SR0700 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0700 LRB104 21082 LAW 35214 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Assyrian people, a Semitic community who also identify as Chaldeans and Syriacs, are the indigenous people of Mesopotamia in what is now modern-day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran who possess a history dating back to ancient times; and

WHEREAS, The Assyrian people have faced systematic persecution in their ancestral homeland, including the Assyrian Genocide of 1915, which claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands, and the Simele Massacre of 1933, where thousands were killed by the Iraqi Army; and

WHEREAS, The Assyrian community in the United States numbers nearly half a million people, with approximately 100,000 residing in Illinois, the largest concentration in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Assyrian Americans have shared their rich culture and traditions with neighbors and friends while also serving as model citizens and public servants; and

WHEREAS, The Assyrian people have made significant contributions to Illinois and the United States through their achievements in the arts, business, media, law, politics, education, medicine, architecture, engineering, and other fields, enriching the cultural and economic fabric of this State and the nation; and

WHEREAS, The Assyrian New Year, known in ancient times as Akitu and traditionally celebrated on the first of April, marks the arrival of spring and symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and the enduring spirit of the Assyrian people; and

WHEREAS, The Chicago Assyrian community has expressed plans to proudly commemorate the Assyrian New Year 6776 with a series of vibrant three-day festivals throughout the City of Chicago and the Village of Skokie, where the largest condensed Assyrian population resides, in April 2026; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare April 2026 as Assyrian Heritage Month in the State of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we commend the Assyrian community in Illinois for their enduring contributions, resilience, and cultural heritage.