Deborah patterno obit yorktown3/31/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Abourezk told The New York Times in Havana. “Sports is noncontroversial, and this should do a lot for normalization of relations,” Mr. The same year, he organized an almost comically unusual good-will trip to Cuba for a delegation of South Dakota college basketball players to compete against the Cuban national team. He questioned the legality of a ban on selling or distributing material that might not be considered obscene. In 1977, he was a lone dissenter in an 85-to-1 vote on an amendment concerning child pornography. Abourezk was content to oppose most other senators - or even the entire rest of the chamber. That measure continues to draw praise, even from tribal representatives and legal advocates who say it did not go far enough. The laws that resulted included the 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, which granted tribes more autonomy in administering government programs, and the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which established controls on the adoption of Indigenous children by white families. He proposed the establishment of the American Indian Policy Review Commission, which studied legislative possibilities to address problems in that community. His biggest achievements as a senator concerned support for Native Americans. “One comment I constantly heard from people was that, ‘I don’t agree much with Abourezk, but by God, he’s honest.’”Īfter leaving the Senate, he served as counsel for the Iranian Embassy and founded the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Abourezk attributed his success to his reputation as “more populist than liberal or leftist, a brand of politician that resonates with people from South Dakota,” he told The Capital Journal, a South Dakota newspaper, in 2013. After he stepped down, Larry Pressler, a Republican, succeeded him and served for nearly 20 years. Abourezk’s victory came as a surprise nevertheless: A Democrat had not occupied that House seat since the era of Franklin D. Kneip, and its other senator was the progressive standard-bearer George McGovern. Abourezk won a race for South Dakota’s second district seat in the House, the state’s newly elected governor was a fellow Democrat, Richard F. He was a left winger from a generally conservative rural state and a politician who gave up the chance for re-election to focus on pursuing the political objectives he believed in, rather than those supported by his party, his constituents or even, in some cases, most Americans. Abourezk (pronounced AB-ur-esk) was a double novelty for a senator. His daughter Alya James Abourezk confirmed the death. James Abourezk, who was elected by South Dakotans as the first Arab American senator, and who used his prominence to support the causes of Palestinians and Native Americans while also pushing for friendlier relations with Cuba and Iran, died on Friday, February 24 his 92nd birthday, at his home in Sioux Falls, S.D. In 1977 during his single terms in the House and Senate, he fought on behalf of Palestinians and Native Americans. James Abourezk a Democrat from South Dakota, founded the freedom to act on principle in the House and Senate by choosing not to seek re-election. James Abourezk, the First Arab American Senator, who has passed away at the age of 92. Kfeirians in the Military - Past and Present 1825 - 1950 - Syrian / Lebanese Imigration ![]()
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