[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 22, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4645-H4647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1369) recognizing the significance of
National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1369
Whereas people of Caribbean heritage are found in every
State of the Union;
Whereas emigration from the Caribbean region to the
American Colonies began as early as 1619 with the arrival of
indentured workers in Jamestown, Virginia;
Whereas during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a
significant number of slaves from the Caribbean region were
brought to the United States;
Whereas since 1820, millions of people have emigrated from
the Caribbean region to the United States;
Whereas like the United States, the countries of the
Caribbean faced obstacles of slavery and colonialism and
struggled for independence;
Whereas also like the United States, the people of the
Caribbean region have diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and
religious backgrounds;
Whereas the independence movements throughout the Caribbean
during the 1960s and the consequential establishment of
independent democratic countries in the Caribbean
strengthened ties between the region and the United States;
Whereas Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United
States and the first Secretary of the Treasury, was born in
the Caribbean;
Whereas many influential Caribbean-Americans have
contributed to the rich history of the United States,
including Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, the pioneer settler
of Chicago; Claude McKay, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance;
James Weldon Johnson, the writer of the Black National
Anthem; Celia Cruz, the world-renowned queen of Salsa music;
and Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American
Congresswoman and first African-American woman candidate for
President;
Whereas the many influential Caribbean-Americans in the
history of the United States also include Colin Powell, the
first African-American Secretary of State; Sidney Poitier,
the first African-American actor to receive the Academy Award
for best actor in a leading role; Harry Belafonte, a
musician, actor, and activist; Al Roker, a meteorologist and
television personality; and Roberto Clemente, the first
Latino inducted into the baseball hall of fame;
Whereas Caribbean-Americans have played an active role in
the civil rights movement and other social and political
movements in the United States;
Whereas Caribbean-Americans have contributed greatly to the
fine arts, education, business, literature, journalism,
sports, fashion, politics, government, the military, music,
science, technology, and other fields in the United States;
Whereas Caribbean-Americans share their culture through
festivals, carnivals, music, dance, film, and literature,
which enrich the cultural landscape of the United States;
Whereas the countries of the Caribbean are important
economic partners of the United States;
Whereas the countries of the Caribbean represent the United
States' third border;
Whereas the people of the Caribbean region share the hopes
and aspirations of the people of the United States for peace
and prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere and the rest
of the world;
Whereas since the passage of H. Con. Res. 71 in the 109th
Congress by both the Senate and the House of Representatives,
a proclamation has been issued annually by the President
declaring June National Caribbean-American Heritage Month;
and
Whereas June is an appropriate month to establish a
Caribbean-American Heritage Month: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That Congress--
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Caribbean-American
Heritage Month;
(2) encourages the people of the United States to observe
Caribbean-American Heritage Month with appropriate
ceremonies, celebrations, and activities; and
(3) affirms that--
(A) the contributions of Caribbean-Americans are a
significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of
the United States; and
(B) the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States
enriches and strengthens the Nation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Before I begin, I know that Representative Barbara Lee, who is the
author of this resolution, had wanted to be here to express her
opinions and positions on it. Unfortunately, she could not.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1369, a resolution that
recognizes National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Congress has
taken time each year since 2006 to recognize Americans of Caribbean
descent for their contributions to our Nation, and I am glad we can
bring this measure to the floor today.
H. Res. 1369 was introduced by my friend and colleague,
Representative Barbara Lee, on May 18, 2010, and the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform ordered it to be reported by unanimous
consent on June 17, 2010. It comes to the floor with over 50
cosponsors, and I am pleased to join them in celebrating the rich
heritage of Caribbean Americans.
Millions of people from the Caribbean islands have emigrated to our
shores for centuries. We acknowledge that many arrived here in bondage
and against their will as slaves and indentured servants, and their
struggles for freedom reverberate even today.
Today, we are a better Nation for having them here. Caribbean
Americans include such cultural figures as the poet Claude McKay,
musician and television star Hazel Scott, actor and activist Harry
Belafonte, as well as political leaders from Alexander Hamilton to
former Secretary of State
[[Page H4646]]
Colin Powell and our current Attorney General, Eric Holder. These and
countless other Caribbean Americans have made invaluable contributions
to our Nation, and it is right that we honor them today.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of H. Res. 1369, recognizing the significance of
National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. For the past 4 years, our
country has proudly recognized the contributions that Caribbean
Americans have made to our lives and our country. Since 1619, when the
first Caribbean people came to the United States as indentured servants
to Jamestown, the Caribbean people have held a place in our growth and
development.
