[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 72 (Thursday, May 26, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S6011]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
millions of Americans of Asian and Pacific heritage for their 
significant contributions and service to strengthen this great Nation, 
and to join the Nation in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage 
Month.
  First, I would like to take this opportunity to recall the pioneers 
of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Through their vision and 
leadership, Frank Horton, Norman Y. Mineta, Daniel Inouye, and Spark 
Matsunaga successfully empowered Asian and Pacific Islander Americans 
by establishing a period of celebration that recognized the many 
contributions Asian and Pacific Islanders have made for over a century.
  They chose May to commemorate Asian Pacific Heritage Month because 
that is when the first Japanese immigrants came to the United States in 
1843. It is also the anniversary of the completion of the 
transcontinental railroad in 1869.
  This year's theme for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, 
``Liberty and Freedom for All,'' honors the remarkable accomplishments 
Asians and Pacific Islanders from all walks of life have made to their 
communities.
  I want to pay particular tribute to the thousands of Asian Americans 
serving in our armed forces and thank them for their invaluable service 
for defending our country and securing freedom abroad.
  The Asian American tradition of U.S. military service can be traced 
back as far as the War of 1812, and our country is grateful for the 
military service of more than 300,000 Asian Pacific American veterans.
  We are particularly indebted to the famous ``Go for Broke'' 442nd 
regimental combat team of Japanese American soldiers of World War II. 
The 442nd regiment was the most highly decorated unit in American 
military history--with more than 21 Medal of Honor winners, including 
my dear colleague, U.S. Senator Inouye.
  In spite of the discrimination and racism of those tumultuous times, 
these Asian American service members performed above and beyond the 
call of duty.
  I also want to take a moment and honor the memory of one of the Asian 
American community's greatest political leaders and a trusted colleague 
of mine, U.S. Representative Robert Matsui.
  As a youth, Bob Matsui and his family were interned at Tule Lake Camp 
for more than three years during World War II, but Bob overcame these 
challenges to go on and pursue a distinguished career in public 
service. One of Bob's most significant legacies was his work prompting 
the U.S. government to make amends with Japanese Americans who were 
interned during World War II. It was due to Bob's dedication and 
perseverance that the U.S government finally issued a formal apology 
for the Japanese-American internment program and also provided due 
compensation to the victims of this policy.
  In tribute to his outstanding achievements, Senator Boxer and I 
helped name the Federal courthouse in Bob's hometown of Sacramento in 
his honor. His work and his legacy will be fondly remembered and he 
serves as a shining example of the extraordinary achievements of Asian 
and Pacific Islander Americans.
  This year, the Asian American community also saw the passing of the 
civil rights leader, Fred Korematsu. Mr. Korematsu's defiance of the 
ill-conceived Japanese internment policy during World War II was an 
incredibly courageous act. His challenge of the Japanese internment 
policy made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court in the 
land. In recognition of his courageous actions, President Clinton 
awarded Mr. Korematsu the highest civilian honor, the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom, in 1998.
  Mr. Korematsu and Bob Matsui are testaments to the remarkable display 
of courage, will, and determination of millions of Asian Americans to 
succeed in our country despite personal hardships and at times, 
discrimination.
  Currently, Asian Pacific Islander Americans constitute one of the 
fastest growing minority communities in the United States, and I am 
proud to recognize the State of California as home to the greatest 
number of Asian Pacific Islander Americans. There are over 13 million 
Asian Pacific Islander Americans in the nation with more than 4.5 
million living in California.
  With this wealth of Asian American diversity, our State is enriched 
by many famous ethnic enclaves such as San Francisco's Chinatown, 
Westminster's Little Saigon, and the City of Artesia's Little India. In 
fact, the second largest populations of Filipino, Korean, and 
Vietnamese in the world are located in California.
  In this congressional session, I am hoping to help preserve some of 
the unique Asian American immigration history in my State. Senator 
Boxer and I have introduced legislation to help provide Federal funding 
for the Angel Island Immigration Station, known as the ``Ellis Island 
of the West.''
  The Angel Island Immigration Station, a national historic landmark, 
was the entry point for over 1 million immigrants from 1910-1940, 
including approximately 175,000 Chinese immigrants. Angel Island is a 
precious part of our Nation's history and tells the story of many 
people who came to America to make a better life for their families.
  As we join the Nation in celebrating the rich and diverse Asian and 
Pacific Island cultures during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, 
we are not only recognizing many notable achievements, but we are also 
reminded of the struggles and sacrifices endured to live and experience 
the American dream.
  I am pleased to take this time today to honor the distinguished 
accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans during this year's Asian 
Pacific American Heritage Month.

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