[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 654 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 654

 Recognizing the immense impact that Bruce Jun Fan Lee had on American 
and global popular culture and the important role he played in creating 
  a bridge between cultures, championing values of self-respect, self-
discipline, and tolerance in our Nation, and pioneering and cultivating 
the genres of martial arts, martial arts films, fitness and philosophy 
                  in the United States and the world.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 10, 2012

 Mr. Honda (for himself, Mr. Clarke of Michigan, Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. 
 Sablan, and Ms. Richardson) submitted the following resolution; which 
    was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the immense impact that Bruce Jun Fan Lee had on American 
and global popular culture and the important role he played in creating 
  a bridge between cultures, championing values of self-respect, self-
discipline, and tolerance in our Nation, and pioneering and cultivating 
the genres of martial arts, martial arts films, fitness and philosophy 
                  in the United States and the world.

Whereas Bruce Jun Fan Lee was born in the hour of the Dragon, between 6 and 8 
        a.m., in the year of the Dragon on November 27, 1940, at the Jackson 
        Street Hospital in San Francisco, California's Chinatown;
Whereas Bruce Lee returned to his family's homeland at a young age and 
        experienced firsthand the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese during 
        the World War II years of 1941-1945, and the subsequent hostility and 
        war that shook the continent;
Whereas Bruce Lee was motivated to learn and master the martial art style of 
        Wing Chun Gung Fu in order to gain self confidence and overcome repeated 
        instances of taunting, racism, and gang activity during his youth;
Whereas Bruce Lee's athletic prowess, and his traits of self-discipline and 
        determination, yielded him success in many other competitions, including 
        the 1958 Crown Colony Cha Cha Championship in Hong Kong and the 1958 
        Hong Kong Inter-School Boxing Championship;
Whereas, in April of 1959, with only $100 to his name, Bruce boarded a steamship 
        in the American Presidents Line and began his voyage back to San 
        Francisco in the lower decks of the ship, demonstrating unbelievable 
        courage and belief in America's ability to prosper through hard work;
Whereas Bruce Lee understood the value of education and returned to the United 
        States to fulfill the requirements for the equivalent of high school 
        graduation at Edison Technical School in Seattle, Washington, in 1960 
        while bussing tables and washing dishes to support himself, subsequently 
        enrolling at the University of Washington;
Whereas Bruce Lee respected and honored the culture of America, and undertook 
        learning colloquial English with the same dedication as he had his 
        martial arts training. With a goal of absolute mastery, he applied 
        himself to learning the idiosyncrasies of speech, becoming proficient 
        and fluent to the point of helping American students with their English 
        papers;
Whereas, at the University of Washington Bruce majored in philosophy, his 
        passion for Gung Fu having inspired a desire to delve into the 
        philosophical underpinnings of the arts, and he subsequently lectured on 
        Eastern Philosophy at local high schools and wrote many essays during 
        those years that relate philosophical principles to martial arts 
        techniques;
Whereas Bruce taught the art of Gung Fu to support and pay for his education and 
        he established the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in a friend's basement 
        before expanding to a bigger location in 1963;
Whereas Bruce looked beyond race and background by engaging in an interracial 
        marriage with Seattle local, Linda Emery, in 1964 and later fathered 2 
        biracial children in a family he supported and cared for until his 
        death;
Whereas, in 1965, Bruce's willingness to teach martial arts to non-Chinese 
        individuals as a way to bridge the cultures angered many in the field, 
        and forced him to defend himself and his freedom to teach, but victory 
        in this contest paved the way for a spectacular and revolutionary 
        discovery of blending physical fitness, Gung Fu and street combat into 
        what is now called Jeet Kune Do;
Whereas the artistry and beauty of Jeet Kune Do led Bruce to Hollywood, where he 
        became an authentic face for Chinese Americans and an inspiration to 
        youth across the world, but despite rampant racism, Bruce's strong, 
        intelligent, and powerful persona was a means for optimism and hope for 
        immigrants and fans alike;
Whereas, during the years of 1967-1971, Bruce read and wrote extensively his 
        thoughts about physical combat, the psychology of fighting, the 
        philosophical roots of martial arts, and about motivation, self-
        actualization and liberation of the individual, teachings that are the 
        foundation of Jeet Kune Do, and of his legacy that is studied 
        internationally to this day;
Whereas after suffering a back injury in 1970 and being told he would never do 
        martial arts again, Bruce worked himself back into peak physical and 
        mental condition using his own program of self motivation and physical 
        therapy to recuperate;
Whereas, in the summer of 1971, due to hardships in overcoming stereotypes in 
        Hollywood, Bruce decided to continue to pursue his dream of being an 
        actor and supporting his family by going back to Hong Kong, where he had 
        gained immense fame from his previous work on shows like ``The Green 
        Hornet'' and became a hero in Hong Kong and a representative of a 
        success story for the Chinese community in America and of the honor of 
        both cultures;
Whereas, in 1972, Bruce created his own production company, Concord Films, using 
        the Hollywood studio model for the first time in Hong Kong and began 
        writing, directing, producing, acting in, and choreographing his own 
        films;
Whereas, in 1973, due entirely to his relationships and successes in both 
        nations, Bruce became a household name through the making of ``Enter the 
        Dragon'', the first film ever to bridge the Hong Kong and United States 
        film industries, while overcoming language problems and production 
        difficulties, but providing a viable and hugely successful link between 
        the two countries;
Whereas, on July 20, 1973, Bruce fell into a coma as a result of taking pain 
        medication to combat a minor headache. Unfortunately, Bruce would not 
        live to see the opening of his film, ``Enter the Dragon'', nor would he 
        experience the accumulated success of almost 40 years of all his films' 
        popularity;
Whereas the popularity of Bruce's films sparked a national and international 
        interest in the study of the martial arts and the genre of the martial 
        arts action film, creating a proliferation of films and schools, and 
        inspiring many youths to become more physically fit and philosophically 
        minded in their daily lives;
Whereas Bruce Lee has been remembered today in many ways, having been named one 
        of Time magazine's 100 most important people of the 20th century, given 
        a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, and honored on postage stamps in 8 
        countries around the world;
Whereas even after Bruce Lee's death, the Bruce Lee Foundation, a nonprofit 
        501(c)(3) tax exempt organization formed by his wife and daughter, 
        enriches lives, open minds, and breaks down barriers through the active 
        proliferation of Bruce Lee's legacy of undaunted optimism in the face of 
        adversity, unwavering humanism, mental and physical perseverance, and 
        inspirational presence of mind toward the betterment of our global 
        community; and
Whereas the Bruce Lee Foundation also applies the legacy of Bruce Lee to the 
        present day global community, showing how relevant Bruce Lee, his 
        teachings, his thoughts, and his example still are today through their 
        scholarship program, educational programs and their goal of building the 
        Bruce Lee Action Museum (BLAM), an educational facility geared toward 
        looking at how actions can change and mold our lives for the better: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the life and impact of Bruce Jun Fan Lee, an 
        American success story whose legacy of persistence and honor 
        resonates and inspires millions of citizens today; and
            (2) recognizes the profound importance of Bruce Lee's 
        teachings as a catalyst for popular culture and Chinese 
        American history in the United States.
                                 <all>