[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 530 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 530
Recognizing 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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 24, 2018
Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr.
Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Casey, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms.
Duckworth, Ms. Harris, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mr.
Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Schatz, Mr.
Schumer, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Heller) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing 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.
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 Bureau of the Census, the Asian American population
grew faster than any other racial or ethnic group over the last decade,
surging nearly 72 percent between 2000 and 2015;
Whereas there are approximately 21,000,000 residents of the United States who
identify themselves as Asian and approximately 1,500,000 residents of
the United States who identify themselves as Native Hawaiian or other
Pacific Islander, making up nearly 6 percent of the total population of
the United States;
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 2018 marks several important milestones for the Asian American and
Pacific Islander community, including--
(1) the 120th anniversary of United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 169 U.S.
649 (1898), a Supreme Court decision that determined that the 14th
Amendment grants birthright citizenship to all persons born in the United
States, regardless of the national origin of their parents;
(2) the 75th anniversary of the Act entitled ``An Act to repeal the
Chinese Exclusion Acts, to establish quotas, and for other purposes'',
approved December 17, 1943 (commonly known as the ``Magnuson Act of 1943'')
(57 Stat. 600, chapter 344), which formally repealed the Act entitled ``An
Act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese'', approved
May 6, 1882 (commonly known as the ``Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882'') (22
Stat. 58, chapter 126);
(3) the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Liberties Act of
1988 (50 U.S.C. 4211 et seq.), which granted reparations to Japanese
Americans incarcerated during World War II; and
(4) the 25th anniversary of the enactment of Public Law 103-150 (107
Stat. 1510), which acknowledged the 100th anniversary of the January 17,
1893, overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and offered an apology to Native
Hawaiians on behalf of the United States;
Whereas Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made significant
contributions to the United States at all levels of the Federal
Government and the United States Armed Forces, including--
(1) 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 the history of the
United States;
(2) Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian American Congressman;
(3) Patsy T. Mink, the first woman of color and Asian American woman to
be elected to Congress;
(4) Hiram L. Fong, the first Asian American Senator; and
(5) Daniel K. Akaka, the first Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry;
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 63 Members this year, including 17 Members of
Asian or Pacific Islander descent;
Whereas, in 2018, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are serving in State and
Territorial legislatures across the United States in record numbers,
including in--
(1) the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia,
Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah,
Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia; and
(2) the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands;
Whereas the commitment of the United States to diversity in the judiciary has
been demonstrated by the nominations of high-caliber Asian American and
Pacific Islander jurists at all levels of the Federal bench;
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, and history of, and to understand the challenges faced
by, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(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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