[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 51 (Thursday, March 18, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S1654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 124--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. 124

       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 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 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.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing, along with 
Senator Wicker, a resolution that celebrates Romani American heritage.
  As a member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and the OSCE 
Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism 
and Intolerance, I have long worked to improve the situation of Roma 
throughout the OSCE region. This includes efforts to advance human 
rights compliant policing, ending ethnic and religious profiling, 
supporting diversity and inclusion in the U.S. national security 
workforce and human rights training for foreign service officers, and 
supporting free and fair elections in the OSCE participating States. I 
also supported the appointment of Dr. Ethel Brooks to the U.S. 
Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, on which I also currently serve.
  The resolution we are introducing today does four things.
  First, it recognizes and celebrates Romani American heritage. Roma 
have come to the United States with every wave of European migration 
since the colonial period. In the United States, there may be as many 
as one million Americans with some Romani ancestry, whether distant or 
more recent. Romani people have made distinct and important 
contributions in many fields, including agriculture, art, crafts, 
literature, medicine, military service, music, sports, and science.
  Second, it supports International Roma Day and the Department of 
State's robust engagement in activities to that occasion. In 1971, on 
April 8th, 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, combating 
social marginalization, and building a positive future for Roma 
everywhere. April 8th is now celebrated as ``International Roma Day'' 
around the world. U.S. ambassadors and our embassies across Europe are 
frequently asked to participate in April 8th celebrations across the 
region. I commend the important work they are doing as they demonstrate 
U.S. commitment to inclusive societies not only on April 8th, but also 
throughout the year.
  Third, this resolution commemorates the destruction of the so-called 
``Gypsy Family Camp'' at Auschwitz. It is estimated that between 
200,000 and 500,000 Romani people were killed in death camps and 
elsewhere throughout Europe. On August 2-3, 1944, Nazis murdered 
between 4,200 and 4,300 Romani men, women, and children in gas chambers 
when the Nazis decided to liquidate this camp. A number of governments 
in recent years have taken important steps to commemorate the genocide 
of Roma, to remember the victims, and educate future generations. 
Germany took an important step when it opened in Berlin a memorial for 
Sinti and Roma victims of National Socialism. I also welcome the Czech 
government's decision to remove the pig farm at the site of the Lety 
concentration camp the role of the Museum of Romani Culture in ensuring 
a proper memorialization of that sensitive site.
  Finally, this resolution commends the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum 
for its critically important role in promoting remembrance of the 
Holocaust and educating audiences about the genocide of Roma. The U.S. 
Holocaust Memorial Museum is the preeminent federal institution 
dedicated to serving as a living memorial to the Holocaust. I am 
honored to serve as a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum 
Council, and I welcome the initiatives of the Museum to ensure that 
Romani victims are remembered and that related scholarship is 
supported.
  I am pleased that Sen. Wicker has joined me in introducing this 
resolution and urge other colleagues to join us in celebrating Romani 
American heritage.

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