A group of fifteen lawmakers, led by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives to designate January as Tamil Language and Heritage Month. The announcement was made to coincide with the start of Pongal, a major Tamil harvest festival.
The resolution seeks to recognize the contributions of Tamil American Communitywhich now number over 350,000 in the United States.
Krishnamoorthi, a Tamil American himself, said, “As a Tamil American, I am proud to present this bipartisan resolution honor the Tamil language, heritage and culture in the United States and around the world.”
The resolution has been sponsored by five other Indian-American lawmakers: Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, Shri Thanedar, Pramila Jayapal and Suhas Subramanyam, as well as Nicole Malliotakis, Ilhan Omar, Yvette Clarke, Sara Jacobs, Deborah Ross, Danny Davis, Dina Titus, Don Davis and Summer Lee.
Tamil, one of the world’s oldest languages, has over 80 million speakers worldwide and a rich literary and cultural history spanning millennia. The resolution has received strong support from various Tamil-American organizations.
“America is a mosaic of different languages, cultures, ideas and traditions, and it is my sincere hope that this resolution will highlight the rich and distinct culture, as well as the incredible achievements, of the Tamil-American community today.”, Krishnamoorthi said, urging Congress to act quickly to pass the resolution.
The US Tamil Action Group and People for Equality and Relief in Lanka echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of preserving Tamil traditions and the community’s role in enriching America’s cultural fabric. “Tamil Americans cherish our rich and ancient language, traditions and culture and know that we have much to contribute to America’s own unique and vibrant patchwork of traditions,” the American Tamil Action Group said in a statement.
