News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Sat. June 1, 2019: Today, June 1, 2019, marks the start of the 14th anniversary of National Caribbean American Heritage Month.
To mark the occasion, US President Donald Trump has again issued a proclamation acknowledging “the significant ways Caribbean Americans have shaped our culture and heritage.”
It is in stark contrast to the administration’s stringent immigration policies which has left many Caribbean immigrants deported and thousands more, including Haitians, in limbo over their future in the country.
But with a conservative estimate of 4 million Caribbean immigrants across the US, Trump and the White House appear ready to pay if only lip service to this demographic through this 2019 proclamation – the third since taking office.
The full proclamation follows:
Proclamation on National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, 2019
Issued on: May 31, 2019
During National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we acknowledge the significant ways Caribbean Americans have shaped our culture and heritage. Americans with roots in the Caribbean have greatly enriched our society, contributing to the arts, business, journalism, technology, government, religion, the military, sports, and many other fields.
Through his dedication to his faith, Joseph Sandiford Atwell exemplified the unyielding spirit of Caribbean Americans. Born in Barbados in 1831, Atwell moved to the United States in 1863 and attended the Philadelphia Divinity School. Following the Civil War, he went to spread God’s message of hope and love to the emancipated slaves in the South. Due to the strength of his ministry, he became the first black Episcopal deacon ordained in the Diocese of Kentucky and went on to become the first black Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Virginia.
Earlier this year, I met with the leaders of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, the Republic of Haiti, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia to reaffirm our partnership with the Caribbean. We discussed how we can bring greater prosperity to this important region, including potential opportunities for energy investment and enhanced trade partnerships. We made tremendous progress, and we will build on these discussions to strengthen further the relationship we share with our Caribbean neighbors.
This month, we recognize the vibrant culture and patriotism of Caribbean Americans that continue to bolster our country and enrich our lives, and we pay tribute to the strong friendship between the United States and the countries of the Caribbean.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2019 as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I encourage all Americans to join in celebrating the history, culture, and achievements of Caribbean Americans with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-third.
DONALD J. TRUMP
