Whereas the United States joins together each May to pay
tribute to the contributions of generations of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders who have enriched the Nation’s history;
Whereas the history of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders in the United States is inextricably tied to the story of the
Nation;
Whereas the Asian American and Pacific Islander community
is an inherently diverse population, comprised of over 45 distinct ethnicities
and over 100 language dialects;
Whereas the United States Census Bureau found that the
Asian American population grew faster than any other racial or ethnic group
over the last decade, surging nearly 46 percent between 2000 and 2010, a growth
rate 4 times faster than the total United States population;
Whereas the 2010 Census estimated that there are now
17,300,000 United States residents who identify as Asian, and 1,200,000 United
States residents who identify themselves as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific
Islander, making up nearly 6 percent of the total United States
population;
Whereas the month of May was selected for Asian/Pacific
American Heritage Month due to the following two historical events, first, May
7, 1843, when the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States, and
second, May 10, 1869, when, with substantial contributions from Chinese
immigrants, the first transcontinental railroad was completed;
Whereas the year 2012 marks several important historic
milestones for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including 20
years since the formal establishment of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month,
30 years since the unpunished murder of Vincent Chin, 70 years since the
signing of Executive Order 9066 which authorized the Japanese American
internment, 100 years since the planting of the first cherry blossoms from
Japan, 130 years since the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and
150 years since the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 that promoted the construction
of the transcontinental railroad;
Whereas section 102 of title 36, United States Code,
officially designates May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and
requests the President to issue each year a proclamation calling on the people
of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities;
Whereas the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, a
bicameral caucus of Members of Congress advocating on behalf of Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders, is composed of a record high 41 Members this year,
including Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, the highest
ranking Asian American in United States history;
Whereas today, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are
serving in State legislatures across the Nation, in States as diverse as
Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, New
Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and
Washington;
Whereas the number of Asian American and Pacific Islander
Article III judges has doubled over the past 3 years, reflecting a commitment
to diversity in the Federal judiciary that has resulted in the confirmations of
high caliber Asian American and Pacific Islander judicial nominees;
Whereas there still remains much to be done to ensure that
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have access to resources, a voice in the
United States Government, and continue to advance in the Nation’s political
landscape; and
Whereas celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
provides the people of the United States with an opportunity to recognize the
achievements, contributions, history, and address the challenges faced by Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)recognizes the significance of
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the
significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the
Nation’s history; and
(2)recognizes that
Asian American and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of
the United States and strengthen the Nation.