[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 3, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CELEBRATING ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2005

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the contributions made by 
Asian Pacific Americans. May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 
and a time when every American should acknowledge the important role of 
Asian Pacific Americans in building our great nation.
  The 7th Congressional District in Washington State, which I 
represent, is home to more than 78,000 Asian Americans, the largest 
minority group in the district comprising over 13% of the population. 
Today, Seattle is home to a rich and ethnically diverse cultural weave 
of Japanese, Asian Indian, Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Cambodian, 
Laotian, Hmong, Vietnamese, Pacific Islanders and other Asian 
Americans.
  The 1880 U.S. Census records the first resident of Japanese descent 
in the state of Washington. Over the next 150 years, Asian Americans 
contributed to our state and nation in many ways. In 1963, Wing Luke 
became the first Chinese American elected to the Seattle City Council, 
and today a museum is named in his honor. There were other triumphs: 
Ruby Chow was the first Chinese American woman elected locally and Gary 
Locke was the first Chinese American elected Governor. Many Asian 
Americans serve today in the Washington State Legislature, other local 
elected offices, key leadership roles in civic organizations, business 
and industry.
  Asian American role models come from all walks of life. Like other 
ethnic populations, Asian Americans had to persevere against prejudice, 
racial injustice and discrimination. When they immigrated, they worked 
in the mines and Alaskan canneries, logged the forests, were the first 
non-Native fishermen, and farmed the land. Up until World War II, 
Japanese Americans supplied nearly three-quarters of western 
Washington's fruits and vegetables.
  The war marked a turning point. Internment camps, including one near 
Seattle, were a stain on America's conscience and it took four decades 
before we acknowledged the mistake, and the suffering inflicted on 
thousands of innocent Asian Americans. We learned a lot during World 
War II, about the courage and patriotism of Asian Americans, and about 
our own shortcomings in letting fear overtake reason at a time of world 
conflict. In a small but important way, naming a federal courthouse in 
Seattle after William Nakamura, a Japanese American Medal of Honor 
winner, was a statement about America being stronger because of Asian 
Americans.
  In Seattle, we proudly celebrate Asian Pacific American culture and 
heritage, from the Vietnamese Tet in Seattle Lunar New Year celebration 
to other local cultural festivals. We also honor Asian Pacific 
Americans by preserving the ethnic heritage of our citizens. Places 
like the Wing Luke Asian Museum, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, the 
Filipino American National Historical Society, and Densho: The Japanese 
American Legacy Project keep us in touch with the roots of our 
neighbors. These wonderful resources proudly recall the past and 
proudly inspire the future.
  By celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we honor the 
spirit of America as a nation of immigrants. By honoring Asian Pacific 
Americans, we honor Americans from every ethnic background. This 
celebration reminds us that America is a melting pot where we retain 
our ethnic heritage even as we assimilate the American experience. It 
is what makes America strong. It is what makes America the destination 
for people willing to risk their lives floating in rafts in the ocean 
to reach this great land. Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage 
Month.

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