Speech #990063442

Mr. Speaker. since the early 1900s. many times. New York was the first stop for Caribbean Immigrants. my city served as the historical and humble beginning for tile enterprising spirit and aspirations of this Nations Caribbean immigrants. This migration is finally beginning to be recognized in its basic fundamental concept: As the American dream. One of the most important factors which determine whether Caribbeans would migrate to America was their belief in economic opportunity and continuous upward mobility. Their beliefs are no different from our beliefs. Our Caribbean immigrants want to work and prosper in our system of free enterprise. entreprenuership and selfsufficiency. They too want to be an intricate part of the American dream. Our Caribbean immigrants have much to be proud of: from their ambitious pursuit of educational opporturilties. to their extraordinary strong family and communities. to their extensive lineage of great firstgeneration Americans of Caribbean descent. I submit an article from the Los Argeles Times. documenting this remarkable striving for the American dream. for inclusion in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. [From the Los Angeles Times. Apr. 25. 1985] CaribbeansDriven Immigrants (By Edward J. Boyer) For Roland Yori:e. the consuming passion to immigrate to whiat many of his countrymen still consider "the land of milk and honey" beganl with Sugar Ray Robinson. Joe Louis and Adam Clayton Powell staring down at him from the pages of Ebony magazine. Growing up in Belize (then British Honduras).