III 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 127 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 10, 2009 
Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
CONCURRENT 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 region to the Amer-
ican Colonies began as early as 1619 with the arrival of 
indentured workers in Jamestown, Virginia; 
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Whereas during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a signifi-
cant number of slaves from the Caribbean region were 
brought to the United States; 
Whereas since 1820, millions of people have emigrated from 
the Caribbean region to the United States; 
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 region have diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and reli-
gious backgrounds; 
Whereas the independence movements throughout the Carib-
bean during the 1960s and the consequential establish-
ment of independent democratic countries in the Carib-
bean strengthened ties between the region 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; and Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American 
Congresswoman and first African-American woman can-
didate for President; 
Whereas the many influential Caribbean-Americans in the 
history of the United States also include Colin Powell, 
the first African-American Secretary of State; Sidney 
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Poitier, the first African-American actor to receive the 
Academy Award for best actor in a leading role; Harry 
Belafonte, a musician, actor, and activist; Al Roker, a 
meteorologist and television personality; and Roberto 
Clemente, the first Latino inducted into the baseball hall 
of fame; 
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 greatly to 
the fine arts, education, business, literature, journalism, 
sports, fashion, politics, government, the military, music, 
science, technology, and other fields in the United States; 
Whereas Caribbean-Americans share their culture through 
festivals, carnivals, music, dance, film, and literature, 
which enrich the cultural landscape of the United States; 
Whereas the countries of the Caribbean are important eco-
nomic partners of the United States; 
Whereas the countries of the Caribbean represent the United 
States’ third border; 
Whereas the people of the Caribbean region share the hopes 
and aspirations of the people of the United States for 
peace and prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere 
and the rest of the world; 
Whereas in June 2008, President George W. Bush issued a 
proclamation declaring June National Caribbean-Amer-
ican Heritage Month after the passage of H. Con. Res. 
71 in the 109th Congress by both the Senate and the 
House of Representatives; and 
Whereas June is an appropriate month to establish a Carib-
bean-American Heritage Month: Now, therefore, be it 
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