[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 10, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           IN HONOR OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2005

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today joining my many colleagues in 
celebrating and observing Mayas Asian Pacific American Heritage month. 
Nearly 17 percent of my constituents in California's 14th Congressional 
District self-identify as being of Asian, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 
descent and it's an honor to join them in a celebration of their 
heritage and culture.
  Since the early 1800's, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have 
played a crucial role in the development of our Nation. From the 
building of the transcontinental railroads, to the heroic contributions 
during the Civil War, to the sacrifices made by those wrongfully 
imprisoned in internment camps during World War II, Asian Americans 
have made lasting contributions to all facets of American society. I 
have a great appreciation for the broad ethnic mosaic which makes our 
country great, and it's especially important this month that we 
recognize and pay tribute to the contributions of the Asian and Pacific 
Islander American community to our country.
  I'm proud to work with my colleagues to address issues of special 
concern to the Asian and Pacific Islander American community: 
protecting Social Security, ensuring equal access to healthcare, 
providing for a quality education, and safeguarding civil rights. These 
are the principles that reflect this year's theme of ``Liberty and 
Freedom for All.''
  I want to particularly pay tribute to three fallen heroes in the 
Asian and Pacific Islander American community this year: my dear friend 
and colleague Representative Bob Matsui, Dr. John B. Tsu, and Fred 
Korematsu. These extraordinary men stood for equality, justice, and 
freedom for all Americans and I join my colleagues in remembering their 
unparalleled legacies.
  It would be impossible to name every single extraordinary Asian 
American in California's 14th Congressional District, but I do want to 
recognize some of the outstanding community leaders, elected officials 
and activists I'm proud to call my constituents and friends: Alice 
Bulos, State Chair of the Filipino Caucus; Yamei Lee, leader and 
activist within the Taiwanese Community; Karyl Matsumoto, member of the 
South San Francisco City Council; the late Cpl. Burnrok Lee, a 
Sunnyvale resident who lost his life serving our country in Iraq; the 
late Iris Chang, author of ``The Rape of Nanking''; Jessica Yu, Academy 
Award winner for the documentary film ``Breathing Lessons''; Margaret 
Abe-Koga, former member of the Santa Clara County Board of Education; 
Paul Fong, professor of political science at Evergreen Valley College 
and a local business owner; Randy Okamura, SBC's director of Regulatory 
and Constituency Relations for California; Michael Chang, former city 
of Cupertino councilmember; Dean Chu, mayor of the city of Sunnyvale; 
Otto Lee, city of Sunnyvale councilmember; Homer Tong, chemistry 
teacher at De Anza College and member of the Fremont Union High School 
District Board of Trustees; Pearl Cheng, former president and current 
member of the Cupertino Union School District Board of Trustees; Joyce 
Iwasaki, Director of Community Affairs for Sugimura & Associates 
Architects, founder of the Ed Iwasaki Memorial Fund Scholarship Project 
and the Midori Kai Professional Women's Group; Patrick Kwok, mayor of 
the city of Cupertino; Kris Wang, city of Cupertino councilmember; 
Arthur Fong, recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Avenidas 
who has endowed scholarships at Stanford and UC Berkeley and has also 
focused on philanthropic support for health care and the Palo Alto 
Medical Foundation; Yoriko Kishimoto, city of Palo Alto councilmember; 
Aileen Kao, city of Saratoga councilmember; Jerry Yang, CEO of Yahoo, 
Inc.; Kathryn Ho, member of the Fremont Union High School District 
Board of Trustees; Mark Shu, vice president of Hambrecht & Quist Asia; 
Talin Shu, president of Hambrecht & Quist Asia; T.N. Ho, member of the 
Santa Clara County Board of Education; Ben Liao, member of the 
Cupertino Union School District Board of Trustees; Hsing Kung, 
President and CEO of Pine Photonics Communications; Ken Fong, CEO of 
CloneTech; David Mineta, member of the Jefferson Union High School 
District Board of Trustees and associate director of Asian American 
Recovery Services for San Mateo County; Karen Leong Clancy, member of 
the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District Board of Trustees; Judge 
Erica R. Yew, Santa Clara County Superior Court; Margaret M. Abe, 
community leader and activist and 2004 recipient of the Norman Y. 
Mineta Lifetime Achievement Award; Cynthia Chang, member of the Los 
Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees; 
Yoshihiro Uchida, president of Uchida Enterprises, Inc. and community 
leader; Nancy Hatamiya, chief of staff to Assemblymember Pedro Naba 
with over 15 years of public service; Lon Hatamiya, secretary of the 
California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency; Alfred Chuang, 
founder, president and CEO of BEA Systems; Emily Cheng, first female 
Chinese American mayor of a city in the Bay Area, Los Altos Hills; and 
Art Takahara, former mayor and councilmember of the city of Mountain 
View and CEO of De Anza Manufacturing Services.

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