On February 1, 2017, District 17 Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, Jr. was the Primary sponsor of Resolution 1358-2017, recognizing April 12th annually as Garifuna Heritage Day in the City of New York. 

April 12 commemorates the anniversary of the arrival and settlement of the 2,026 Garifuna Ancestors forcibly deported by the British from their homeland Yurumein to the island of Roatan, Honduras, where the ships landed on April 12, 1797. 

This commemoration is the culmination of Garifuna Heritage Month in New York, which promotes greater knowledge of and interest for the heritage, culture, and contribution of Garifuna people to the development of society.