[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 109 (Thursday, June 27, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E856-E857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. STACEY E. PLASKETT

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 2019

  Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, as Americans begin many of the pastimes 
of summer that are quintessentially American--baseball, backyard 
barbeques, family road trips--Caribbean Americans spend the month of 
June reflecting on their contributions and melded cultures in the 
United States.
  Congress adopted H. Con. Res. 71 which established the Caribbean 
American Heritage month, sponsored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee and 
signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2006. ``Whereas people 
of Caribbean heritage are found in every State of the Union . . .'' is 
the first line of the U.S. House of Representatives' resolution to 
establish a Caribbean American Heritage month. While the Act 
establishing Caribbean American Heritage month emphasized the present 
influence of Caribbean Americans, American history would not be 
complete without the integration and support of Caribbean people. From 
America's founding to the present, Caribbean people have supported and 
assisted in the creation of a collective American identify--the 
articulation of the nation's rightful place in the world, its 
traditions, its language and cultural style.
  Despite being ostracized and alienated by many of his contemporaries 
for his Caribbean

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roots--but for Alexander Hamilton's contribution to our military, 
creation of our banking system and assistance in drafting the 
Constitution--our country would not be as strong today as it is. From 
American Revolution Haitian gens de couleur libre (free men of color) 
fighting troops, slave revolt leader Denmark Vessey to Colin Powell's 
shock and awe doctrine, the Caribbean emphasis on revolutionary and 
righteous principles enforced through martial force.
  The Caribbean is a melting pot of different races, cultures, 
ethnicities, and languages; it is the southern reflection of the 
American experience. Caribbean Americans like all who come to this 
country desire to make themselves and this country better.

                          ____________________