As part of the Immigration Act of 1990, the diversity visa lottery was established as a way to diversify the United States. Over the past 28 years, the visa lottery has helped to fortify the image of our country and enlarge the greatness of America through the immigrant population. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program awards up to 50,000 visas each year that presents permanent residency in the U.S. and serves as a pathway to citizenship. The lottery has been imperative in creating new opportunities for African and Caribbean individuals seeking citizenship in the U.S. The proposed immigration bills today that will be coming to the floor aim to limit refugee admissions, eliminate the diversity lottery, and reduce the number of employment-based visas distributed each year. As Americans begin many of the pastimes of summer that are quintessentially American--baseball, backyard barbecues, and family road trips--Caribbean Americans reflect on our contributions and the melded culture in the United States through Caribbean American Heritage Month. Ironically, the bills that are coming on the floor this same month will end the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, which has allowed many Caribbean people to come and be part of the American experience. In a month of polarized politics and the Trump administration's assault on increasing diversity in this Nation, Caribbean American Heritage Month serves as a perfect counterpoint example to support the doctrine of Americanism.…
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