[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H3783-H3784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN SUPPORT OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
(Mr. WU asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Asian Pacific American
Heritage Month, and some of the things I
[[Page H3784]]
want to talk about are personal and some are of a public policy nature.
I never cease to admire the courage of my parents in bringing our
family to this country, to a new country, a new language, a new
culture. And interestingly enough, I have never been really able to say
that to them in person across the kitchen table, and it's easier for me
to say it right here on the House floor.
There are other lessons that are important, and one of them has been
referred to earlier, the internment of the Japanese Americans during
World War II. It is not an old, cold, dead issue. We passed the
Military Commissions Act just before the 2006 elections. It
substantially restricted habeas corpus for all Americans. And just as
we apologize to Japanese Americans for the internment during World War
II, someday we'll be apologizing for actions taken under the Military
Commissions Act.
So some of the lessons learned from the Asian Pacific American
experience are positive ones, and others are cautionary ones that we
should continue to remember.
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