State Senator Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) and State Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) will join advocates to announce the formation of the Illinois Assyrian Caucus on Wednesday.

"Illinois is the most welcoming state in the nation and home to hundreds of diverse ethnic communities," Villivalam said. "Together, we can elevate the voices of our Assyrian-American neighbors and partner in a united effort in addressing the issues their community faces."

The Illinois Assyrian Caucus will bring together members of the General Assembly to advocate for Illinois' Assyrian community by providing a unified platform to educate the public on Assyrian-American identities and issues. Illinois is the first in the nation to establish a statewide caucus on Assyrian issues.

"Assyrian-Americans deserve a voice in state government and the formation of the Illinois Assyrian Caucus is an important step in ensuring that this vibrant, unique community is heard," Gong-Gershowitz said. "I'm proud that Illinois is leading the way with the first statewide caucus on Assyrian issues in the nation."

Assyrians are a transnational ethnic group indigenous to parts of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. They form a distinctive community, united through ethnicity, language and culture. The U.S. is home to more than 600,000 Assyrian-Americans with upwards of 80,000 residing in Illinois.

"We are thrilled to see the formation of the Illinois Assyrian Caucus in the Illinois General Assembly," said Atour Sargon, Village of Lincolnwood Trustee and Vice Chair of the Assyrian Policy Institute. "This caucus will lead to heightened visibility for Assyrian-Americans in Illinois and a better understanding of our community's unique needs. We're grateful that our leaders in Springfield are signaling that the Assyrian-American community is a priority, and we look forward to working with them and other community stakeholders to expand caucus membership and elevate the voices of Assyrian-Americans across Illinois."