IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 281
Urging the people of the United States to observe the month of March
2025 as ‘‘Bulgarian-American Heritage Month’’.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH31, 2025
Mr. W
ILSONof South Carolina (for himself, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. DUNNof
Florida, and Mr. N
EAL) submitted the following resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Urging the people of the United States to observe the month
of March 2025 as ‘‘Bulgarian-American Heritage Month’’.
Whereas, since the 19th century, Bulgarian immigrants and
their descendants have made significant contributions to
America, enriching its cultural fabric through their vi-
brant traditions and heritage, and greatly influencing
American society in the fields of science and research,
business, literature and the arts, engineering and tech-
nology, and academia while enriching the economy and
society;
Whereas the enduring Bulgarian-American people-to-people
ties date back to 1860–1861, when 2 schools opened by
American missionaries in Bulgaria later merged into the
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•HRES 281 IH
American College, one of the oldest American educational
institutions outside the United States;
Whereas young people sent by American missionaries in Bul-
garia for studies were among the first Bulgarian immi-
grants in the United States;
Whereas Christo Vladimirov Javacheff, known as Christo,
along with his partner Jeanne-Claude, created monu-
mental public art projects such as The Gates in Central
Park, New York City, which attracted millions of visitors
and demonstrated the impact of art in community spaces;
Whereas Ivan Kristoff, known as ‘‘The Human Spider’’, pro-
moted safety and innovation in high-altitude rescue mis-
sions, with significant work conducted in Miami, Florida,
and other metropolitan areas;
Whereas Nina Dobrev, a celebrated actress who grew up in
Atlanta, Georgia, has elevated the visibility of Bulgarian
heritage on a global stage through her roles in prominent
television series and films;
Whereas Sylvia Radev, a leading mathematician and com-
puter scientist based in Boston, Massachusetts, has ad-
vanced research in artificial intelligence and natural lan-
guage processing, impacting technological innovation
across the globe;
Whereas Dimitar Sasselov, an astrophysicist at Harvard Uni-
versity in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has contributed to
the understanding of exoplanets and the potential for life
beyond Earth;
Whereas the Philip Kutev National Folklore Ensemble and
Bulgarian cultural organizations have performed in major
cultural hubs such as Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, Cali-
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•HRES 281 IH
fornia; and the District of Columbia, showcasing Bul-
garian music and dance;
Whereas Bulgarian-Americans have established thriving busi-
ness communities in cities like Detroit, Michigan, and
Las Vegas, Nevada, fostering economic growth and entre-
preneurship;
Whereas educators such as Dr. Maria Tzvetanova, based in
Austin, Texas, have advanced knowledge in neuroscience
and other fields, inspiring students and contributing to
academic excellence;
Whereas the first United States Diplomatic Agent to Bul-
garia presented his credentials on September 19, 1903,
marking the beginning of United States-Bulgarian diplo-
matic relations;
Whereas, in May 1909, the United States welcomed Bulgaria
into the commonwealth of sovereign and independent
states;
Whereas Bulgarian-American communities, with the support
of Governors and mayors in major United States cities,
raise the Bulgarian national colors (flags) each year to
commemorate the National Day of Bulgaria;
Whereas the United States and Bulgaria concluded their first
agreement on a most-favored-nation status in 1906;
Whereas the first Special Envoy and Minister Plenipotentiary
of Bulgaria to the United States, Stefan Panaretov, pre-
sented his credentials to President Woodrow Wilson on
December 22, 1914;
Whereas United States-Bulgarian relations were strengthened
by President Wilson’s advocacy of Bulgaria’s territorial
integrity and national sovereignty at the Paris Peace
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•HRES 281 IH
Conference in 1919, and by the contributions of countless
Bulgarian and American officials, diplomats, and citizens;
Whereas a vibrant Bulgarian-American community today con-
tributes to America’s prosperity, including its remarkable
economic achievements, maintaining its technological
edge, and enriching American culture and society through
its diverse talents, rich traditions, art, literature, opera,
music, dance, cuisine, and language;
Whereas Bulgaria’s presence in the world’s largest library,
the United States Library of Congress, is marked by a
collection of over 50,000 volumes of Bulgarian cultural
heritage, collected by the Library of Congress in coopera-
tion with Bulgarian individuals and institutions since the
1880s;
Whereas Bulgaria is the birthplace of the Bulgarian alphabet,
also known as Cyrillic, which was developed by the
Preslav literary school in the 9th century, becoming a
valuable contribution to the world’s cultural heritage;
Whereas the Bulgarian language is the fourth language into
which the Bible was translated, and the Bulgarian alpha-
bet is the third official alphabet in the European Union,
along with Latin and Greek;
Whereas the Bulgarian Caucus in the House of Representa-
tives was formed in June 2002, and the following year
a Friendship Group with the United States was formed
in the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria;
Whereas recognizing and celebrating Bulgarian-American
Heritage Month provides an opportunity for all Ameri-
cans to gain a deeper appreciation of Bulgarian culture
and history; and
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•HRES 281 IH
Whereas it is fitting and proper that March 2025 be observed
as Bulgarian-American Heritage Month throughout the
United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) urges the people of the United States to ac-2
knowledge ‘‘Bulgarian-American Heritage Month’’ 3
and to observe the month with appropriate events 4
and activities; 5
(2) recognizes the enduring partnership between 6
the United States of America and the Republic of 7
Bulgaria as friends, strategic partners, and allies; 8
(3) reaffirms the significance of intensifying co-9
operation in innovations, research, and high tech-10
nologies; 11
(4) recognizes the significant contributions of 12
Bulgarian-Americans to the United States; 13
(5) recognizes that the Bulgarian-American cul-14
ture and heritage strengthens and enriches the di-15
versity of the United States; and 16
(6) looks forward to continued collaboration be-17
tween the United States and Bulgaria in advancing 18
shared interests in the years ahead. 19
Æ
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