Recognizing the significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1369, recognizing the significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage month. This resolution acknowledges the important contributions Caribbean-Americans have made to our nation's history and culture.

Let me begin by thanking Chairman Towns, Ranking Member Issa, and the staff of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for helping to bring this bipartisan resolution to the floor today. I would also like to thank Congressman Davis for managing the floor and for graciously submitting my statement for the Record in my absence.

I would also like to recognize my colleagues--Congresswoman Christensen, Congresswoman Clarke, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, Congresswoman Waters, Congressman Payne, and Congressman Burton--and others for their tremendous leadership on Caribbean issues.

I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Claire Nelson and the Institute of Caribbean Studies--and all the other Caribbean-American organizations in Washington, my home state of California, and across the country that have worked and continue to work to make Caribbean- American Heritage Month a great success.

As a long-time supporter of the Caribbean and a frequent visitor to the region, I was very proud to see us celebrate this important commemorative month for the fifth straight year. Since Congress unanimously passed H. Con. Res. 71 in February 2006, the President has issued a proclamation annually recognizing June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month. This year, President Obama issued a proclamation on May 28.

People of Caribbean heritage reside in every part of our country. Since before our nation's founding, millions of people have emigrated from the Caribbean to the United States.

Throughout U.S. history we have been fortunate to benefit from countless individuals of Caribbean descent who have contributed to American government, politics, business, arts, education, and culture-- including one of my personal mentors, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm.

Shirley Chisholm was a woman of Ba-jan and Guyanese descent, who never forgot her roots in the Caribbean. She was the first African American woman elected to Congress and the first woman to run for President.

My political involvement began as a volunteer during her historic presidential campaign in 1972. Through her mentorship, she strengthened my interest in issues of importance to the African Diaspora both here in the U.S. and abroad.

During Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we recognize the important contributions of people like Shirley Chisholm, as well as Alexander Hamilton, Hazel Scott, Sidney Poitier, Wyclef Jean, Eric Holder, Colin Powell, Harry Belafonte, Roberto Clemente, Celia Cruz--and yes, Congresswomen Donna Christensen, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Yvette Clarke--and many other persons of Caribbean descent who have helped shape this country.

Caribbean-American Heritage Month reminds us of the large and diverse constituencies of Caribbean-Americans in our nation, and provides us with an opportunity to send a message of good will to the community at home and abroad.

Caribbean-American Heritage Month also provides us with an opportunity to celebrate and share in the rich culture of the Caribbean-American community through showcases of Caribbean art, festivals, concerts, and film.

In my own district of Oakland, California, individuals and organizations celebrate the rich heritage of people of Caribbean descent through musical concerts and family picnics.

In addition to presenting us with an occasion to celebrate the legacy of Caribbean-Americans, this month also provides us an opportunity to strengthen our long-term partnership with nations of the Caribbean Community.

From trade, energy, and immigration to disaster preparedness, HIV/ AIDS and--as recent events in Jamaica have made clear--drug-related violence, we share a number of mutual policy interests with our Caribbean neighbors. These challenges are regional in nature, so we must confront them together and in partnership.

One issue which I think deserves a special mention is the recent earthquake and resulting tragedy that has unfolded in Haiti. Like many of my CBC colleagues, I have followed Haiti's progress for some time now and have visited the country on multiple occasions.

The American people, including Haitian Americans, have responded incredibly to the tragedy just off our shores--and along with the international community we have conducted one of the largest humanitarian responses in history.

Once the cameras are gone and Haiti slips off the front pages and the 24-hour news cycle, it is up to us to ensure that the United States maintains its attention on the plights of the Haitian people.

Last year, I introduced H.R. 417, the Next Steps for Haiti Act, to create a professional exchange program to assign U.S. professionals, particularly Haitian-Americans, in Haiti to provide technical assistance in fields critical to development. Such an initiative would tap into the vast energy and knowledge of the Haitian Diaspora to promote long-term capacity building.

