Washington, 28 September 2024 (MIA) - The Co-Chairs of the Congressional Macedonian Caucus have presented a bipartisan resolution encouraging the designation of September as Macedonian American Heritage Month, according to Voice of America in Macedonian.

The resolution supports celebrating the language, history, and culture of Macedonian Americans and their incredible contributions to the United States.

US Representatives Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), and Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Macedonian Caucus, introduced a bipartisan resolution encouraging the designation of September as Macedonian American Heritage Month.

The Co-Chairs released the following statement on the resolution’s introduction: “For centuries, Macedonians have immigrated to America to throw off the yoke of communism and embrace the freedom to achieve the ‘American dream’. Their story is now our collective American story as Macedonian Americans around the country give back to their communities as business owners, elected officials, and civic leaders. Even more, North Macedonia is a valuable strategic partner and key ally of the United States in the Balkans. Macedonian Americans’ contributions to our nation’s culture and society deserve recognition, and we encourage all Americans to join us in observing Macedonian American Heritage Month.”

There are an estimated 500,000 individuals of Macedonian heritage living in the United States, with sizeable communities in the States of Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California.

The resolution underlines that since the 1880s, tens of thousands of Macedonians have immigrated to the United States seeking civil liberties, human rights, religious freedom, economic opportunity, and security in response to the 1903 Ilinden Uprising against the Ottoman Empire, the 1912–1913 Balkan Wars, World War I and World War II, the 1946–1949 Greek Civil War, and the communist policies of Yugoslavia.

Members of the Macedonian American community have contributed greatly to the field of medicine, including in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology, among others; Macedonian Americans have been elected to serve in legislatures and courtrooms across the country, collaborating on the never-ending work of democracy in the United States.

In August 2023, Republican Senator Mike Braun submitted a resolution to the United States Senate on designating September 2023 as Macedonian American Heritage Month, celebrating the Macedonian language, history, and culture.

In recent years, similar resolutions for celebrating Macedonian-American heritage have also been introduced in Michigan, Illinois, Chicago, and New York.

The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) welcomed the decision of the members of Congress to present the resolution, stating, "Your leadership honors the countless contributions of Macedonian Americans to the betterment of the United States."

The Congressional Caucus on North Macedonia and Macedonian Americans is a bicameral, bipartisan group of members of Congress dedicated to maintaining and strengthening a positive and mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and North Macedonia.

Photo: MIA archive