IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 145 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Caribbean American HIV/AIDS 
Awareness Day, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 8, 2009 
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. CLARKE, and Mr. 
MEEKS of New York) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of National Caribbean 
American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and for other purposes. 
Whereas nearly 3,000,000 Americans self-identified as Carib-
bean American in the 2000 Census; 
Whereas due to ongoing racial and ethnic health disparities 
Caribbean Americans face poor health, premature death, 
low-quality health care, and an additional community 
stigma regarding HIV/AIDS and its causes; 
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC) estimates that over 1,106,400 people were living 
with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2006 and that over 
232,700 were unaware that they were infected; 
Whereas the CDC recognizes continuing racial and ethnic dis-
parities among people with HIV/AIDS and cites working 
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•HCON 145 IH 
to end such disparities as a key initiative in the fight 
against HIV/AIDS; 
Whereas the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS 
(UNAIDS) estimates that 230,000 people were living 
with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean at the end of 2007 and 
that an additional 20,000 were newly infected, making 
the region the second-most affected by HIV in the world; 
Whereas UNAIDS estimates that approximately 14,000 peo-
ple in the Caribbean died of AIDS during 2007, making 
it one of the leading causes of death in the Caribbean 
among adults between the ages of 15 to 49 years old; 
Whereas according to the Bureau of the Census, immigration 
to the United States from the Caribbean has increased 
every decade since 1941, with 978,800 Caribbean emi-
grants entering the United States from 1991 to 2000; 
Whereas according to the Department of Homeland Security, 
2,703,868 people coming from the Caribbean have ob-
tained legal permanent status in the United States since 
1980, including 134,744 in 2008 alone; 
Whereas, on June 8, 2006, the first annual National Carib-
bean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was organized 
to encourage Caribbean American and Caribbean-born in-
dividuals across the United States and its territories, to 
get educated, get tested, get treated, and get involved; 
and 
Whereas June 8th of each year has been established as Na-
tional Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That the Congress— 
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•HCON 145 IH 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of National 
Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and 
recognizes the fourth anniversary of observing such 
day; 
(2) encourages State and local governments, in-
cluding their public health agencies, to recognize 
such day, to publicize its importance among their 
communities, and to encourage Caribbean Ameri-
cans, Caribbean-born individuals, and all people in 
the United States and its territories to know their 
status and undergo testing for HIV; 
(3) encourages national, State, and local media 
organizations to carry messages in support of Na-
tional Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness 
Day; and 
(4) supports the development of a national 
AIDS strategy with clear goals and objectives to re-
duce new HIV infections, especially among commu-
nities of color. 
Æ 
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