Congresswoman Barbara Lee Recognizes Caribbean American Heritage Month
Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) reintroduced a resolution recognizing the significance of National Caribbean American Heritage Month, which is celebrated every year in June.
“Caribbean immigration to the United States can be traced back to the 17th century when enslaved Africans from Jamacia, Barbados, and Antigua were bought to the colonies to work on plantations. Since then, Caribbean immigrants of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds have contributed to every aspect of our society, including the arts, business, sports, politics, military, science, and other parts of American society,” said Congresswoman Lee.
“Today, more than 8.5 million people in the United States have immigrated or have ancestry from the Caribbean, and the region remains an important economic partner. Through this resolution, Congress will continue to recognize the significance of Caribbean-American contributions to American history, progress, and heritage,” she said.
Congresswoman Lee first led the congressional effort to establish June as Caribbean American Heritage Month almost two decades ago.
She authored H. Con. Res. 71 to recognize the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. In June 2005, the House of Representatives unanimously adopted the resolution. On February 14, 2006, the resolution similarly passed the Senate, culminating a two-year, bipartisan and bicameral effort.
Since the resolution’s passage, the White House has issued an annual proclamation recognizing June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month.