H.R. 417 is just one of a number of initiatives that the U.S. can establish to promote the reconstruction of the country.

The recent tragedy in Haiti provides us, to use an oft-quoted phrase, with an opportunity to ``rebuild Haiti differently.'' I believe that in order to rebuild differently, in a manner that is sustainable and works to end--not promote--Haiti's dependence on foreign aid, we must promote ownership amongst the Haitian people.

It is critical that any long-term reconstruction and development agenda is Haitian-led, that Haitian civil society and the Haitian Diaspora play a central role, and that such an agenda focuses on building the capacity of the Haitian Government to provide basic services and protect the social, civil, and political rights of its people.

Only by empowering Haitians to rebuild their own lives and their own country will we truly ``rebuild differently.''

I would like to end by stating that although the Caribbean faces many challenges, we understand that we must face them together. Despite the often turbulent history between the United States and Caribbean countries, our ties cannot be pinned down to geography alone, or economics alone, or even history alone. The region continues to shape us as Americans as much as we here continue to shape the Caribbean.

So I ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure to honor the Caribbean-American community, and to honor the rich gifts that they have given and continue to give this country.

Let us continue to celebrate the rich diversity of this nation of immigrants and recognize that it will forever be the great blessing and strength of our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support of H. Res. 1369, which recognizes the significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.

As a child of Jamaican parents, I understand the importance of recognizing the influence Caribbean cultures continues to have on

the many facets of these United States. Growing up, my parents instilled in me a strong appreciation for the Caribbean values they learned in Jamaica: a strong work ethic and tremendous pride in my heritage. As a parent, I have passed on these same values to my own children, so they will develop a sense of pride in their Caribbean heritage and acknowledge the many roles Caribbean people play in shaping this nation. I whole-heartedly support this resolution that commemorates Caribbean heritage, history, culture and contributions to the United States.

In her 1970 autobiography, Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, credited her success to the education she received while attending school in Barbados. She wrote, ``Years later I would know what an important gift my parents had given me by seeing to it that I had my early education in the strict, traditional, British-style schools of Barbados. If I speak and write easily now, that early education is the main reason.''

This is a nation built by immigrants. From as early as the 17th century there have been individuals from the Caribbean Islands, working here in the United States as indentured servants in the colony of Jamestown, Virginia. They worked in fields picking cotton, tobacco and crops just as the slaves did.

Caribbean immigrants have been contributing to the well-being of American society since its founding. Alexander Hamilton, the First Secretary of the Treasury was from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. We count among our famous sons and daughters, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Cicely Tyson, W.E.B. Dubois, James Weldon Johnson, Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier to name a few.

Moreover, this is a nation that reaches out to immigrants. None of us will forget the earthquake that shook Haiti to its very foundations in every sense of the word on January 12, 2010. Since then, we have all seen the outpouring of support to the Haitian people and their families on behalf of the American people.

What fewer notice perhaps, are the powerful contributions that Haitians have made to America, its history and its culture. In 1779 soldiers from then Saint Dominique, now Haiti, fought alongside American revolutionaries. Despite the fact that the then slave-holding United States did not look favorably upon an Independence Movement it saw as a dangerous slave rebellion, many historians attribute the Louisiana Purchase partly to the fact that Haitian slaves rose up against their French masters from 1794 to 1801. Haitian born Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable founded Chicago, one of our great cities. And Americans from coast to coast have enjoyed the contributions Wyclef Jean, another of Haiti's sons, has made to our musical culture. Indeed, from history to food to music, Haiti has a long history of helping to shape America.

H. Res. 1369 recognizes the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. Our nation would not be what it is today without these significant contributions of the Caribbean people and we should honor these accomplishments with the passing of this legislation. The contributions of Caribbean-Americans are a significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of the United States and play an important role in the unique diversity that enriches and strengthens our nation.

