IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 61 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 26, 2023 

Mr. ESPAILLAT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage 

Month. 

Whereas the House of Representatives is proud to recognize 

and commemorate Dominican Heritage Month, an observance that celebrates the contributions of Dominican 

Americans; 

Whereas, in keeping with its time-honored traditions, we recognize and pay tribute to those who foster cultural pride 

and enhance the profile of diverse communities across the 

United States; 

Whereas Dominicans are freedom-loving people who first 

began their campaign for their independence in 1831 

under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte; 

Whereas, after the long and hard-fought campaign for freedom, a ceremonial musket shot fired on February 27, 


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•HRES 61 IH 

1844, marked the Dominican Republic’s first official 

Independence Day; 

Whereas January 26 marks the beginning of the ‘‘Mes de la 

Patria’’ (Month of the Fatherland), a period in which the 

country celebrates the founding fathers and the symbols 

that identify Dominicans in the world; 

Whereas it would be befitting to celebrate Dominican heritage 

beginning on January 21, The Day of the Procession of 

Altagracia, the Dominican Republic’s most important religious celebration; 

Whereas it would also be befitting to end the period of Dominican heritage on February 27, the Dominican Republic’s Independence Day; 

Whereas Dominicans in the United States and abroad reserve 

the period between January 21 to February 27 to celebrate and honor Dominican heritage; 

Whereas celebrating Dominican Heritage Month gives the 

Nation the opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the 

economic, cultural, and social contributions Dominican 

Americans have made to the United States; 

Whereas the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York is working on a National Register of 

Historic Places application for submission to the National 

Park Service that would create a noncontiguous cultural 

heritage district to document, acknowledge, and honor 

the contributions of the Dominican community; and 

Whereas approximately 2,400,000 people of Dominican origin 

currently reside in the United States, and over 2,000,000 

United States tourists visit the Dominican Republic annually, accounting for the largest number of foreign tourVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jan 27, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR61.IH HR61

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•HRES 61 IH 

ists to the country and bolstering its economically critical 

tourism sector: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Dominican 

3 Heritage Month; 

4 (2) reaffirms its commitment to strengthening 

5 the historic partnership between the United States 

6 and the Dominican Republic based on shared demo7 cratic values and efforts to advance economic pros8 perity and national security; 

9 (3) supports the establishment of a national 

10 Dominican Heritage Month to honor the Dominican 

11 people and their contributions; and 

12 (4) encourages the people of the United States 

13 to observe a national month of recognition for Do14 minican Americans with appropriate ceremonies, 

15 programs, and activities. 

Æ 


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