PRINTER'S NO. 1738
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
162
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY BELLMON, KHAN, KIM, VENKAT, DALEY, BOROWSKI,
KAZEEM, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HOHENSTEIN, GIRAL, SOLOMON,
INNAMORATO, MADDEN, SCHLOSSBERG, RABB, HILL-EVANS, VITALI,
SANCHEZ, McNEILL, PARKER, DONAHUE, A. BROWN, ABNEY,
KRAJEWSKI, BOYD AND D. WILLIAMS, JUNE 26, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 26, 2023
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the month of June 2023 as "National Immigrant
Heritage Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, During this month, we honor the countless
contributions immigrants and their descendants have made and
continue to make to our shared communities; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants are a significant part of the United
States population and a crucial part of our nation's story; and
WHEREAS, While 5% of the total world population resides in
the United States, close to 20% of all global migrants reside in
the United States; and
WHEREAS, This Commonwealth was home to 939,000 immigrant
individuals in 2021, which made up 7.2% of this Commonwealth's
total population; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants built our country, heroically serve on
both military and health care frontlines, feed our communities
and spark economic growth and innovation; and
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WHEREAS, While immigrants make up approximately 14% of the
United States population, they make up 18% of the labor force;
and
WHEREAS, Fifteen percent of health care workers, including
one-third of doctors in the United States, are immigrants; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants have also served in the armed forces of
the United States during every major conflict since the United
States was founded; and
WHEREAS, Additionally, nearly three-quarters of our farm
workers are immigrants; and
WHEREAS, Hundreds of thousands of immigrants performed the
essential work of packing, stocking and shipping goods
throughout this country during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants own approximately one in five businesses
and almost half of all Fortune 500 companies were started by
immigrants or their children; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants added $2 trillion to the gross domestic
product of the United States in 2016 and $458.7 billion to
Federal, State and local taxes in 2018; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants represent 16% of inventors in the United
States and have produced 23% of patents, patent citations and
the economic value of the patents; and
WHEREAS, Seven municipalities in this Commonwealth have
recognized the tremendous value that immigrants bring to their
communities by joining Welcoming America's global network of
nonprofit organizations and governments committed to being
welcoming places for all residents, including immigrants; and
WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has a long way to go in
recognizing and encouraging the continued contributions of our
immigrant residents; and
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WHEREAS, "National Immigrant Heritage Month" was started to
give "people across the United States an opportunity to annually
explore their own heritage and celebrate the shared diversity
that forms the unique story of America"; and
WHEREAS, This year marks the 10th anniversary of "National
Immigrant Heritage Month" in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Two Presidents of the United States, 48 states and
257 small towns and metropolitan areas across this country have
joined together to honor immigrants during the month of June;
and
WHEREAS, On May 31, 2023, President Joe Biden issued a
proclamation recognizing June 2023 as "National Immigrant
Heritage Month"; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
month of June 2023 as "National Immigrant Heritage Month" in
Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives celebrate this
Commonwealth's diversity and honor the important contributions
immigrants have made and continue to make in this Commonwealth.
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