Bill Text: NJ SJR137 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Designates June of each year as "Immigrant Heritage Month."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-06-13 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee [SJR137 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-SJR137-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Designates June of each year as "Immigrant Heritage Month."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Joint Resolution designating the month of June of each year as "Immigrant Heritage Month" in New Jersey.
Whereas, New Jersey has the fifth-largest immigrant population in the United States, with more than one in five residents born outside of the country; and
Whereas, The various ethnicities, cultures and religions that established roots in New Jersey have kept the State as one of the most diverse in the nation and Jersey City ranked in 2018 as the most ethnically diverse mid-sized city in the United States; and
Whereas, The immigration population of New Jersey grew by 14.3 percent since 2005 and immigrants now account for approximately 22 percent of New Jersey's total population; and
Whereas, Immigrants make up more than one-quarter of the workforce in New Jersey, populating nearly 50 percent of the computer and mathematical science industries in the State; and
Whereas, An estimated 48 percent of New Jersey residents with master's degrees and 41 percent of residents with doctorates in a scientific specialty are immigrants; and
Whereas, New Jersey's workforce has one of the largest numbers of high-skilled H1-B visa holders in the nation; and
Whereas, Immigrants bolster New Jersey's entrepreneurial community, owning 47 percent of "main street" businesses in New Jersey, which earn $4.4 billion annually, and one-fifth of self-employed businesses, which generate an estimated $3.3 billion in total revenue each year; and
Whereas, New Jersey is second in the nation for the highest percentage of jobs created by immigrant-owned businesses; and
Whereas, Immigrant households in New Jersey provide up to an estimated $54.6 billion in spending power annually; and
Whereas, Approximately $872.6 million would be lost from the State in gross domestic product if immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, and Honduras lost their Temporary Protected Status; and
Whereas, National Immigrant Heritage Month has been celebrated in June since 2014 to recognize and celebrate the diversity of the country as a result of immigration; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The month of June of each year is designated as "Immigrant Heritage Month" in the State of New Jersey to celebrate the immigrants who made and continue to make this State their home and to highlight the contributions immigration brings to the economy and culture of New Jersey.
2. The Governor is respectfully requested to annually issue a proclamation calling upon public officials and citizens of this State to observe "Immigrant Heritage Month" with appropriate activities and programs.
3. This joint resolution shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This joint resolution designates the month of June of each year as "Immigrant Heritage Month" in New Jersey.
More than one out of every five residents in New Jersey is an immigrant, making it the state with the fifth-largest population of immigrants in the country. New Jersey has maintained a strong immigrant population to become one of the most diverse states in the country, with Jersey City cited as the most diverse mid-sized city in the nation in 2018.
Immigrants account for a large portion of economic success in the State. They make up more than a quarter of the workforce and nearly fifty percent of the jobs in the computer and mathematical science industries in New Jersey. Approximately 48 percent of New Jersey residents with master's degrees and 41 percent of doctorate degrees in a scientific specialty are immigrants. The State also boasts one of the highest percentages in the country of high-skilled workers here on H1-B visas. Moreover, immigrants own 47 percent of "main street" businesses in New Jersey, earning nearly $4.4 billion a year annually, and run one-fifth of self-employed businesses in the State, which generate approximately $3.3 billion in revenue each year. These businesses help make New Jersey the state with the second-highest number of jobs created by immigrant-owned businesses in the nation. Immigrant households in New Jersey also provide up to an estimated $54.6 billion in spending power each year. Month."
