[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 102 (Thursday, July 9, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING NATIONAL CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. YVETTE D. CLARKE

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 7, 2009

  Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 127, 
Recognizing the Significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage 
Month. I thank my friend The Gentle lady from California, Barbara Lee 
for her hard work on this very important resolution. This resolution 
ensures that every June, we recognize the many contributions of 
Caribbean-Americans and highlight the issues facing the Caribbean 
community.
  I have the distinct honor and privilege of representing New York's 
11`h Congressional District, located in central Brooklyn. And as a 
child of Jamaican immigrants, I have experienced first hand the impact 
Caribbean Americans can have on a community, let alone a nation. That 
is why I have been a staunch advocate for Caribbean issues my entire 
public life; fighting to ensure that the agenda of Caribbean Americans 
are visible on the national stage.
  From the various Caribbean Associations dedicated to helping 
Caribbean Americans with myriad issues, to the West-Indian American Day 
Carnival on Eastern Parkway, the influence and impact of Caribbean 
descendents is undeniable.
  Caribbean Americans have contributed greatly to our nation as a 
whole. Some prominent Caribbean Americans include: My predecessor and 
role model, Former U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm, the first 
African American female Member of Congress, who was of Caribbean 
descent; Former Secretary of State Collin Powell, both the first 
African American to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and 
Secretary of State of Jamaican lineage; Jamaica Kincaid, an American 
novelist; social activists Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X; and dancer 
Pearl Primus, to name a few.
  In Brooklyn, there have been many who have influenced my advocacy for 
the Caribbean community. People like my mother Dr. Una Clarke, who was 
the first Caribbean born woman elected to the New York City's 
Legislature; Lemuel Stanislaus of Grenada; Dr. Henry Frank of Haiti; 
and Carlos Rosada of Grenada, chairman of the West-Indian American Day 
Carnival Association, continue to remind me of the fight for equality, 
not only for the Caribbean community and their countries of origin, but 
for all.
  While Caribbean Americans have made great strides, there are still 
lingering issues affecting Caribbean Americans in this country. 
Caribbean immigrants often have little money or access to practical 
information when making their transition to the United States, making 
them the targets of immigration fraud. As a result, earlier this year, 
I introduced H.R. 1992, the Immigration Fraud Prevention Act of 2009, 
which makes it a federal crime to willfully misrepresent the 
immigration process through fraud or false representation.
  I also introduced H.R. 2071, which directs the Secretary of Commerce 
to include Caribbean descent as an option on census questionnaires. 
This will finally bring recognition to the broad diversity of Caribbean 
natives that call our country home and ensure an accurate count and 
proper representation.
  Our nation's ``third border'', shared with the Caribbean community, 
links the security of the U.S. with our island neighbors. In 2007, a 
joint-report by the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime and the 
World Bank linked rising crime rates in Caribbean nations to an 
increase in drug-trafficking. In the 110th Congress, I introduced H. 
Res. 1504 which calls for increased cooperation between U.S. and 
Caribbean officials to combat this problem. Last week, I came to this 
floor to express my support for provisions within H.R. 2410, the 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 2009 that added the Caribbean 
community (CARICOM), to the Merida Initiative. This initiative is a 
multi-year program that works in partnership with governments in 
Mexico, the nations of Central America, the Dominican Republic and 
Haiti to confront criminal organizations whose illicit actions 
undermine public safety, erode the rule of law, and threaten the 
national security of the United States.
  I also expressed my appreciation for the Shirley A. Chisholm 
Educational Exchange Program authorized in the bill. These provisions 
promote security and education within the Caribbean community, 
fostering social and economic development abroad and keeping us safe at 
home.
  Again it is my honor as a child of the Caribbean and my duty as the 
Representative of the 11th Congressional District of New York, to urge 
my colleagues to stand with me in supporting this Resolution. I thank 
Congresswoman Lee for leading the charge on this and for yielding time.

                          ____________________