•HRES 1042 IH 
Whereas Americans of Garifuna immigrant heritage in the 
United States come from the Central American region 
and have a common heritage and language which goes 
beyond national borders; 
Whereas Americans of Garifuna immigrant heritage in the 
United States came to the United States voluntarily, and 
are distinct but with a similar origin from African Ameri-
cans, as both are descendants of mostly West and Cen-
tral Africans who were involuntarily brought to the North 
American Continent by means of the historic Atlantic 
slave trade; 
Whereas the West African slaves that escaped to the island 
eventually intermarried with the Caribs and the Arawaks’ 
Indigenous native people, which gave birth to what today 
we know as the Garifuna people; 
Whereas after a battle against the British which resulted in 
the surrender of the Garifuna people, the defeated 
Garifuna leaders were transported to England and the 
rest of the Garifuna people to the island of Roatan, Hon-
duras, where they arrived on April 12, 1797, and the set-
tlement in Central America began; 
Whereas this year we commemorate the 225th anniversary 
since the arrival of the Garifuna people in Central Amer-
ica; 
Whereas ‘‘National Garifuna Immigrant Heritage Month’’ 
provides an opportunity to commemorate and recognize 
the contributions of the Garifuna people and looks to 
highlight the history and culture of Central American 
Black Indigenous immigrants in the United States; 
Whereas language, dance, and music of the Garifuna people 
from Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua have 
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•HRES 1042 IH 
been inscribed on the List of the Intangible Cultural Her-
itage of Humanity, which was first proclaimed in 2001, 
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cul-
tural Organization (UNESCO); 
Whereas raising awareness about the fight for land rights 
and their life that the Garifuna people have encountered 
against tourism developers and drug traffickers in the re-
gion of Pintadillera, Playa Blanca, Puerto Grande, La 
Flor, Ciudad Moraza´n (Choloma), Orquı´dea (Colo´n), and 
Pro´spera (Islas de la Bahı´a); and 
Whereas raising awareness about Garifuna immigrant herit-
age is crucial to effectively fighting disparities and injus-
tices against Black and Indigenous populations in the 
United States, Latin America, and across the world: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) a ‘‘National Garifuna Immigrant Heritage 
Month’’ should be established to celebrate the sig-
nificant contributions of Americans of recent 
Garifuna immigrant heritage to the history of the 
United States; and 
(2) the people of the United States should ob-
serve the month with appropriate ceremonies, cele-
brations, and activities to recognize that Americans 
of recent Garifuna immigrant heritage enhance the 
rich diversity of and strengthen the United States. 
Æ 
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