This House resolution supports designating the month of January as "Tamil Language and Heritage Month." It recognizes Tamil language and culture, notes the Pongal harvest festival, and highlights contributions of Tamil Americans. The resolution cites Tamil's long history (more than 2,600 years), archaeological finds at Keeladi, the language's official status in three countries, the estimate that over 80,000,000 people speak Tamil worldwide and about 360,000 in the United States as of 2023, and several important Tamil literary works. The measure was introduced on January 14, 2025, by Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi and others and was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
If adopted by the House, this resolution would express official House support for calling January "Tamil Language and Heritage Month." It recognizes the role of Tamil Americans in U.S. cultural life, acknowledges the importance of the Pongal festival, and encourages Americans to learn about Tamil history, language, and contributions.
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The resolution describes reasons to recognize Tamil Language and Heritage Month, including: Tamil is one of the world’s longest-surviving classical languages with a traceable history exceeding 2,600 years; archaeological work at Keeladi shows evidence of an ancient urban civilization; Tamil is an official language in three countries and is spoken by over 80,000,000 people worldwide and about 360,000 people in the United States as of 2023; the Pongal festival in mid-January celebrates the harvest and Tamil arts; and classical Tamil literary works (for example, Thirukkural and Silappatikaram) reflect enduring values and have been widely translated. The resolution also notes that several U.S. states have made proclamations recognizing Tamil heritage.
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