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Rep Anna Eshoo

Eshoo Statement on Assyrian Remembrance Day

August 7, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), the only Member of Congress of Assyrian descent,released the following statement to commemorate Assyrian Remembrance Day:

"Today on Assyrian Remembrance Day we commemorate the Assyrian Genocide by praying for the victims and recommitting ourselves to ensuring that such an atrocity never happens again. As the only Member of Congress of Assyrian descent, I know what the Assyrian people have endured because it is the story of my family. My grandparents fled the Middle East with their children to escape persecution simply because of their religion," said Eshoo. "For too long, the international community has failed to recognize the atrocities perpetrated against my ancestors for what they were: genocide. I worked for over two decades to pass a House resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and I insisted the Resolution recognize the hundreds of thousands of Assyrian victims. When it finally passed in 2019 it ended over 100 years of official U.S. silence, and it was one of the defining moments of my service in Congress.

"Now, I'm building on that progress by working to pass H.Res.550, which specifically recognizes the Assyrian Genocide. This resolution honors the memories of those who perished and helps ensure that future generations never forget these horrors."


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