We are proud to count among them, as we heard earlier, leaders in
government, the military and the arts. The first Secretary of the
Treasury and one of our Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton, was born
in the Caribbean. Former General and Secretary of State Colin Powell;
Academy Award winner and musician, Sydney Poitier; and social activist,
Harry Belafonte, are all of Caribbean heritage.
There are many similarities in the histories of the United States and
the countries of the Caribbean. The United States and the countries of
the Caribbean both have endured the trials of slavery, colonialism, and
the struggle for independence. The separate countries of the Caribbean
share a diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious background that
is comparable to our multicultural Nation. These similarities are but a
few ties that bind our countries together.
The countries of the Caribbean are also important economic partners
of the United States and, importantly, represent the United States'
third border. They share our commitment to peace and prosperity
throughout our hemisphere. These common goals make our countries both
strategically and culturally long-time allies.
I ask all my fellow Members to join me in celebrating National
Caribbean-American Heritage Month and recognize the contributions
Caribbean Americans have made to the history of the United States.
Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Res. 1369, recognizing the significance of National Caribbean-American
Heritage month. This resolution acknowledges the important
contributions Caribbean-Americans have made to our nation's history and
culture.
Let me begin by thanking Chairman Towns, Ranking Member Issa, and the
staff of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for helping to
bring this bipartisan resolution to the floor today. I would also like
to thank Congressman Davis for managing the floor and for graciously
submitting my statement for the Record in my absence.
I would also like to recognize my colleagues--Congresswoman
Christensen, Congresswoman Clarke, Congresswoman Jackson Lee,
Congresswoman Waters, Congressman Payne, and Congressman Burton--and
others for their tremendous leadership on Caribbean issues.
I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Claire Nelson and the Institute
of Caribbean Studies--and all the other Caribbean-American
organizations in Washington, my home state of California, and across
the country that have worked and continue to work 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 fifth straight year. Since Congress
unanimously passed H. Con. Res. 71 in February 2006, the President has
issued a proclamation annually recognizing June as Caribbean-American
Heritage Month. This year, President Obama issued a proclamation on May
28.
People of Caribbean heritage reside in every part of our country.
Since before our nation's founding, millions of people have emigrated
from the Caribbean 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 mentors, the Honorable 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 issues of importance to the African Diaspora both here
in the U.S. and abroad.
During Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we recognize the important
contributions of people like Shirley Chisholm, as well as Alexander
Hamilton, Hazel Scott, Sidney Poitier, Wyclef Jean, Eric Holder, Colin
Powell, Harry Belafonte, Roberto Clemente, Celia Cruz--and yes,
Congresswomen Donna Christensen, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Yvette
Clarke--and many other persons of Caribbean descent who have helped
shape this country.
Caribbean-American Heritage Month reminds us of the large and diverse
constituencies of Caribbean-Americans in our nation, and provides us
with an opportunity to send a message of good will to the community at
home and abroad.
Caribbean-American Heritage Month also provides us with an
opportunity to celebrate and share in the rich culture of the
Caribbean-American community through showcases of Caribbean art,
festivals, concerts, and film.
In my own district of Oakland, California, individuals and
organizations celebrate the rich heritage of people of Caribbean
descent through musical concerts and family picnics.
In addition to presenting us with an occasion to celebrate the legacy
of Caribbean-Americans, this month also provides us an opportunity to
strengthen our long-term partnership with nations of the Caribbean
Community.
From trade, energy, and immigration to disaster preparedness, HIV/
AIDS and--as recent events in Jamaica have made clear--drug-related
violence, we share a number of mutual policy interests with our
Caribbean neighbors. These challenges are regional in nature, so we
must confront them together and in partnership.
One issue which I think deserves a special mention is the recent
earthquake and resulting tragedy that has unfolded in Haiti. Like many
of my CBC colleagues, I have followed Haiti's progress for some time
now and have visited the country on multiple occasions.
The American people, including Haitian Americans, have responded
incredibly to the tragedy just off our shores--and along with the
international community we have conducted one of the largest
humanitarian responses in history.
Once the cameras are gone and Haiti slips off the front pages and the
24-hour news cycle, it is up to us to ensure that the United States
maintains its attention on the plights of the Haitian people.
Last year, I introduced H.R. 417, the Next Steps for Haiti Act, to
create a professional exchange program to assign U.S. professionals,
particularly Haitian-Americans, in Haiti to provide technical
assistance in fields critical to development. Such an initiative would
tap into the vast energy and knowledge of the Haitian Diaspora to
promote long-term capacity building.
