Mr. Speaker, I rise to begin a formal acknowledgment of the injustices imposed on African descendants of the transatlantic slave trade in all of the Americas, with an emphasis on populations in Latin…
Mr. Speaker, I rise to begin a formal acknowledgment of the injustices imposed on African descendants of the transatlantic slave trade in all of the Americas, with an emphasis on populations in Latin America and the Caribbean, and to encourage United States and international efforts to work to improve the situation of Afro- descendant communities in these regions.
In the 108th Congress, my colleagues and I concluded that, for too long, this country and other nations had ignored the struggle and challenges faced by Afro-descendant populations in the Americas. While the U.S. has been compelled to take steps to address our race problem in this country, we have often unintentionally forgotten or deemphasized the impact of that struggle throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The transatlantic slave trade had a devastating impact on the region's economies. While the exact events and conditions of slavery that dominated the U.S. did not necessarily permeate into Latin America and the Caribbean directly, Central and South America did have to deal with its own ``peculiar institution.'' Slavery transforms the body politic and the institutions of power and culture. It lifts one group of nations above another group, makes some the superior to others, and discriminates against those in the minority.
In this country, it led to three centuries of segregation, discrimination, and prejudice. It remains a battle that African- Americans continue to suffer through today. Rising above the harmful effects of centuries of racism has not been easy for us; neither has it been for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 2005, the struggle of Afro-descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean continues. Representing the largest population of African descendants outside of Africa, Afro-descendants have not fared well in the region. Afro-Latinos for instance account for about 30 percent of the Latin American population and make up over 60 percent of its poor. Afro-Latinos also have extreme high rates of suicide, homicide, infant mortality, and illiteracy.
Brazil has the largest population of Afro-descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean. Shockingly, only one in three Afro- Brazilians attends secondary schools. Colombia has the second largest Afro-descendant population in the region and Afro-Colombians have shorter life expectancies, limited access to medical and health care facilities, and the highest rates of illiteracy.
Our involvement, dependency, and complicity in the transatlantic slave trade require action by this country to help address the issues of Afro-descendant populations. With my House colleagues, I have introduced legislation (H. Con. Res. 175) to call for the recognition by this Congress of the struggle of Afro-descendant populations and to encourage and promote efforts to assist Afro-descendant communities. The resolution calls on the President, the Congress, and the international community to devote resources and services to help eradicate the economic and social disparities that exist in Latin America and the Caribbean.
I also must acknowledge the productive support, insights, and assistance of the Afro-Latino Working Group: The Honorable Mr. John Conyers, Mr. Donald Payne, Ms. Barbara Lee, Mr. William Jefferson, and Mr. Gregory Meeks. Their counsel, advocacy, and commitment to these issues have been instrumental in raising the importance and awareness of this cause to me and this Congress. I appreciate their support.
I would also like to thank the number of colleagues that have extended their support to this resolution and are currently listed as cosponsors to the legislation. They are a sign of the bipartisan and broad support of this resolution by this Chamber. Today, the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the International Relations Committee marked up this legislation and voted to support it. I hope the 109th Congress will give it the same attention and support.
I would like to submit the text of House Concurrent Resolution 157 for the Record.
