Title
Recognizing the Month of June as Immigrant Heritage Month and Caribbean American Heritage Month in the City of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Immigrants have had an extraordinary social and cultural influence on the United States of America, enriching the extraordinary character of our nation. Throughout the country's history, immigrants have built dynamic communities, started families, served in the military and public life, grown successful businesses, and strengthened the American economy; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia is a proud city of immigrants. As of 2022, approximately 15.7% of the city's residents were born outside the United States-the highest share in over 80 years. This marks a significant increase from 2000, with the foreign-born population growing by 80% to around 246,600 individuals. The largest immigrant populations in Philadelphia originate from China, the Dominican Republic, India, Vietnam, Jamaica, Mexico, Haiti, Ukraine, South Korea, and Guatemala, reflecting the city's rich cultural diversity and the vital role immigrants play in its demographic and economic growth; and
WHEREAS, More than a quarter of all Philadelphians in recent years-estimated at around 390,000 residents-were either immigrants or U.S. natives with immigrant parents, together comprising a population with significant potential to shape the city. They included nearly 76,000 children under age 18, or about 1 in 4 city children; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia is a city rich in linguistic diversity with 24% of residents speaking languages other than English at home, many of them speaking their foreign language(s) in addition to English and demonstrating multilingualism as an asset; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants have been tireless leaders not only securing their own rights and access to equal opportunity, but have also campaigned to create a fairer and more equitable society for all Americans; and
WHEREAS, Immigrant Heritage Month is a nationwide effort to gather and share the inspi...
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