IL HR0023

Declares March 2023 as Bulgarian American Heritage Month in Illinois and sends congratulations to Bulgaria on the 145th anniversary of its liberation on March 3, 2023

Recognizes Bulgaria and the United States as strategic partners and allies, noting the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria's NATO accession and 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations

Honors the historical contributions of Bulgarian Americans to Illinois, including the oldest Bulgarian American community in Granite City, the first Bulgarian newspaper (Vox Populi, 1907-1950), and notable figures such as computer pioneer John V. Atanasoff

Acknowledges Bulgaria's rescue of approximately 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from Nazi deportation in 1943 and the country's transition from communism to democracy following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989

Notes Illinois's current status as home to the largest Bulgarian diaspora, with 13 Bulgarian Sunday Schools and multiple Bulgarian Orthodox churches preserving Bulgarian culture, language, and traditions