[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
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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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