IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 281 
Urging the people of the United States to observe the month of March 
2025 as ‘‘Bulgarian-American Heritage Month’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 31, 2025 
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. DUNN of 
Florida, and Mr. NEAL) submitted the following resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Urging the people of the United States to observe the month 
of March 2025 as ‘‘Bulgarian-American Heritage Month’’. 
Whereas, since the 19th century, Bulgarian immigrants and 
their descendants have made significant contributions to 
America, enriching its cultural fabric through their vi-
brant traditions and heritage, and greatly influencing 
American society in the fields of science and research, 
business, literature and the arts, engineering and tech-
nology, and academia while enriching the economy and 
society; 
Whereas the enduring Bulgarian-American people-to-people 
ties date back to 1860–1861, when 2 schools opened by 
American missionaries in Bulgaria later merged into the 
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•HRES 281 IH 
American College, one of the oldest American educational 
institutions outside the United States; 
Whereas young people sent by American missionaries in Bul-
garia for studies were among the first Bulgarian immi-
grants in the United States; 
Whereas Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, known as Christo, 
along with his partner Jeanne-Claude, created monu-
mental public art projects such as The Gates in Central 
Park, New York City, which attracted millions of visitors 
and demonstrated the impact of art in community spaces; 
Whereas Ivan Kristoff, known as ‘‘The Human Spider’’, pro-
moted safety and innovation in high-altitude rescue mis-
sions, with significant work conducted in Miami, Florida, 
and other metropolitan areas; 
Whereas Nina Dobrev, a celebrated actress who grew up in 
Atlanta, Georgia, has elevated the visibility of Bulgarian 
heritage on a global stage through her roles in prominent 
television series and films; 
Whereas Sylvia Radev, a leading mathematician and com-
puter scientist based in Boston, Massachusetts, has ad-
vanced research in artificial intelligence and natural lan-
guage processing, impacting technological innovation 
across the globe; 
Whereas Dimitar Sasselov, an astrophysicist at Harvard Uni-
versity in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has contributed to 
the understanding of exoplanets and the potential for life 
beyond Earth; 
Whereas the Philip Kutev National Folklore Ensemble and 
Bulgarian cultural organizations have performed in major 
cultural hubs such as Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, Cali-
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•HRES 281 IH 
fornia; and the District of Columbia, showcasing Bul-
garian music and dance; 
Whereas Bulgarian-Americans have established thriving busi-
ness communities in cities like Detroit, Michigan, and 
Las Vegas, Nevada, fostering economic growth and entre-
preneurship; 
Whereas educators such as Dr. Maria Tzvetanova, based in 
Austin, Texas, have advanced knowledge in neuroscience 
and other fields, inspiring students and contributing to 
academic excellence; 
Whereas the first United States Diplomatic Agent to Bul-
garia presented his credentials on September 19, 1903, 
marking the beginning of United States-Bulgarian diplo-
matic relations; 
Whereas, in May 1909, the United States welcomed Bulgaria 
into the commonwealth of sovereign and independent 
states; 
Whereas Bulgarian-American communities, with the support 
of Governors and mayors in major United States cities, 
raise the Bulgarian national colors (flags) each year to 
commemorate the National Day of Bulgaria; 
Whereas the United States and Bulgaria concluded their first 
agreement on a most-favored-nation status in 1906; 
Whereas the first Special Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary 
of Bulgaria to the United States, Stefan Panaretov, pre-
sented his credentials to President Woodrow Wilson on 
December 22, 1914; 
Whereas United States-Bulgarian relations were strengthened 
by President Wilson’s advocacy of Bulgaria’s territorial 
integrity and national sovereignty at the Paris Peace 
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•HRES 281 IH 
Conference in 1919, and by the contributions of countless 
Bulgarian and American officials, diplomats, and citizens; 
Whereas a vibrant Bulgarian-American community today con-
tributes to America’s prosperity, including its remarkable 
economic achievements, maintaining its technological 
edge, and enriching American culture and society through 
its diverse talents, rich traditions, art, literature, opera, 
music, dance, cuisine, and language; 
Whereas Bulgaria’s presence in the world’s largest library, 
the United States Library of Congress, is marked by a 
collection of over 50,000 volumes of Bulgarian cultural 
heritage, collected by the Library of Congress in coopera-
tion with Bulgarian individuals and institutions since the 
1880s; 
Whereas Bulgaria is the birthplace of the Bulgarian alphabet, 
also known as Cyrillic, which was developed by the 
Preslav literary school in the 9th century, becoming a 
valuable contribution to the world’s cultural heritage; 
Whereas the Bulgarian language is the fourth language into 
which the Bible was translated, and the Bulgarian alpha-
bet is the third official alphabet in the European Union, 
along with Latin and Greek; 
Whereas the Bulgarian Caucus in the House of Representa-
tives was formed in June 2002, and the following year 
a Friendship Group with the United States was formed 
in the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria; 
Whereas recognizing and celebrating Bulgarian-American 
Heritage Month provides an opportunity for all Ameri-
cans to gain a deeper appreciation of Bulgarian culture 
and history; and 
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•HRES 281 IH 
Whereas it is fitting and proper that March 2025 be observed 
as Bulgarian-American Heritage Month throughout the 
United States: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) urges the people of the United States to ac-
knowledge ‘‘Bulgarian-American Heritage Month’’ 
and to observe the month with appropriate events 
and activities; 
(2) recognizes the enduring partnership between 
the United States of America and the Republic of 
Bulgaria as friends, strategic partners, and allies; 
(3) reaffirms the significance of intensifying co-
operation in innovations, research, and high tech-
nologies; 
(4) recognizes the significant contributions of 
Bulgarian-Americans to the United States; 
(5) recognizes that the Bulgarian-American cul-
ture and heritage strengthens and enriches the di-
versity of the United States; and 
(6) looks forward to continued collaboration be-
tween the United States and Bulgaria in advancing 
shared interests in the years ahead. 
Æ 
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