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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The United States is home to nearly two million |
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immigrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, more than half of whom arrived |
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in the U.S. from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Typically, these African immigrants have higher |
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levels of educational attainment than the nation's population as a |
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whole, and they are more likely to hold degrees in the in-demand |
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fields of science, technology, engineering, or math; moreover, they |
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are well-represented in such vital sectors of the economy as the |
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health care industry, which faces unprecedented levels of demand |
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for qualified professionals; and |
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WHEREAS, A 2018 report by the Partnership for a New American |
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Economy Research Fund notes the large number of African |
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entrepreneurs residing in the U.S.; of some 90,000, many are |
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involved in the broader transportation sector, and 5,700 are |
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employed in real estate and accounting; and |
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WHEREAS, While the U.S.-born population is aging, nearly |
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three-quarters of African immigrants are in the prime of their |
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working years; they also naturalize at high rates, and accordingly, |
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these individuals are well-positioned to fill gaps that are being |
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created by the retirement of baby boomers; and |
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WHEREAS, African immigrants also support numerous |
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U.S. businesses as consumers, especially in states that have |
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experienced high rates of immigration; in Texas, African immigrants |
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hold $4.7 billion in spending power, and the total for the country |
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exceeds $40 billion; they are an important source of revenue for |
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governments in many areas, and in just nine states, among them |
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Texas, Georgia, and Virginia, their state and local tax payments |
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exceeded half a billion dollars in 2015 alone; and |
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WHEREAS, Although the Sub-Saharan African immigrant |
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population is relatively small compared to other foreign-born |
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groups in the U.S., its members have an outsize impact in the |
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economy and the tax base, and they provide key support in the health |
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care sector and other industries in need of skilled professionals; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize the contributions of Sub-Saharan |
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African immigrants. |
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Reynolds |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 655 was adopted by the House on March |
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21, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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