Whereas the House of Representatives is proud to recognize and commemorate Dominican Heritage Month, an observance that celebrates the contributions of Dominican Americans; Whereas, in keeping with its time-honored traditions, we recognize and pay tribute to those who foster cultural pride and enhance the profile of diverse communities across the United States; Whereas Dominicans are freedom-loving people who first began their campaign for their independence in 1831 under the leadership of Juan Pablo Duarte; Whereas, after the long and hard-fought campaign for freedom, a ceremonial musket shot fired on February 27, 1844, marked the Dominican Republic’s first official Independence Day; Whereas January 26 marks the beginning of the Mes de la Patria (Month of the Fatherland), a period in which the country celebrates the founding fathers and the symbols that identify Dominicans in the world; Whereas it would be befitting to celebrate Dominican heritage beginning on January 21, The Day of the Procession of Altagracia, the Dominican Republic’s most important religious celebration; Whereas it would also be befitting to end the period of Dominican heritage on February 27, the Dominican Republic’s Independence Day; Whereas Dominicans in the United States and abroad reserve the period between January 21 to February 27 to celebrate and honor Dominican heritage; Whereas celebrating Dominican Heritage Month gives the Nation the opportunity to acknowledge and applaud the economic, cultural, and social contributions Dominican Americans have made to the United States; Whereas the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York is working on a National Register of Historic Places application for submission to the National Park Service that would create a noncontiguous cultural heritage district to document, acknowledge, and honor the contributions of the Dominican community