[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 59 (Thursday, April 4, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 141--CELEBRATING THE HERITAGE OF ROMANI AMERICANS

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. Wicker) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 141

       Whereas the Romani people trace their ancestry to the 
     Indian subcontinent;
       Whereas Roma have been a part of European immigration to 
     the United States since the colonial period and particularly 
     following the abolition of the enslavement of Roma in the 
     historic Romanian principalities;
       Whereas Roma live across the world and throughout the 
     United States;
       Whereas the Romani people have made distinct and important 
     contributions in many fields, including agriculture, art, 
     crafts, literature, medicine, military service, music, 
     sports, and science;
       Whereas, on April 8, 1971, the First World Romani Congress 
     met in London, bringing Roma together from across Europe and 
     the United States with the goal of promoting transnational 
     cooperation among Roma in combating social marginalization 
     and building a positive future for Roma everywhere;
       Whereas April 8 is therefore celebrated globally as 
     International Roma Day;
       Whereas Roma were victims of genocide carried out by Nazi 
     Germany and its Axis partners, and an estimated 200,000 to 
     500,000 Romani people were killed by Nazis and their allies 
     across Europe during World War II;
       Whereas, on the night of August 2-3, 1944, the so-called 
     ``Gypsy Family Camp'' where Romani people were interned at 
     Auschwitz-Birkenau was liquidated, and in a single night, 
     between 4,200 and 4,300 Romani men, women, and children were 
     killed in gas chambers;
       Whereas 2019 is the 75th anniversary of that tragic event;
       Whereas many countries are taking positive steps to 
     remember and teach about the genocide of Roma by Nazi Germany 
     and its Axis partners; and
       Whereas the United States Congress held its first hearing 
     to examine the situation of Roma in 1994: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) remembers the genocide of Roma by Nazi Germany and its 
     Axis partners and commemorates the 75th anniversary of the 
     destruction of the ``Gypsy Family Camp'' where Romani people 
     were interned at Auschwitz;
       (2) commends the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 
     for its role in promoting remembrance of the Holocaust and 
     educating about the genocide of Roma;
       (3) supports International Roma Day as an opportunity to 
     honor the culture, history, and heritage of the Romani people 
     in the United States as part of the larger Romani global 
     diaspora; and
       (4) welcomes the Department of State's participation in 
     ceremonies and events celebrating International Roma Day and 
     similar engagement by the United States Government.

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