US Senate Approves Bill to Create Caribbean American Heritage Month

The United States Senate on Tuesday (February 14), unanimously approved a Bill authored by Congresswoman, Barbara Lee (D-Oakland, CA), to designate June as Caribbean American Heritage month in the USA.
The Bill acknowledges and celebrates the contributions of Caribbean-Americans to the United States since the inception of the country.
“Establishing a Caribbean American Heritage month will help pay tribute to the tremendous contributions Caribbean Americans have made throughout the history of this country. They have influenced every aspect of American culture, society and government.
Their history is intertwined with ours and should be recognized and celebrated,” Congresswoman Lee said.She praised her colleagues in both the House and Senate for their support in moving the Bill forward and expressed hope that President George W. Bush will act quickly to sign the Bill into law in time for the celebrations this year.
Although the Bill is non-binding, Congresswoman Lee plans to work with supporters to urge President Bush to follow Congress’ lead by proclaiming June National Caribbean American Heritage month.
As the most senior Democratic woman on the House International Relations Committee, and a member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Mrs. Lee has worked to strengthen USA-Caribbean relations and raise awareness about the role that Caribbean people and their descendants have played in the USA.
Congresswoman Lee’s Bill was approved by the House on June 27 last year and had 81 co-sponsors and support from more than 40 non-governmental organizations working on Caribbean-American issues.