[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 57 (Thursday, May 11, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E797]]



                 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2006

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Asian Pacific 
American Heritage Month. I would like to thank Congressman Honda and 
the Asian Pacific American Caucus for organizing a special order 
tonight to honor Asian Pacific Americans and the great contributions 
they have made to our Nation. I would also like to say that I am very 
proud to be a member of the Tri-Caucus, which unites the Congressional 
Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and 
Congressional Black Caucus. Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe in the 
importance of honoring all of our country's unique cultures, and it is 
truly a privilege to participate in this special order.
  Asian Pacific Americans have played a tremendous role in the 
development of our Nation. I would first like to acknowledge the late 
Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink, our first woman of color to serve in 
the U.S. House of Representatives. She was a trailblazer for Asian 
Pacific Americans, and it is wonderful to see that her impact is still 
felt and that her legacy continues.
  As Representative of California's Ninth U.S. Congressional District, 
APA Heritage month is especially important to me. Asian and Pacific 
Island American culture has a very large impact in the cities of my 
district.
  My district is the birthplace of Amy Tan, a Chinese-American woman 
and New York Times bestselling author best known for her novel The Joy 
Luck Club, and it's subsequent film adaptation. She has received 
countless acknowledgments including the Bay Area Book Reviewer's Award. 
Today, Ms. Tan's novels and short stories are a part of high schools 
and universities' literary curricula nationwide.
  My district is also the birthplace of Fred Korematsu, born in Oakland 
to Japanese immigrants, who challenged the World War II internment of 
Japanese American citizens. As an American citizen Mr. Korematsu 
refused to go to an internment camp, but he was arrested, sent to one 
in 1942 and branded a spy by newspapers. He opposed the internment 
policy in the Supreme Court, but in its ignoble 1944 decision the 
Supreme Court upheld the policy. In 1983 Mr. Korematsu appealed his 
conviction, which a Federal court overturned acknowledging that the 
Government's case at the time had been based on misleading and racially 
biased information. President Bill Clinton awarded Mr. Korematsu the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998, honoring Mr. Korematsu for 
fighting for human rights and ensuring the very liberties that created 
this great Nation.
  Today, the legacy of Asian Pacific American leaders such as Ms. Tan 
and Mr. Korematsu is apparent in the numerous remarkable programs and 
initiatives in APA communities throughout my district. There are 
several that I would like to recognize, including Oakland Asian 
Students Educational Services also known as OASES. As the city of 
Oakland is one of three cities in the Bay Area that has the lowest high 
school graduation rates for Asian students, this organization works to 
decrease cultural gaps in education. OASES reaches out to all youth 
with limited resources and limited educational opportunities, 
particularly children of Asian Pacific Islander families.

  I would also like to recognize the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. 
This center works by employing the belief that upholding cultural 
tradition and honoring cultural heritage are at the core of maintaining 
healthy and lively communities. The center presents a variety of 
cultural festivities and artistic expression in dance, literature, 
music and visual arts. The center is an excellent resource for 
understanding the legacy of Asian and Pacific Island Americans and 
their great influence on the cultural identities of our communities.
  My district is also home to several of the nation's leading health 
care providers for APA communities. Asian Community Mental Health 
Services, for example, is an organization that offers access to and 
increases community acceptance of mental healthcare, which in many APA 
communities remains taboo. Asian Health Services is another 
organization that works to ensure that members of APA communities can 
overcome challenges to obtaining high-quality, affordable healthcare 
due to language barriers, income, lack of insurance coverage and 
cultural differences.
  Lastly, I would like to bring special attention to Asian Communities 
for Reproductive Justice (ACRJ) and its Executive Director, Ms. Eveline 
Shen. Founded in 1989, ACRJ has been a longtime leader in ensuring that 
APA women and girls are equipped with the tools to make important 
decisions about their reproductive health. Under the leadership of Ms. 
Shen, ACRJ places reproductive health and freedom at the center of 
promoting social and economic freedom for APA women in the shadows of 
patriarchal cultures. During her nearly two decades of community 
organizing and eight years at ACRJ, Ms. Shen has become a leader in 
building a social justice movement in APA communities, which is one of 
the fastest growing constituencies in California and in my district. I 
commend Ms. Shen and ACRJ's dedication to assisting APA women to obtain 
the American promise of ``liberty and justice for all.''
  As our Nation is home to so many people from all over the world, it 
is important that we continue to bring attention to the issues that 
affect all communities. It is our responsibility to ensure that no one 
is ignored and that equal attention is given to all groups. It is also 
our duty to seek justice for those who are underrepresented. And, 
lastly, it is our privilege to come together to celebrate the 
accomplishments of the many leaders throughout Ameican history, who 
have embodied excellence in advancing the principles of democracy, 
freedom and justice for all of our communities and strengthening the 
foundation of America.
  Mr. Speaker, again I would like to thank Mr. Honda and the APA Caucus 
for inviting me to participate in this special order. Let us continue 
to unite, pay tribute to Asian Pacific Americans and remember the 
importance their outstanding contributions to our Nation.

                          ____________________