[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 699 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 699

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should 
   be established a ``National African Immigrant Heritage Month'' in 
September to celebrate the great contributions of Americans of African 
 immigrant heritage in the United States who have enriched the history 
                             of the Nation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 30, 2021

    Mr. Torres of New York (for himself and Ms. Clarke of New York) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                        on Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should 
   be established a ``National African Immigrant Heritage Month'' in 
September to celebrate the great contributions of Americans of African 
 immigrant heritage in the United States who have enriched the history 
                             of the Nation.

Whereas people of African immigrant heritage are found in every State of the 
        Union;
Whereas the history of Americans of African immigrant heritage in the United 
        States is inextricably tied to the story of the Nation;
Whereas the community of Americans of African immigrant heritage in the United 
        States is an inherently diverse population hailing from every African 
        country where up to 2,000 languages are spoken on the continent;
Whereas Americans of African immigrant heritage in the United States come from 
        all regions in Africa and do not constitute a homogeneous group, 
        including people from different national, linguistic, ethnic, racial, 
        cultural, and social backgrounds;
Whereas African immigrants have made significant contributions to American 
        culture such as having high educational and income levels, as well as 
        contributing to many areas of American life such as the military, health 
        care, arts, education, community service, and public policy;
Whereas raising awareness about African immigrant heritage is crucial to 
        effectively fighting disparities within the greater Black population in 
        the American narrative and is essential to building a stronger community 
        and a stronger America;
Whereas during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a significant number of 
        enslaved people from the Africa region were brought to the United 
        States;
Whereas African immigrants from Cape Verde first came to the United States in 
        the 1790s;
Whereas, in 1820, free and formerly enslaved African Americans began to resettle 
        in Liberia, creating an enduring relationship between the two countries;
Whereas, in the 1960s to 1970s, due to the more racially inclusive provisions of 
        the Immigration and Nationality Act, more African immigrants from across 
        the continent came to the United States primarily as students;
Whereas, in the 1980s and 1990s, Africans in the United States were primarily 
        refugees, who were fleeing hardships from countries such as Ethiopia, 
        Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Sudan;
Whereas, in the 2000s, Africans in the United States were the largest 
        beneficiaries of the highly popular Department of State program known as 
        the Diversity Visa Lottery program;
Whereas restrictive immigration policies in the late 2010s and early 2020s, such 
        as the Muslim and Africa bans, suspension of the Diversity Visa program, 
        and changes to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, had a negative 
        impact on African immigration to the United States;
Whereas much like the United States, the countries in Africa faced obstacles of 
        in-country slavery and colonialism and struggled for independence;
Whereas the independence movements in many countries in Africa during the 1960s 
        and the consequential establishment of independent democratic countries 
        in Africa strengthened ties between the region and the United States;
Whereas the 44th President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is of 
        Kenyan descent;
Whereas the countries in Africa are important economic partners of the United 
        States;
Whereas the people of Africa share the hopes and aspirations of the people of 
        the United States for peace and prosperity throughout the world, but 
        there remains much to be done to ensure that Americans of African 
        immigrant heritage have access to resources and a voice in the United 
        States Government and continue to advance in the political, social, and 
        economic landscape of the United States; and
Whereas celebrating ``National African Immigrant Heritage Month'' in September 
        would provide the people of the United States with an opportunity to 
        recognize the achievements, contributions, and history of and to 
        appreciate the challenges faced by Americans of African immigrant 
        heritage: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) a ``National African Immigrant Heritage Month'' should 
        be established to celebrate the significant contributions of 
        Americans of African immigrant heritage to the history of the 
        United States; and
            (2) the people of the United States should observe the 
        month with appropriate ceremonies, celebrations, and activities 
        to recognize that Americans of African immigrant heritage 
        enhance the rich diversity of and strengthen the United States.
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