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[Pages S2322-S2323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CELEBRATING ROMANI AMERICAN HERITAGE
Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, today I rise to celebrate International
Roma Day, which occurred yesterday, April 8, 2019. Last week, Senator
Wicker, the Helsinki Commission's Senate cochairman, and I introduced a
resolution that celebrates Romani American heritage.
As a member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly
Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism & Intolerance, I have
long worked to improve the situation of Roma throughout the OSCE
region.
The resolution we introduced on April 4 does four things.
First, it recognizes and celebrates Romani American heritage. Roma
have come to the United States with every wave of European migration
since the colonial period. In the United States,there may be as many as
1 million Americans with some Romani ancestry, whether distant or more
recent. Romani people have made distinct and important contributions in
many fields, including agriculture, art, crafts, literature, medicine,
military service, music, sports, and science.
Second, it supports International Roma Day and the Department of
State's robust engagement in activities to honor that occasion. On
April 8, 1971, the First World Romani Congress met in London, bringing
together Roma from across Europe and the United States with the goal of
promoting transnational cooperation among Roma, combating social
marginalization, and building a positive future for Roma everywhere.
April 8 is now celebrated as International Roma Day around the world.
U.S. Ambassadors and our Embassies across Europe are frequently asked
to participate in April 8 celebrations across the region. I commend the
important work they are doing as they demonstrate U.S. commitment to
inclusive societies not only on April 8 but throughout the entire year.
Third, this resolution commemorates the 75th anniversary of the
destruction of the so-called Gypsy Family Camp at Auschwitz. Experts
estimate that 200,000 to 500,000 Romani people were killed in death
camps and elsewhere throughout Europe. On August 2 to 3, 1944, Nazis
murdered between 4,200 and 4,300 Romani men, women, and children in gas
chambers when the Nazis decided to liquidate this camp. A number of
governments have taken important steps in recent years to commemorate
the genocide of Roma, to remember the victims, and educate future
generations. Germany took an important step when it opened a memorial
in Berlin for Sinti and Roma victims of national socialism. I also
commend the Czech Government for its decision to remove the pig farm at
the site of the Lety concentration camp and address remaining issues
regarding the proper memorialization of that sensitive site.
Finally, this resolution commends the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
for its critically important role in promoting remembrance of the
Holocaust and educating audiences about the genocide of Roma. The U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum is the preeminent Federal institution
dedicated to serving as a living memorial to the Holocaust. I am
honored to serve as a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
Council and I welcome the initiatives of the museum to ensure that
Romani victims are remembered and support related scholarship.
I am pleased that Senator Wicker has joined me in introducing this
resolution and urge other colleagues to join us in celebrating Romani-
American heritage.
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