[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E914-E915]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           A TRIBUTE TO ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 2004

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Asian Pacific 
American Heritage Month and to commend the millions of Asian Americans 
who have contributed so much to make this a great nation. I am 
fortunate to have the great privilege to represent the ethnically 
diverse 12th Congressional District of California that has one of the 
largest populations of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States and 
the largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines. -
  This month we celebrate the many Asian and Pacific Islander cultures 
that enrich our community. The Asian Pacific American community is 
quite diverse and includes some two-dozen distinct ethnic groups who 
came to this country from around the world. Their diverse cultures come 
together under a common umbrella and their presence in my community 
adds a wonderfully distinct flavor. I would be remiss to selfishly 
consider the impact on San Francisco and San Mateo alone, because the 
nation as a whole have benefited from the assimilation of the Asian 
Pacific American population.
   We know the architecture of I. M. Pei and Maya Lin, we see the 
reporting of Connie Chung and Ann Curry, we listen to the music of Yo 
Yo Ma, we watch the movies of Lucy Liu and Pat Morita, we cheer Kristi 
Yamaguchi and Greg Louganis at the Olympics.
   Our lives have been made easier with companies like Yahoo! Inc. and 
Computer Associates, founded by Jerry Yang and Charles Wang, 
respectively. George Artani wanted to make a better stereo system and 
succeeded when he founded, now the most popular electronics producer, 
Kenwood. Military life has also proven conducive to many in the 
community, and many have excelled. Major General Antonio Taguba exposed 
the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal, and General Eric K. Shinseki 
became the Chief of Staff for the Army in 1999.
   The advanced strides can be measured in the heights reached by the 
public officials. In government we depend on the leaders like San 
Francisco Supervisor Fiona Ma, our distinguished colleagues in the 
Senate, Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, U.S. Secretary of 
Transportation Norman Mineta, and here in the House of Representatives, 
my good friends from California, Robert Matsui and Mike Honda. Sec. 
Mineta also represented California for 20 years before becoming the 
first Asian American to be appointed to a cabinet-level position when 
he was appointed Secretary of Commerce by President Clinton.
   Our appreciation of their culture has come full circle. Today we 
celebrate, but in the not too distant past, racist and nativist 
sentiments met the newest immigrants with severe prejudice. Many who 
came faced strict quotas and unfair immigration laws, and suffered 
horrible prejudice and barbarous discrimination.
   Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, we interned 114,000 persons of 
Japanese descent, whether or not they were citizens. In San Francisco, 
7,800 Japanese Americans were rounded up, taken to the Tanforan 
Racetrack in San Bruno and housed in the stables. ``Relocation Camps'' 
were built, but as President Roosevelt's Secretary of the Interior 
Harold Ickes described them, they were nothing more than concentration 
camps.
   Although interned by their country, many Japanese heroes fought for 
the freedom that their government took from them. The 442nd Regimental 
Combat Team was a regiment made up of persons of Japanese descent from 
the continental U.S. and Hawaii. The unit became the most decorated 
unit for its size in U.S. history. The Honorable Daniel Inouye earned 
the Medal of Honor fighting for the 442nd.
   The Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934 gave the Philippines its 
independence, but reclassified Filipinos as aliens rather than 
citizens, and reduced the amount of people who could legally immigrate 
to 50 per year. President Roosevelt used the Tydings-McDuffie Act to 
conscript the Filipino army into service against Japan. After fighting 
so courageously for our government, in 1946 Congress denied them the 
benefits that all other veterans received, especially disabled 
veterans. Today I am trying to correct this injustice and have 
cosponsored H.R. 664 to give Filipino Americans residing as a legal 
alien, or citizens of the U.S. the same health and pension benefits 
that all other veterans of World War II receive.
   Since 1977, the month of May has been set aside to celebrate Asian 
Pacific American Heritage Month. This is the time that we can renew our 
focus on the problems that face the Asian Pacific American community, 
problems like affordable housing, immigration concerns, and racial 
profiling, and we can celebrate the accomplishments of the community.
   I would like to thank my colleague Mr. Mike Honda for his leadership 
on the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and on H.R. 56, 
supporting the goals of the Japanese American, German American and 
Italian American communities in recognizing of a National Day of 
Remembrance, of which I am also a cosponsor.
   Their vibrant community and array of perspectives have been firmly 
woven into the fabric of America. I am extremely proud to serve

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so many Asian Pacific Americans as their Congressman.

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