H.R. 417 is just one of a number of initiatives that the U.S. can
establish to promote the reconstruction of the country.
The recent tragedy in Haiti provides us, to use an oft-quoted phrase,
with an opportunity to ``rebuild Haiti differently.'' I believe that in
order to rebuild differently, in a manner that is sustainable and works
to end--not promote--Haiti's dependence on foreign aid, we must promote
ownership amongst the Haitian people.
It is critical that any long-term reconstruction and development
agenda is Haitian-led, that Haitian civil society and the Haitian
Diaspora play a central role, and that such an agenda focuses on
building the capacity of the Haitian Government to provide basic
services and protect the social, civil, and political rights of its
people.
Only by empowering Haitians to rebuild their own lives and their own
country will we truly ``rebuild differently.''
I would like to end by stating that although the Caribbean faces many
challenges, we understand that we must face them together. Despite the
often turbulent history between the United States and Caribbean
countries, our ties cannot be pinned down to geography alone, or
economics alone, or even history alone. The region continues to shape
us as Americans as much as we here continue to shape the Caribbean.
So I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure
to honor the Caribbean-American community, and to honor the rich gifts
that they have given and continue to give this country.
Let us continue to celebrate the rich diversity of this nation of
immigrants and recognize that it will forever be the great blessing and
strength of our country.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my
support of H. Res. 1369, which recognizes the significance of National
Caribbean-American Heritage Month.
As a child of Jamaican parents, I understand the importance of
recognizing the influence Caribbean cultures continues to have on
[[Page H4647]]
the many facets of these United States. Growing up, my parents
instilled in me a strong appreciation for the Caribbean values they
learned in Jamaica: a strong work ethic and tremendous pride in my
heritage. As a parent, I have passed on these same values to my own
children, so they will develop a sense of pride in their Caribbean
heritage and acknowledge the many roles Caribbean people play in
shaping this nation. I whole-heartedly support this resolution that
commemorates Caribbean heritage, history, culture and contributions to
the United States.
In her 1970 autobiography, Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman
elected to Congress, credited her success to the education she received
while attending school in Barbados. She wrote, ``Years later I would
know what an important gift my parents had given me by seeing to it
that I had my early education in the strict, traditional, British-style
schools of Barbados. If I speak and write easily now, that early
education is the main reason.''
This is a nation built by immigrants. From as early as the 17th
century there have been individuals from the Caribbean Islands, working
here in the United States as indentured servants in the colony of
Jamestown, Virginia. They worked in fields picking cotton, tobacco and
crops just as the slaves did.
Caribbean immigrants have been contributing to the well-being of
American society since its founding. Alexander Hamilton, the First
Secretary of the Treasury was from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.
We count among our famous sons and daughters, Secretary of State Colin
Powell, Cicely Tyson, W.E.B. Dubois, James Weldon Johnson, Harry
Belafonte and Sidney Poitier to name a few.
Moreover, this is a nation that reaches out to immigrants. None of us
will forget the earthquake that shook Haiti to its very foundations in
every sense of the word on January 12, 2010. Since then, we have all
seen the outpouring of support to the Haitian people and their families
on behalf of the American people.
What fewer notice perhaps, are the powerful contributions that
Haitians have made to America, its history and its culture. In 1779
soldiers from then Saint Dominique, now Haiti, fought alongside
American revolutionaries. Despite the fact that the then slave-holding
United States did not look favorably upon an Independence Movement it
saw as a dangerous slave rebellion, many historians attribute the
Louisiana Purchase partly to the fact that Haitian slaves rose up
against their French masters from 1794 to 1801. Haitian born Jean
Baptiste Pointe du Sable founded Chicago, one of our great cities. And
Americans from coast to coast have enjoyed the contributions Wyclef
Jean, another of Haiti's sons, has made to our musical culture. Indeed,
from history to food to music, Haiti has a long history of helping to
shape America.
H. Res. 1369 recognizes the significance of Caribbean people and
their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. Our
nation would not be what it is today without these significant
contributions of the Caribbean people and we should honor these
accomplishments with the passing of this legislation. The contributions
of Caribbean-Americans are a significant part of the history, progress,
and heritage of the United States and play an important role in the
unique diversity that enriches and strengthens our nation.
By passing this legislation we continue to honor the friendship
between the United States and Caribbean countries. We are united by our
common values and shared history, and we should celebrate the rich
Caribbean Heritage and the many ways in which Caribbean Americans have
helped shape this nation.
I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to pay tribute to the
common culture and bonds of friendship that unite the United States and
the Caribbean countries.
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1369.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a
quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
____________________