[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 338 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 338

 Recognizing the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 
in May as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions 
 of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United 
                                States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 18, 2017

 Ms. Judy Chu of California (for herself, Ms. Meng, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. 
  Ted Lieu of California, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Takano, Mr. Sablan, Ms. 
Gabbard, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Schiff, Ms. Speier, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Lee, Ms. 
   Matsui, Mr. Peters, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Scott of 
  Virginia, Ms. Hanabusa, and Mrs. Davis of California) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
                         and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 
in May as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions 
 of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United 
                                States.

Whereas the people of the United States join together each May to pay tribute to 
        the contributions of generations of Asian Americans and Pacific 
        Islanders who have enriched the history of the United States;
Whereas the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United 
        States is inextricably tied to the story of the United States;
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 according to the United States Census Bureau, 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 there are approximately 21 million residents of the United States who 
        identify themselves as Asian and approximately 1.5 million residents of 
        the United States who identify themselves as Native Hawaiian or 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 
        because the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States on 
        May 7, 1843, and the first transcontinental railroad was completed on 
        May 10, 1869, with substantial contributions from Chinese immigrants;
Whereas section 102 of title 36, United States Code, officially designates May 
        as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and requests the President to 
        issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States 
        to observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and 
        activities;
Whereas 2017 marks several important milestones for the Asian American and 
        Pacific Islander community, including the--

    (1) 135th anniversary of the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 
1882, which barred the entry of Chinese immigrants to the United States for 
more than half a century and spurred a series of anti-immigrant policies 
targeting immigration from the Asia-Pacific region;

    (2) 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066, which 
authorized the incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry 
during World War II;

    (3) 35th anniversary of the murder of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American 
man beaten to death in Michigan by two White men angered by layoffs in the 
auto industry;

    (4) 25th anniversary of Public Law 102-450, which designated the month 
of May as ``Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month''; and

    (5) 10th anniversary of the creation of the Asian American and Native 
American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions program, which was 
authorized under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007;

Whereas Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as Daniel K. Inouye, a Medal 
        of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient who, as President 
        Pro Tempore of the Senate, was the highest-ranking Asian American 
        government official in United States history, Dalip Singh Saund, the 
        first Asian American Congressman, Patsy T. Mink, the first woman of 
        color and Asian American woman to be elected to Congress, Hiram L. Fong, 
        the first Asian American Senator, Daniel K. Akaka, the first Senator of 
        Native Hawaiian ancestry, Norman Y. Mineta, the first Asian American 
        member of a Presidential cabinet, and others have made significant 
        contributions in both our government and military;
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 50 Members this year, including 17 Members of 
        Asian or Pacific Islander descent;
Whereas in 2017, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are serving in State and 
        Territorial legislatures across the United States in record numbers, 
        including in the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, 
        Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, 
        New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, 
        Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, 
        West Virginia, and in the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the 
        Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
Whereas the number of Asian American and Pacific Islander Article III judges 
        more than tripled between 2009 and 2017, 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 remains much to be done to ensure that Asian Americans and Pacific 
        Islanders have access to resources and a voice in the Government of the 
        United States and continue to advance in the political landscape of the 
        United States; 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 to understand the challenges faced by Asian 
        Americans and Pacific Islanders: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, 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 history of the United States; and
            (2) recognizes that Asian American and Pacific Islander 
        communities enhance the rich diversity of and strengthen the 
        United States.
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