 
home in New York City, Grange.
  There have been many Caribbean men and women who have served in 
Congress and in our Nation's administration.
  As a woman of Caribbean decent and a founding member of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, Shirley Chisholm led the way for 
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and I. As a pioneering minority woman, her 
legacy holds the door open for many more African Americans and women.
  Then there was Mervyn Dymally, Ron de Lugo, Melvin Evans, Victor 
Frazier, and all who have served as Resident Commissioners from Puerto 
Rico, as well as Members of Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage who are 
also Caribbean Americans and who serve today and have served in the 
past in this body.
  Many more of our Nation's leaders trace their roots to the Caribbean, 
such

[[Page H6790]]

as our former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Attorney General Eric 
Holder, Assistant Secretary of the Interior-designee Wilma Lewis, and 
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. But there are many others.
  We may look back as far as the period to 1900 to 1920, which marked 
the initiation of mass labor migration from the Caribbean to the United 
States and the formation of the first large Caribbean communities here 
in this country.
  We should not forget World War I, when the recruitment of labor from 
the Caribbean became imperative. More than 100,000 Caribbean laborers 
were recruited for agricultural and tedious jobs as part of war labor. 
We should acknowledge the Caribbean men and women who served our 
country and those who continue to serve this country overseas in its 
conflicts today.
  So I feel it has been an honor and privilege as a Caribbean American, 
whose roots lie in Cuba, Antigua, St. Kitts and the Danish Indies, now 
the Virgin Islands, to host this hour, where the Congressional Black 
Caucus has recognized and paid tribute to Caribbean American heritage.
  Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today recognizing June 
as National Caribbean American Heritage month and to acknowledge the 
important contributions Caribbean-Americans have made to our Nation's 
history.
  Let me begin by thanking Congresswoman Donna Christensen of the 
Virgin Islands for anchoring tonight's CBC hour honoring Caribbean 
American Heritage Month.
  I want to also thank Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Congresswoman 
Sheila Jackson-Lee, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters for their 
tremendous leadership on Caribbean Issues.
  I would like to acknowledge The Institute for Caribbean Studies and 
all the other Caribbean-American organizations that worked to make 
Caribbean-American Heritage Month a great success.
  As a long time supporter of the Caribbean and a frequent visitor to 
the region, I was very proud to see us celebrate this important 
commemorative month for the third year. Since the resolution's initial 
passage by Congress in 2006, the President has issued a proclamation 
recognizing Caribbean-American Heritage Month in June 2006, 2007, and 
2008.
  People of Caribbean heritage reside in every part of our country. 
Since 1820, millions of people have emigrated from the Caribbean region 
to the United States.
  Throughout U.S. history we have been fortunate to benefit from 
countless individuals of Caribbean descent, who have contributed to 
American government, politics, business, arts, education, and culture--
including one of my personal heros, the Honorable Congresswoman Shirley 
Chisholm.
  Shirley Chisholm was a woman of Ba-jan and Guyanese descent, who 
never forgot her roots in the Caribbean. She was the first African 
American woman elected to Congress and the first woman to run for 
President.
  My political involvement began as a volunteer during her historic 
presidential campaign in 1972. Through her mentorship, she strengthened 
my interest in addressing issues of importance to the African Diaspora 
both here in the U.S. and abroad.
  In addition to Shirley Chisholm, during Caribbean-American Heritage 
Month, we also recognize people like Alexander Hamilton, Hazel Scott, 
Sidney Poitier, Wyclef Jean, Eric Holder, Colin Powell, Harry 
Belafonte, Celia Cruz, Congresswoman Donna Christensen, Congresswoman 
Sheila Jackson-Lee, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, and many others who 
helped shape this country.
  Caribbean-American Heritage Month also provided an opportunity for us 
to strengthen our long-term partnership with CARICOM nations through 
greater dialogue and engagement. From disaster preparedness, education, 
and the campaign against HIV/AIDS and other health disparities, we 
share a number of mutual policy interests with our Caribbean neighbors.
  For example, last year we were able to address these important issues 
regarding the Caribbean, through the Institute for Caribbean Studies' 
Caribbean-American Legislative Forum held on the Hill.
  In addition, the Caribbean People International Collective Inc (CPIC) 
held a roundtable discussion on health in the immigrant community. This 
event promoted the goals and ideals of National Caribbean-American HIV/
AIDS Awareness Day (NCAHAAD).
  Most recently, last year's global rise in food costs keenly affected 
the people of the Caribbean, particularly our friends in Haiti. The 
crisis highlighted the need for reengagement and opened the door for 
innovative policy solutions.
  Last year, CARICOM Heads of State held their New York Conference on 
the Caribbean under the theme ``A 20/20 Vision'', where they met with 
regional policy makers, the academic community, private sectors and 
financial institutions, as well as members of the Caribbean Diaspora to 
better integrate policy interests between the U.S. and the Caribbean.
  National Caribbean American Heritage month promotes the importance of 
recognizing that our policies in the Caribbean affect us in the United 
States. Caribbean-American Heritage Month reminded us of the large and 
diverse constituencies of Caribbean-Americans in our nation and 
provided an opportunity to send a message of good will to the Caribbean 
community both here and abroad.
  Caribbean American Heritage Month also provided an opportunity to 
celebrate and share in the rich culture of our Caribbean neighbors, 
through showcases of Caribbean art, festivals, concerts, and film.
  Just as we commemorate the achievements of the many diverse 
communities in our nation, the United States Government should 
encourage all people to celebrate the rich history and diversity of 
Caribbean Americans.
  I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring the Caribbean-
American community, and acknowledge their service to our society.

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