IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 480 
Recognizing the significance of National Caribbean American Heritage Month. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 7, 2023 
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mrs. CHERFILUS- 
MCCORMICK, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. NORTON, 
and Ms. CLARKE of New York) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the significance of National Caribbean American 
Heritage Month. 
Whereas people of Caribbean heritage are found in every 
State of the Union; 
Whereas emigration from the Caribbean to the American 
colonies began as early as 1619 with the arrival of inden-
tured workers in Jamestown, Virginia; 
Whereas, during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a signifi-
cant number of slaves from the Caribbean were brought 
to the United States; 
Whereas millions of people have emigrated from the Carib-
bean to the United States; 
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Whereas the current population of people in the United 
States who were born in or have ancestry from the Carib-
bean is estimated at over 8,500,000; 
Whereas, like the United States, the countries of the Carib-
bean faced obstacles of slavery and colonialism and strug-
gled for independence; 
Whereas, also like the United States, the people of the Carib-
bean have diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious 
backgrounds; 
Whereas independence movements throughout the Caribbean 
and the consequential establishment of independent 
democratic countries in the Caribbean strengthened ties 
between the Caribbean and the United States; 
Whereas Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father of the 
United States and the first Secretary of the Treasury, 
was born in the Caribbean; 
Whereas many influential Caribbean Americans have contrib-
uted to the rich history of the United States, including 
Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, the pioneer settler of Chi-
cago; Claude McKay, a poet of the Harlem Renaissance; 
James Weldon Johnson, the writer of the Black National 
Anthem; Celia Cruz, the world-renowned queen of Salsa 
music; Sylvia Winter, influential feminist, writer, and 
human rights activist; Cicely Tyson, legendary star of 
stage and screen; John Russworm, co-founder of Free-
dom’s Journal, the first Black-owned newspaper; Mervyn 
Dymally, the first African-American Lieutenant Governor 
of California and first Caribbean immigrant to serve in 
Congress, and Shirley Chisholm, the first African-Amer-
ican Congresswoman and first African-American woman 
candidate for President; 
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Whereas the many influential Caribbean Americans in the 
history of the United States also include Kamala Harris, 
the first African-American Vice President; Colin Powell, 
the first African-American Secretary of State; Eric Hold-
er, the first African-American Attorney General; Karine 
Jean-Pierre, the first African-American White House 
Press Secretary; Patrick Gaspard, labor union organizer 
and social justice advocate; Lieutenant General Vincent 
Stewart, the first Black director of the Defense Intel-
ligence Agency; Sandra Lindsay, a nurse in Queens, New 
York and the first person in the United States to receive 
a COVID–19 vaccine; Robert Rashford, an internation-
ally known aerospace engineer and coinventor of the sin-
gle person spacecraft; Harry Belafonte, a legendary musi-
cian, actor, and activist; and Sir Sydney Poitier, the first 
Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, 
film director, and diplomat; 
Whereas Caribbean Americans have played an active role in 
the civil rights movement and other social and political 
movements in the United States; 
Whereas Caribbean Americans have contributed to every as-
pect of our society, including greatly to the fine arts, edu-
cation, business, literature, journalism, sports, fashion, 
politics, government, the military, music, science, medi-
cine, engineering, technology, and other fields in the 
United States; 
Whereas Caribbean Americans share their culture through 
festivals, carnivals, music, dance, film, food, and lit-
erature, which enrich the cultural landscape of the 
United States; 
Whereas the countries of the Caribbean are important eco-
nomic partners of the United States; 
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Whereas the members of the Caribbean diaspora contribute 
to prosperity in the United States and the sustainable 
economic development of the Caribbean, and for 30 years 
the Institute of Caribbean Studies has encouraged the 
community’s civic engagement through research, advo-
cacy, education, and action; 
Whereas the countries of the Caribbean represent the United 
States third border; 
Whereas the people of the Caribbean share the hopes and as-
pirations of the people of the United States for peace and 
prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere and the 
rest of the world; and 
Whereas, since the passage of H. Con. Res. 71 in the 109th 
Congress by both the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives, a proclamation has been issued annually by 
the President declaring June National Caribbean Amer-
ican Heritage Month: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of Caribbean 
American Heritage Month; 
(2) encourages the people of the United States 
to observe Caribbean American Heritage Month with 
appropriate ceremonies, celebrations, and activities; 
and 
(3) affirms that— 
(A) the contributions of Caribbean Ameri-
cans are a significant part of the history, 
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progress, and heritage of the United States; 
and 
(B) the ethnic and racial diversity of the 
United States enriches and strengthens the Na-
tion. 
Æ 
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