,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #bbd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,may #ag1 #bjac ,ms4
 ,wilson of ,florida 7for herself1 ,ms4 
,waters1 ,mr4 ,conyers1 ,ms4 ,clarke1   
and ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee7 submitted the   
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on ,oversight and    
,government ,reform  ,,resolution       
,expressing the sense of the ,house of  
,representatives that a                 
,haitian-,american ,heritage ,month     
should be established in recognition of 
the contributions of the ,haitian people
 to the history and culture of the      
,united ,states4  ,whereas freemen from 
the ,french colony of ,saint-,domingue1 
now the ,republic of ,haiti1 fought     
alongside the ,united ,states           
,continental ,army at the ,siege of     
,savannah in #aggi2 ,whereas ,jean      
,baptiste ,point du ,sable1 a ,haitian1 
built the first permanent settlement of 
what later became the city of ,chicago1 
,illinois1 in #aggi2 ,whereas the       

significant loss of life and financial  
burden of the failed efforts to quell   
,haiti's revolution prompted ,france to 
sell the territory of ,louisiana to the 
,united ,states in #ahjc1 a territory   
that now comprises #bb4c percent of the 
,united ,states2 ,whereas1 on ,january  
#a1 #ahjd1 ,haiti declared its          
independence from ,france to become the 
world's first ,black republic and the   
second democracy after the ,united      
,states2 ,whereas ,major ,joseph        
,savary1 a ,haitian1 was the first      
,black ,major in the ,united ,states    
,army1 and led the ,second ,battalion of
 ,freemen of ,color at the ,battle of   
,new ,orleans on ,january #h1 #ahae1    
under then-,general ,andrew ,jackson2   
,whereas1 in #ahhi1 ,frederick          
,douglass1 the period's foremost        
spokesman on human rights and prominent 
leader of the anti-slavery movement in  
the ,united ,states1 became the first   
,united ,states ,minister and           
,consul-,general to ,haiti2 ,whereas the

 longest occupancy of a foreign state by
 ,american troops was in ,haiti1 circa  
#aiae-aicd2 ,whereas over #a1jjj1jjj    
persons of ,haitian descent now live    
throughout the ,united ,states2 ,whereas
 ,haitians and their descendants have   
contributed greatly to the arts and     
sciences1 including ,john ,james        
,audubon1 the acclaimed naturalist and  
wildlife artist who inspired the        
,american conservation society that     
bears his name1 and ,w4,e4,b4 ,du,bois1 
the ,haitian-,american author and       
political activist1 who became one of   
the most prominent intellectual leaders 
of ,african-,american society during the
 twentieth century2 ,whereas the close  
proximity of ,haiti to the shores of the
 ,united ,states1 in conjunction with   
the common bond of mutual values and    
commitment to democracy1 ensures lasting
 comity of nations and continued trade  
and diplomatic relations2 ,whereas      
,haiti1 the only republic to rise from a
 successful slave rebellion1 inspires   

pride1 solidarity1 and self-reliance2   
,whereas the last ,sunday of ,may is    
commemorated in ,haiti as ,mother's     
,day2 ,whereas the #ahth of ,may is     
,flag ,day1 the most celebrated holiday 
in ,haiti1 and is observed by people of 
,haitian descent throughout the world2  
,whereas in ,miami1 ,florida1 home to   
the largest ,haitian-,american          
population in the ,united ,states1 there
 are numerous cultural events and       
celebrations planned during the month of
 ,may to honor ,haitian heritage2 and   
,whereas ,may is an appropriate month to
 establish a ,haitian-,american         
,heritage ,month3 ,now1 therefore1 be it
  ,that the ,house of ,representatives--
  7#a7 supports the designation and     
recognition of a ,haitian-,american     
,heritage ,month2 and  7#b7 calls on the
 people of the ,united ,states to       
observe the month with appropriate      
ceremonies1 celebrations1 and           
activities4