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PRINTER'S NO. 2969
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
672
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY J. HARRIS, RABB, THOMAS, MURT, KINSEY, SOLOMON,
DONATUCCI, DAVIS, PASHINSKI, McCLINTON, YOUNGBLOOD, KIRKLAND,
V. BROWN, SCHLOSSBERG, FRANKEL AND SCHWEYER, FEBRUARY 2, 2018
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 2, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Condemning the President of the United States for his recent
unbecoming and disparaging remarks about the country of Haiti
and the countries encompassing the continent of Africa.
WHEREAS, During a meeting convened on January 11, 2018, in
the Oval Office of the White House to discuss policy matters
regarding immigration reform, President Donald J. Trump posed
the question of why the United States should accept immigrants
from "shithole" countries, which included Haiti and African
countries; and
WHEREAS, The United States currently serves as home to more
than 2.1 million African immigrants and 676,000 Haitian
immigrants; and
WHEREAS, President Trump's incendiary comments were not only
grossly offensive to the Haitian and African immigrants and the
heritage of their homelands, but they also serve as the
antithesis to the very ethos that our nation was built upon and
is inscribed on our very own Statue of Liberty: "Give me your
tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free";
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and
WHEREAS, Sadly, President Trump's recent remarks represent a
consistent pattern of racially charged and derogatory comments
that he has made about nonwhite immigrants, which include, but
are not limited to: Mexicans "bringing drugs. They're bringing
crime. They're rapists" and the Diversity Visa Program gives "us
their worst" and Haitian immigrants "all have AIDS" and
Nigerians will never "go back to their huts"; and
WHEREAS, Not only has President Trump's latest iteration of
repugnant comments offended the personal sensibilities of both
Haitian and African immigrants residing in the United States and
their international diaspora, they also threaten to set back
American interests within the world's fastest growing continent;
and
WHEREAS, President Trump's remarks have also incurred the ire
and condemnation of the African Union, which is comprised of an
assemblage of 55 member states on the continent, as well as the
South African government, which has indicated that it intends to
lodge a formal complaint with the American Embassy; and
WHEREAS, Further compounding this controversy was President
Trump's insistence that the United States should have more
people emigrating from Norway as opposed to Haiti and African
countries; and
WHEREAS, Not only were President Trump's remarks deeply
steeped in racial overtones, they also underscore his fundmental
ignorance about foreign affairs as there currently are more
Americans who are immigrating to Norway than there are
Norwegians immigrating to the United States; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, an
organization whose mission is to promote and protect the
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interests of this Commonwealth's communities of color,
encourages lawmakers to utilize their positions and voices to
root out the prevalence of bigotry and racism, even if it
manifests itself in the upper echelons of government and within
the highest office of the land; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvanians must exhibit the courage and
leadership necessary to protect and promote the interests of
more than 800,000 immigrants that presently reside in this
Commonwealth, which includes a large number of African
immigrants and approximately 13,000 Haitian immigrants; and
WHEREAS, In stark contrast to President Trump's comments,
Pennsylvania's immigrant population does not serve as a drain on
this Commonwealth's economy, but instead has served as an
economic boon by contributing more than $2.1 billion in State
and local taxes and adding more than $18.6 billion in spending
power to this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Americans must never lose sight of the fact that it
is our collective diversity and inclusivity that has directly
contributed to making our nation both powerful and prosperous;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives condemn the
President of the United States for his recent unbecoming and
disparaging remarks about the country of Haiti and the countries
encompassing the continent of Africa; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives undertake efforts
to ensure that Pennsylvania's Haitian and African immigrant
populations understand that their presence is welcome in our
country and that invaluable contributions that they have made to
this Commonwealth are greatly appreciated.
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