Caribbean American Heritage Month

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, President George W. Bush issued the first National Caribbean American Heritage Month Proclamation in June 2006, and it has been issued annually since then by the President of the United States; and,

WHEREAS, the first half of the 20^th century was the first extensive voluntary migration from the Caribbean to the United States and consisted mostly of laborers and political exiles from Cuba; and,

WHEREAS, migration accelerated in the 1960s when United States companies recruited large numbers of English-speaking workers due to political instability in Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic; and,

WHEREAS, Caribbean Americans play a critical role in many social and cultural movements, adding to the strength of our nation with their leadership and achievements in government, the arts, entertainment, law enforcement, the military and many other fields; and,

WHEREAS, the Hampton Roads Caribbean Organization (HRCO) provides opportunities for cross-cultural understanding, acceptance and interaction between people of diverse nationalities and heritage; and,

WHEREAS, Caribbean American Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the significant contributions of Caribbean Americans to the history and culture of Virginia and across the country;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize June 2022 as CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations