Barbara Lee Calls on Bush to Name Caribbean American Heritage Month
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), author of legislation approved by both houses of Congress urging the President to make June Caribbean-American Heritage Month, issued the following statement today:
“Today, June 1st, 2006, communities across the country are launching commemorative celebrations of the inaugural national Caribbean-American Heritage Month. From our nation's inception, the Caribbean-American community has played an important role in our history, culture, and government.
“In the 109th Congress both the House and Senate unanimously adopted H. Con. Res. 71 to support designating June as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. A wide, bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress - including Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Representative Henry Hyde (R-IL), Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL), and Representative Dan Burton (R-IL) -- and national organizations hailed the movement. And in March, Secretary Rice joined with the Caribbean Foreign Affairs Minister to honor this achievement.
“I sincerely hope that the President will follow suit by commemorating the Caribbean-American community as he has the African-American, Hispanic, Irish-American, Asian Pacific-Islander, Native American Indian, American Jewish, German-American, and many other communities. The diversity of our country and the designation of June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month should be an achievement celebrated by all.”
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