Political Quotes

“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.…”