Recognizing National Caribbean-American Heritage Month

Floor Speech

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Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 127, Recognizing the Significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I thank my friend The Gentle lady from California, BARBARA LEE for her hard work on this very important resolution. This resolution ensures that every June, we recognize the many contributions of Caribbean-Americans and highlight the issues facing the Caribbean community.

I have the distinct honor and privilege of representing New York's 11`h Congressional District, located in central Brooklyn. And as a child of Jamaican immigrants, I have experienced first hand the impact Caribbean Americans can have on a community, let alone a nation. That is why I have been a staunch advocate for Caribbean issues my entire public life; fighting to ensure that the agenda of Caribbean Americans are visible on the national stage.

From the various Caribbean Associations dedicated to helping Caribbean Americans with myriad issues, to the West-Indian American Day Carnival on Eastern Parkway, the influence and impact of Caribbean descendents is undeniable.

Caribbean Americans have contributed greatly to our nation as a whole. Some prominent Caribbean Americans include: My predecessor and role model, Former U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm, the first African American female Member of Congress, who was of Caribbean descent; Former Secretary of State Collin Powell, both the first African American to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State of Jamaican lineage; Jamaica Kincaid, an American novelist; social activists Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X; and dancer Pearl Primus, to name a few.

In Brooklyn, there have been many who have influenced my advocacy for the Caribbean community. People like my mother Dr. Una Clarke, who was the first Caribbean born woman elected to the New York City's Legislature; Lemuel Stanislaus of Grenada; Dr. Henry Frank of Haiti; and Carlos Rosada of Grenada, chairman of the West-Indian American Day Carnival Association, continue to remind me of the fight for equality, not only for the Caribbean community and their countries of origin, but for all.

While Caribbean Americans have made great strides, there are still lingering issues affecting Caribbean Americans in this country. Caribbean immigrants often have little money or access to practical information when making their transition to the United States, making them the targets of immigration fraud. As a result, earlier this year, I introduced H.R. 1992, the Immigration Fraud Prevention Act of 2009, which makes it a federal crime to willfully misrepresent the immigration process through fraud or false representation.

I also introduced H.R. 2071, which directs the Secretary of Commerce to include Caribbean descent as an option on census questionnaires. This will finally bring recognition to the broad diversity of Caribbean natives that call our country home and ensure an accurate count and proper representation.

Our nation's ``third border'', shared with the Caribbean community, links the security of the U.S. with our island neighbors. In 2007, a joint-report by the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime and the World Bank linked rising crime rates in Caribbean nations to an increase in drug-trafficking. In the 110th Congress, I introduced H. Res. 1504 which calls for increased cooperation between U.S. and Caribbean officials to combat this problem. Last week, I came to this floor to express my support for provisions within H.R. 2410, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 2009 that added the Caribbean community (CARICOM), to the Merida Initiative. This initiative is a multi-year program that works in partnership with governments in Mexico, the nations of Central America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti to confront criminal organizations whose illicit actions undermine public safety, erode the rule of law, and threaten the national security of the United States.

I also expressed my appreciation for the Shirley A. Chisholm Educational Exchange Program authorized in the bill. These provisions promote security and education within the Caribbean community, fostering social and economic development abroad and keeping us safe at home.

Again it is my honor as a child of the Caribbean and my duty as the Representative of the 11th Congressional District of New York, to urge my colleagues to stand with me in supporting this Resolution. I thank Congresswoman LEE for leading the charge on this and for yielding time.

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