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National Caribbean-American Heritage Month - June 1-30, 2022
Caribbean immigrants have been contributing to the well-being of American society since its founding. Alexander Hamilton, the First Secretary of the Treasury was from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. We count among our famous sons and daughters, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Cicely Tyson, WEB Dubois, James Weldon Johnson, Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier to name a few.The Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) effort began in 1999 with a petition to President Clinton for the recognition of a Caribbean American Heritage Month.
President Joe Biden’s Foreign Policy Towards the Caribbean
Specific objectives of President Biden’s Caribbean policy came into focus on April 29, 2022 when Vice President Kamala Harris held a virtual meeting with Caribbean Leaders. The main policy objectives mentioned were:Assistance with the economic recovery from COVID-19, strengthening economic partnerships, security: addressing and solving the trafficking of drugs and guns and the associated violence Climate change, and ways to strengthen climate resilience and to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy.
A Proclamation on National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2022
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America’s strength has always been rooted in our diversity. Since our Nation’s founding, generation after generation of immigrants have helped build this country, and the prosperity and opportunity that draw so many immigrants to America would not be possible without the contributions and legacies of Caribbean Americans. Today, millions of Caribbean Americans strengthen our country through their vibrant cultures, traditions, languages, and values. In recognition of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we honor the immeasurable ways Caribbean Americans have added to our American dream.
This month, our Nation also celebrates the extraordinary leadership and achievements of Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black American of Jamaican heritage to hold this high office. I am also honored to celebrate alongside brilliant and dedicated public servants of Caribbean heritage — including Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice.
Every day, we see the invaluable contributions Caribbean American communities have made to our country. Our Nation has seen the persistence and character of generations of Caribbean Americans who have fought for equity and equality despite continued discrimination and hardship. In addition, public servants like our Nation’s first Supreme Court Justice of Puerto Rican descent, Sonia Sotomayor, and the late General Colin Powell, the son of Jamaican immigrants and the first Black Secretary of State, have made essential contributions to American society and blazed new trails in service to the American people. Caribbean American entrepreneurs, scientists, medical professionals, teachers, artists, police officers, athletes, and contributors in every field have also left a lasting impact on our society.