[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3151-H3152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ASIAN-PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California [Mr. Matsui] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my colleagues in 
commemorating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month and recognize the 
many achievements and contributions Asian-Pacific Americans have made 
to our country. I would also like to thank my colleague from Hawaii, 
Representative Patsy Mink, for arranging this special order.
  The month of May was permanently designated Asian-Pacific American 
Heritage Month in 1992. Since then, it has become a wonderful 
opportunity to recognize the many ways in which Americans of Asian and 
Pacific Islander descent have enriched our Nation. I would like to take 
this moment to reflect on the diversity and richness that have so 
benefited our country.
  Asian and Pacific Islanders have a rich history in America that spans 
over 150 years. As immigrants Asian and Pacific Islanders brought with 
them unique skills and abilities that enhanced the diversity and 
richness of our society. Asian-Pacific Americans added to the fabric of 
our culture through the sharing of values, customs, and perspectives. 
These same immigrants helped build our rapidly growing Nation during 
the turn of the century, expanding industries and cultivating farmland 
in the West.
  Over the years, the American experience transformed Asian immigrants 
as they have in turn transformed America. We, as a nation of 
immigrants, have shared the same hopes and the same dreams. As a 
diverse people, Asian-Pacific Americans have enriched our national 
character. In every area of society, from the arts to business, people 
of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry have excelled. In the process, 
Asian-Pacific Americans have become an integral part of our country's 
past, and of our country's future.
  As one of the fastest growing groups in the Nation, recent Asian-
Pacific American immigrants infuse a passionate sense of optimism in 
the American dream. America has benefited from their collective energy 
and vision. As these immigrants embrace the ideals and traditions of 
American life, we must also embrace them and the diversity and new 
ideas they

[[Page H3152]]

bring with them. It is clearly in our national interest to extend to 
them the same opportunities and equalities that attracted all of our 
ancestors here.
  Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month is a celebration of our 
heritage and our contributions, but it is also a time for reflection. 
Amid the accomplishments of the past we must also remember the 
struggles and discrimination that Asian-Pacific Americans had to 
overcome. We must use this opportunity to redouble our commitment to 
the goals that have been the cornerstone of our Nation's great 
history--to build a country of equal opportunity and where people of 
all nations would be accepted. Asian-Pacific Americans are said to 
embody the values of hard work, commitment to family, and pursuit of 
education. These are not exclusively Asian values, but values we all 
cherish. During this month of celebration we must strive to uphold 
these ideals, because the celebration of Asian-Pacific American 
Heritage Month is ultimately a celebration of America. Because more 
than anything else, we are all Americans.

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