By passing this legislation we continue to honor the friendship between the United States and Caribbean countries. We are united by our common values and shared history, and we should celebrate the rich Caribbean Heritage and the many ways in which Caribbean Americans have helped shape this nation.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to pay tribute to the common culture and bonds of friendship that unite the United States and the Caribbean countries.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1369) recognizing the significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Before I begin, I know that Representative Barbara Lee, who is the author of this resolution, had wanted to be here to express her opinions and positions on it. Unfortunately, she could not.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1369, a resolution that recognizes National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Congress has taken time each year since 2006 to recognize Americans of Caribbean descent for their contributions to our Nation, and I am glad we can bring this measure to the floor today.

H. Res. 1369 was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Barbara Lee, on May 18, 2010, and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ordered it to be reported by unanimous consent on June 17, 2010. It comes to the floor with over 50 cosponsors, and I am pleased to join them in celebrating the rich heritage of Caribbean Americans.

Millions of people from the Caribbean islands have emigrated to our shores for centuries. We acknowledge that many arrived here in bondage and against their will as slaves and indentured servants, and their struggles for freedom reverberate even today.

Today, we are a better Nation for having them here. Caribbean Americans include such cultural figures as the poet Claude McKay, musician and television star Hazel Scott, actor and activist Harry Belafonte, as well as political leaders from Alexander Hamilton to former Secretary of State

Colin Powell and our current Attorney General, Eric Holder. These and countless other Caribbean Americans have made invaluable contributions to our Nation, and it is right that we honor them today.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H. Res. 1369, recognizing the significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. For the past 4 years, our country has proudly recognized the contributions that Caribbean Americans have made to our lives and our country. Since 1619, when the first Caribbean people came to the United States as indentured servants to Jamestown, the Caribbean people have held a place in our growth and development.

We are proud to count among them, as we heard earlier, leaders in government, the military and the arts. The first Secretary of the Treasury and one of our Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton, was born in the Caribbean. Former General and Secretary of State Colin Powell; Academy Award winner and musician, Sydney Poitier; and social activist, Harry Belafonte, are all of Caribbean heritage.

There are many similarities in the histories of the United States and the countries of the Caribbean. The United States and the countries of the Caribbean both have endured the trials of slavery, colonialism, and the struggle for independence. The separate countries of the Caribbean share a diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious background that is comparable to our multicultural Nation. These similarities are but a few ties that bind our countries together.

The countries of the Caribbean are also important economic partners of the United States and, importantly, represent the United States' third border. They share our commitment to peace and prosperity throughout our hemisphere. These common goals make our countries both strategically and culturally long-time allies.

I ask all my fellow Members to join me in celebrating National Caribbean-American Heritage Month and recognize the contributions Caribbean Americans have made to the history of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1369, which recognizes the significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Since June of 2006, the White House has issued an annual proclamation recognizing June as the national Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Caribbean's have made important contributions in all facets of American life from the arts to athletics, science and service.

Actors Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte and Journalist Malcolm Gladwell are Caribbean-Americans who have achieved greatness in their careers as well as in their communities as humanitarians and activists.

Mr. Poitier, Mr. Belafonte, and Mr. Gladwell have not only paved the way for their fellow Caribbean-Americans, but also for many other Americans who aspire to be musicians, journalists, actors and agents of change. For the past 50 years, Poitier has been an example to all Americans because of the work he did to help break down barriers in film and cinema. Poitier was recently awarded the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom because of his post-Hollywood activities. Belafonte has earned the title ``King of Calypso'' for popularizing Caribbean style music. Belafonte was also recently awarded the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award for his lifelong efforts for equality and justice. Malcolm Gladwell is a best-selling author who TIME magazine recognized in 2005 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. His works have shown us the importance of looking at life with a critical eye and finding the small factors that have large consequences in our lives.

Because of their fame, Mr. Poitier, Mr. Belafonte and Mr. Gladwell have been properly recognized on multiple occasions; but it is imperative that we recognize the Caribbean-American Community as a whole because the diversity and talent they bring to the United States enriches and strengthens our country.