Recognizing the 65th Anniversary of Ghana's Independence
Floor Speech
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Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Madam Speaker, the United States of America is home to hundreds and thousands of people of Ghanaian heritage-- including those who were born on this soil to those whose family emigrated here for education, job, or economic opportunities--for the American dream.
Ghanaian Americans are an important fabric in the tapestry of America from the cab driver to the medical doctor. You will find them in all parts of the country from Milwaukee to New York to suburban Ohio and Massachusetts. The culture is hard to ignore with rich food, the iconic Akan Kente cloth, storytelling, inventions, architecture and music.
Today more than ever Ghanaians living in the United States worry about racial injustice, home ownership, access to education, access to small business and immigration support.
Like many Americans, the Ghanaian community in America is not exempt from the COVID-19 crisis. Ghanaian Americans are essential workers and are very active in the health care industry, especially as nurses, personal care aides, and nursing assistants. Ghanaians are included in the 27.5 percent of all Black immigrant workers in the U.S.--more than 750,000--who work in the healthcare sector. Additionally, essential workers include frontline workers in other key industries like food and service & hospitality and leisure.
And Ghanaian Americans have been contributing to the success and business continuity of important industries during these dire times. Ghanaian Americans are included in 23 percent of immigrants in the U.S. who work in the food and service industry, as well as 20 percent of immigrants in the U.S. who work in hospitality and leisure.
On this day, I recognize the 65th anniversary of Ghana's independence and my intention to launch the Congressional Ghana Caucus that will create an inclusive platform in this body for discussing critical policy issues affecting Ghanaians in the Diaspora, as well as bolster the relationship between the U.S. and Ghana.
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