Supporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month.

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 75 Supporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 1, 2021 Mr. ESPAILLAT (for himself, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, and Mr. VICENTE GON- ZALEZ of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month. Whereas the House of Representatives is proud to recognize and commemorate Dominican Heritage Month, an ob- servance that celebrates the contributions of Dominican Americans; Whereas, in keeping with its time-honored traditions, we rec- ognize and pay tribute to those who foster cultural pride and enhance the profile of diverse communities across the United States; Whereas since the initial wave of Dominican migration in the 1960s to the most recent arrivals of today, Dominicans have worked hard to contribute to the national identity of the United States, educating people on their customs and enriching the quality of the Nation’s shared future; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Feb 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR75.IH HR75 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 75 IH Whereas the Dominican Republic enjoys a well-built relation- ship with the United States on trade and investment that has expanded since the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA– DR) entered into force on March 1, 2007; Whereas contributions from Dominican Americans can be found in every facet of United States life, including fash- ion designer Oscar de la Renta, Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, and base- ball giant David Ortiz, known as ‘‘Big Papi’’; Whereas many of the hemisphere’s first institutions were es- tablished on the shores of the Dominican Republic, in- cluding the first cathedral and the oldest university; Whereas Dominicans are freedom loving people who first began their campaign for their independence in 1831 under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte, who formed a secret political military organization named La Trinitaria (The Trinity) that led to the end of the Hai- tian occupation and transformed the Dominican Republic into an independent, self-sufficient nation; Whereas, after the long and hard-fought campaign for free- dom from Haiti, a ceremonial musket shot fired on Feb- ruary 27, 1844, marked the Dominican Republic’s first official Independence Day; Whereas it is appropriate that the United States reserve the period between January 21 to February 27 to celebrate and honor Dominican heritage; Whereas it would be befitting to celebrate Dominican heritage beginning on January 21, The Day of the Procession of Altagracia, the Dominican Republic’s most important re- ligious celebration; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:50 Feb 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR75.IH HR75 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 75 IH Whereas it would also be befitting to end the period of Do- minican heritage on February 27, the Dominican Repub- lic’s Independence Day; Whereas it would give the Nation the opportunity to acknowl- edge and applaud the economic, cultural, and social con- tributions Dominican Americans have made to the United States; and Whereas it would also give the Nation an opportunity to con- sider the many Dominican achievements, on the island and in the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Dominican 2 Heritage Month; 3 (2) supports the establishment of a national 4 month of Recognition for Dominican Americans to 5 honor the Dominican people and their contributions; 6 and 7 (3) urges the people of the United States to ob- 8 serve a national month of recognition for Dominican 9 Americans with appropriate ceremonies, programs, 10 and activities. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Feb 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR75.IH HR75 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with BILLS