BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:Title
Adopt Resolution Declaring June 2022 National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.
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RECOMMENDATION:Recommendation
Adopt the RESOLUTION DECLARING JUNE 2022, NATIONAL CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH.
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SUMMARY:
The Organization for Latino Affairs (OLA) and the Association of Black Employees (ABE), in collaboration with the Office of Racial, Equity Diversity and Inclusion, recommends that the Board formally acknowledge and declare June 2022 as Caribbean-American Heritage Month, a federal designation.
Caribbean-American Heritage Month was first adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005 and the U.S. Congress in 2006. The purpose of the federal observance is to honor the contributions of Caribbean immigrants and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. Furthermore, in his 2021 proclamation of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. recognized that Black and Latino immigrants, including Caribbean Americans, continue to suffer unique disparate impacts due to systematic racism and inequities.
This year, for the first time, and in alignment with federal observances, OLA and ABE, both employee resource groups of Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water), propose to initiate the acknowledgement of our Black and Hispanic/Latino Caribbean-American community through this resolution; a community that, for years, has been included in OLA’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month acknowledgement and activities.
OLA and ABE calls upon Valley Water, to join us in honoring the contributions of Caribbean-Americans and their descendants, and coordinate agency-wide acknowledgement of Caribbean-American Heritage Month through the Office of Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
There are no Environmental Justice impacts associated with this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with this item.
CEQA:
The recommended action does not constitute a project under CEQA because it does not have the potential for resulting in direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Resolution
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:Manager
Aaron Baker, 408-630-2135
Carlos Orellana, 408-630-2755