Amended in Assembly August 18, 2016

Amended in Assembly June 14, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 11, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent ResolutionNo. 45


Introduced by Assembly Member Grove

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chávez, Cooley, Dahle, Dodd, Beth Gaines, Gatto, Lackey, Mathis, Olsen, Patterson, Steinorth, Wagner, Waldron,begin delete and Wilkend deletebegin insert Wilk, Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke, Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chiu, Chu, Cooper, Dababneh, Daly, Eggman, Frazier, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Hadley, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O’Donnell, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Santiago, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Weber, Williams, and Woodend insert)

(Coauthors: Senators Bates and Leno)

March 11, 2015


Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 45—Relative to the Ukrainian Famine of 1932–1933.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 45, as amended, Grove. Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933.

This measure would remember and honor the millions of victims of the man-made Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as “Holodomor,” and their descendants who are living throughout California. The measure would also designate November 26, 2016, as Holodomor Remembrance Day.

Fiscal committee: no.

P2    1WHEREAS, The Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as
2“Holodomor,” was a man-made famine that caused the deaths of
3at least five million innocent men, women, and children in Ukraine,
4resulting in an annihilation of an estimated 25 percent of the rural
5population of that country, one of the most productive agricultural
6areas of the Soviet Union; and

7WHEREAS, This man-made famine also resulted in the deaths
8of an estimated one to two million people in regions outside
9Ukraine, mostly in the largely ethnic Ukrainian North Caucasus
10territory; and

11WHEREAS, These millions of people were starved to death by
12forced agricultural collectivization and grain seizures by the Soviet
13Union; and

14WHEREAS, Western observers and scholars who accurately
15reported on the existence of the famine as it was occurring were
16subjected to disparagement and criticism for their reporting; and

17WHEREAS, The Soviet Union and many scholars in the West
18denied the existence of the famine until the collapse of the Soviet
19Union in 1991 when Soviet Union archives became accessible,
20thereby making the documentation of the premeditated nature of
21the famine and its harsh enforcement possible; and

22WHEREAS, The final report of the U.S. Commission on the
23Ukraine Famine, established on December 13, 1985, concluded
24that the victims were “starved to death in a man-made famine”;
25and

26WHEREAS, Although the famine was one of the greatest losses
27of human life in the 20th century, its occurrence remains
28insufficiently known in the United States and throughout the world;
29and

30WHEREAS, The official recognition of the famine by the
31government of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
32represents a significant step in the reestablishment of Ukraine’s
33national identity and the advancement of efforts to establish a
34democratic and free Ukraine that is fully integrated into the
35Western community of nations; and

P3    1WHEREAS, Whether Ukrainian immigrants were fleeing
2political oppression or religious persecution to pursue better lives
3for themselves and their families, the desire to live in peace and
4enjoy liberty was so valued that it drew generations of Ukrainian
5immigrants to the United States and California in an effort to
6rebuild their lives; and

7WHEREAS, California is now home to the third largest
8Ukrainian-American population in the United States, and
9Ukrainians living in California have enriched our state through
10their leadership and contributions in agriculture, business,
11academia, government, and the arts; and

12WHEREAS, In August 2015, a memorial to the millions who
13perished in the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as
14“Holodomor,” was erected in the United States capital, and the
15dedication ceremony took place on November 7, 2015; now,
16therefore, be it

17Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
18thereof concurring,
That the millions of victims of the man-made
19Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as “Holodomor,” and
20their descendants living throughout California should be solemnly
21remembered and honored; and be it further

22Resolved, That the Legislature designates November 26, 2016,
23as Holodomor Remembrance Day in California and encourages
24individual citizens, educators, businesses, groups, organizations,
25and public institutions to observe Holodomor Remembrance Day
26with appropriate activities designed to honor the victims and
27educate Californians about this tragedy; and be it further

28Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
29of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.



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