| R 329 |
| 2021 -- H 6450 Enacted 06/22/2021 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING JUNE TO BE CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND CELEBRATING THE IMMENSE CONTRIBUTIONS CARIBBEAN AMERICANS HAVE MADE TO THE UNITED STATES |
Introduced By: Representatives Ranglin-Vassell, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Filippi, Henries, Morales, Shallcross Smith, Perez, Cassar, and Kennedy |
| Date Introduced: June 22, 2021 |
| WHEREAS, Caribbean American Heritage Month has been celebrated annually in June |
| with proclamations from the President of the United States and the United States Congress |
| honoring the extraordinary achievements and contributions Caribbean immigrants and their |
| descendants have made to the United States; and |
| WHEREAS, People of Caribbean heritage are found throughout the United States in |
| every state and as of 2018, approximately 13.2 million people, with most coming from Puerto |
| Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, the Bahamas |
| and the United States Virgin Islands; and |
| WHEREAS, Immigrants from the Caribbean first arrived in the American Colonies in |
| 1619, when indentured servants were brought to Jamestown, Virginia. Throughout the 17th, 18th |
| and 19th centuries, many enslaved people were brought to the Americas from Africa; and |
| WHEREAS, Immigrants from the Caribbean have enriched the United States in all walks |
| of life, from the arts and music to journalism, literature, athletics, fashion, the sciences, the |
| culinary industry, the military and a wide array of other fields of importance to our nation; and |
| WHEREAS, The list of notable and influential Caribbean Americans is far too large to |
| list, but of particular prominence are Vice President Kamala Harris, Supreme Court Justice Sonia |
| Sotomayor, Secretary of State General Colin Powell, Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, |
| noted journalist Malcolm Gladwell, the first African American Attorney General Eric Holder, |
| celebrated actors Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, baseball superstar Roberto Clemente, and |
| Shirley Chisholm, the first African American Congresswoman, and first African American |
| woman candidate for President; and |
| WHEREAS, Caribbean Americans have played an active and important role in our |
| nation’s history, most significantly in the quest for social, racial, economic and environmental |
| justice for all Americans and all of humanity; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| proclaims June to be Caribbean American Heritage Month in the State of Rhode Island and |
| celebrates the immense contributions Caribbean Americans have made to the United States; and |
| be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Ms. Claire Alicia Nelson, Ph.D., Institute of |
| Caribbean Studies. |
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| LC003024 |
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