NATIONAL CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2024
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- - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
During National Caribbean American Heritage Month, we
celebrate the contributions and the diverse cultures of the
millions of people across our Nation with Caribbean heritage,
who have never let us walk away from our Nation's most sacred
values of opportunity and freedom.
Caribbean Americans are dreamers and doers, always finding
ways to push our country forward, reach new heights, and forge a
more perfect Union.

From the Caribbean Americans who helped

build our country from the ground up to those who have only just
arrived, they have all believed in the possibilities our country
has to offer and strengthened the diverse fabric of our Nation.
Above all, Caribbean Americans are leaders -- they are our
beloved doctors, nurses, teachers, athletes, artists, community
organizers, entrepreneurs, and our service members and first
responders, who put their lives on the line to keep the rest of
us safe.

I am especially proud of the Caribbean Americans

serving across my Administration and working hard to sustain our
democracy -- including Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary
of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House Press
Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
My Administration recognizes that, to keep the torch of
liberty that has led generations of immigrants to America
burning bright, we must keep ensuring that everyone has a fair
shot and access to opportunity.

And we are delivering.

My

Administration has powered a historic economic recovery that
created 15 million jobs, achieved the fastest creation rate of

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Black-owned businesses in more than 30 years, and broke records
as Latino entrepreneurs have started new businesses at the
fastest rate in over 10 years.
Caribbean Americans also form the foundation of our
country's partnerships with nations across the Caribbean as we
work to advance opportunity and security across the region.
My Administration announced over $275 million in Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law funding for projects in the U.S. Virgin
Islands that will deliver clean and safe water, access to highspeed internet, public transit, and modern roads and bridges.
We launched the Puerto Rico Economic Dialogue and made more than
$140 billion in Federal obligations, which have driven the
island's economic turnaround.

Since I came into office, Puerto

Rico has added more than 100,000 new jobs and unemployment
reached a historic low of under six percent.

We are continuing

to work with Caribbean countries to tackle climate change and
support clean energy development.

In partnership with the

Caribbean Community (CARICOM), we launched the Crime Gun
Intelligence Unit to combat firearms trafficking.

Last summer,

my Administration appointed a Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms
Prosecutions to lead our efforts to stem firearms trafficking in
the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, we have been working with CARICOM to

restore stability and security in Haiti by facilitating
meaningful and inclusive political dialogue and supporting the
deployment of the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support
mission.

We must complement our security investments with

economic support.

This is why my Administration supports the

reauthorization of the HOPE/HELP trade preferences program in
order to spur greater economic prosperity in Haiti.
At the same time, we have been working since day one of my
Administration to fix the broken immigration system so that it

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is safe, orderly, and humane -- especially for those in the
Caribbean community who are fleeing oppressive rule and trying
to escape gang violence to ensure a better life for them and
their families.

We are working to expand lawful pathways to the

United States for Caribbean individuals and establish a faster
process for deciding claims of asylum for people who are
credibly seeking protection from persecution.

My Administration

will continue to do everything we can, including calling on the
Congress to finally act and pass critical resources and reforms.
America was founded on the idea that all people are created
equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives.
That promise beats in the hearts of all Caribbean Americans, who
have added new meaning to our Nation's founding values.

That

idea is what connects us to all the Caribbean nations and
territories working toward a future rooted in freedom and
democracy.

This month, may we celebrate all that Caribbean

heritage, history, and contributions have meant to our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., 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 2024 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 twenty-four, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
[FR Doc. 2024-12484 Filed: 6/4/2024 11:15 am; Publication Date: 6/5/2024]