Washington, Oct 26 — More than half of the US House of Representatives has lined up behind a bipartisan resolution to designate July as Indian American Heritage Month, a measure introduced on Monday by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi that ties the community's recognition to the 1946 law that first opened the door to American citizenship for people of Indian descent.
The resolution, which has 256 cosponsors in the 435-member House, honours "the contributions of Indian Americans" and supports the designation of July as "Indian American Heritage Month". Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, is its lead sponsor. The resolution number and the committee to which it will be referred were not available at the time of filing.
"Indian Americans have helped shape this country for generations, from breakthroughs that have saved lives and businesses that have created jobs to lifetimes of service in our military and public office," Krishnamoorthi said.
"I'm proud to lead 256 of my colleagues in designating July as Indian American Heritage Month to honour that legacy and celebrate the many ways Indian Americans continue to enrich our country," he added.
The choice of July commemorates President Harry S. Truman's signing of the Luce-Celler Act on July 2, 1946. The law, according to the resolution, made "persons of Indian descent eligible for naturalisation as United States citizens", ending decades in which Indian immigrants were barred from becoming Americans.
Citing estimates published by the US Census Bureau in 2023, the resolution says "more than 5,200,000 people in the United States identify as Indian American".
It says the community "traces its roots to a civilisation more than 5,000 years old" and describes Indian Americans as "one of the most religiously diverse communities in the United States".
The text credits Indian Americans with "pioneering contributions to science, medicine, biomedical research, space exploration, artificial intelligence, computing, telecommunications, and other fields of innovation". It also notes that they have served "in every branch of the United States Armed Forces" and at all levels of government.
In its operative clauses, the resolution states that the House "recognises that Indian Americans enhance the rich diversity and strength of the United States" and "supports the designation of 'Indian American Heritage Month'".
Krishnamoorthi's office described the measure as bipartisan but did not release the list of cosponsors or say how many of the 256 are Republicans.
As a simple House resolution, the measure would not create a federal holiday or require presidential action.
The resolution comes just over a week before the November 3 midterm elections, in which several Indian American candidates are on the ballot.