[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E928]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2002

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with Mr. Wu, Chairman 
of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and other members 
of the caucus to observe Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I 
commend Mr. Wu for his leadership of the Caucus.
  The theme this year is ``Unity in Freedom.'' In the wake of the 
September 11 terrorist attack, our nation has gained a new sense of 
unity and a new appreciation for our freedoms. Immigrants and ethnic 
groups are a vibrant and vital part of who we are as a country, and we 
must use these challenging times to learn about, and to draw strength 
from, each other.
  Asian Pacific Heritage Month provides us with the opportunity to 
recognize the important contributions of Asian Pacific Americans. In 
the San Francisco Bay Area, we have three exciting projects underway 
that will help educate all Americans on the experiences of immigrants 
from Asia and the Pacific region.
  In the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, plans 
are underway to establish two important links to our past: the Pacific 
Coast Immigration Museum and the Building 640 Interpretive Center. I am 
seeking funding this year to advance these two projects.
  The immigration museum will serve as a western counterpart or 
``bookend'' to the famous Ellis Island Immigration Museum. It will 
celebrate the unique experience of Americans who came to the West Coast 
from Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America and other regions. It 
will be the only museum to present the history of all immigrants who 
settled on the West Coast. The Pacific Coast Museum will also provide 
active linkages to other historical sites and institutions throughout 
the region.
  Building 640 at the Presidio was the site of the original all-Nisei 
language school of the Military Intelligence Service of World War II, 
the forerunner of the famous Defense Language Institute in Monterey. 
While their families were living in internment camps, Japanese 
Americans were trained in Building 640 to assist the U.S. military with 
translation and battlefield interrogation. The interpretive center will 
be dedicated to the Military Intelligence Service and to the 
exploration of the Japanese American experience.
  An important related project is the effort underway to preserve the 
Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay. Congresswoman 
Woolsey is leading the drive to obtain federal funding for Angel 
Island.
  Between 1910 and 1940, hundreds of thousand of immigrants from around 
the world entered the United States through Angel Island. The 
immigration station is best known for the experience of Chinese 
immigrants from 1882 to 1943, when the Chinese Exclusion Act prohibited 
many Chinese from coming to the U.S. and denied citizenship to foreign-
born Chinese. Many Chinese were interned at Angel Island for up to two 
years.
  Together, these three projects offer a way to tell stories of great 
resonance to current and future generations. The contributions of 
people of different origins to our common heritage and our military 
security have never been more relevant.
  I am pleased to have this opportunity today to honor all of the 
contributions of Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.

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