Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced a bipartisan resolution October 26, with 256 cosponsors supporting the designation of July as Indian American Heritage Month. The Resolution honors generations of Indian American contributions to the United States across science and medicine, technology and business, public service and the military, education and philanthropy, arts and culture, and athletics.
More than 5.2 million Indian Americans call the United States home, the Resolution notes.
“Indian Americans have helped shape this country for generations, from breakthroughs that have saved lives and businesses that have created jobs to lifetimes of service in our military and public office,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said in the press release on the Resolution. “I’m proud to lead 256 of my colleagues in designating July as Indian American Heritage Month to honor that legacy and celebrate the many ways Indian Americans continue to enrich our country.”
The designation of July as Indian American Heritage Month commemorates the signing of the Luce-Celler Act by President Harry S. Truman on July 2, 1946, which made people of Indian descent eligible for naturalization as American citizens. The resolution also honors the Indian American community’s religious and cultural diversity and the generations of Indian Americans who have contributed to the nation’s cultural, economic, and civic life.
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Text of the Resolution:
Honoring the contributions of Indian Americans and supporting the designation of July as ‘‘Indian American Heritage Month’’.
Whereas, according to estimates published by the United
States Census Bureau in 2023, more than 5,200,000
people in the United States identify as Indian American;
Whereas the Indian American community traces its roots to
a civilization more than 5,000 years old and has brought
to the United States a rich legacy of art, literature, philosophy, science, and democratic traditions;
Whereas, on July 2, 1946, President Harry S. Truman
signed the Luce-Celler Act of 1946 (Public Law 79–483)
into law, making persons of Indian descent eligible for
naturalization as United States citizens;
Whereas Indian Americans reflect one of the most religiously
diverse communities in the United States, representing a
wide range of faith traditions that strengthen the Nation’s cultural and spiritual fabric;
Whereas Indian Americans have served with distinction at all
levels of government and public service, including in every
branch of the United States Armed Forces;
Whereas Indian Americans have made pioneering contributions to science, medicine, biomedical research, space exploration, artificial intelligence, computing, telecommunications, and other fields of innovation that have improved
lives and expanded human knowledge;
Whereas Indian Americans have distinguished themselves in
business, entrepreneurship, higher education, economic
scholarship, journalism, literature, and philanthropy, contributing to the economic strength, intellectual life, and
global leadership of the United States;
Whereas Indian Americans have enriched the cultural fabric
of the United States through music, film, television, the
performing arts, cuisine, athletics, and the preservation
and sharing of India’s diverse cultural, religious, linguistic, and regional traditions; and
Whereas July provides an opportunity to recognize the history, achievements, cultural traditions, and diverse religious and regional identities of Indian Americans and to
celebrate their many contributions to the United States:
Now, therefore, be it
1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
1 (1) recognizes that Indian Americans enhance
2 the rich diversity and strength of the United States;
3 and
4 (2) supports the designation of ‘‘Indian American Heritage Month’’.