NY J01491

Requests Governor Kathy Hochul proclaim March 11, 2026 to April 12, 2026 as Garifuna-American Heritage Month in New York State

Commemorates the 229th anniversary of the forcible deportation of the Garifuna people by the British from St. Vincent to Roatan, Honduras (March 11 - April 12, 1797)

Recognizes the Garifuna as descendants of West African slaves and indigenous Carib and Arawak peoples who intermarried after a 1665 shipwreck off St. Vincent

Notes that New York City is home to the largest Garifuna community outside of Central America, with migration to the U.S. beginning in the 1930s

Names 18 New Yorkers of Garifuna heritage who continue to honor their ancestors' legacy