Supporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month.

IV 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 61 Supporting the goals and ideals of Dominican Heritage Month. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 26, 2023 Mr. ESPAILLAT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 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 Dominicans are freedom-loving people who first began their campaign for their independence in 1831 under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte; Whereas, after the long and hard-fought campaign for free- dom, a ceremonial musket shot fired on February 27, VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jan 27, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR61.IH HR61 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HRES 61 IH 1844, marked the Dominican Republic’s first official Independence Day; Whereas January 26 marks the beginning of the ‘‘Mes de la Patria’’ (Month of the Fatherland), a period in which the country celebrates the founding fathers and the symbols that identify Dominicans in the world; Whereas it would be befitting to celebrate Dominican heritage beginning on January 21, The Day of the Procession of Altagracia, the Dominican Republic’s most important re- ligious celebration; Whereas it would also be befitting to end the period of Do- minican heritage on February 27, the Dominican Repub- lic’s Independence Day; Whereas Dominicans in the United States and abroad reserve the period between January 21 to February 27 to cele- brate and honor Dominican heritage; Whereas celebrating Dominican Heritage Month gives the Nation the opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the economic, cultural, and social contributions Dominican Americans have made to the United States; Whereas the Dominican Studies Institute of the City Univer- sity of New York is working on a National Register of Historic Places application for submission to the National Park Service that would create a noncontiguous cultural heritage district to document, acknowledge, and honor the contributions of the Dominican community; and Whereas approximately 2,400,000 people of Dominican origin currently reside in the United States, and over 2,000,000 United States tourists visit the Dominican Republic an- nually, accounting for the largest number of foreign tour- VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jan 27, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR61.IH HR61 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HRES 61 IH ists to the country and bolstering its economically critical tourism sector: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the goals and ideals of Dominican 2 Heritage Month; 3 (2) reaffirms its commitment to strengthening 4 the historic partnership between the United States 5 and the Dominican Republic based on shared demo- 6 cratic values and efforts to advance economic pros- 7 perity and national security; 8 (3) supports the establishment of a national 9 Dominican Heritage Month to honor the Dominican 10 people and their contributions; and 11 (4) encourages the people of the United States 12 to observe a national month of recognition for Do- 13 minican Americans with appropriate ceremonies, 14 programs, and activities. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:47 Jan 27, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR61.IH HR61 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB