[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 70 (Wednesday, May 16, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H2719-H2720]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Asian Pacific 
American Heritage Month and to recognize

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the many contributions that Asian and Pacific Americans make to our 
great Nation.
  I commend Congresswoman Judy Chu, who is the chair of the 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and also Congressman Mike 
Honda, the caucus' chair emeritus, for their leadership and for their 
efforts on behalf of our communities.
  Our caucus represents a very large and a diverse community. The 
cultures that are represented in our caucus highlight many, many unique 
traditions, languages, and histories. Despite our diverse backgrounds, 
Asian Pacific Americans are committed to improving our country every 
single day.
  Today, more than 18.5 million Asians and Pacific Islanders call 
America their home--18.5 million. We have become the fastest growing 
minority community in the United States, having increased by more than 
40 percent in the last 10 years.
  Asian Pacific Americans contribute to every aspect of our lives, from 
business to education, health care to public relations, sports and 
recreation to the arts, government, and the Armed Services. Our 
businesses employ more than 2.8 million workers, who generate more than 
$512 billion in annual revenues to our economy. Two Cabinet 
Secretaries, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Veterans Affairs Secretary 
Eric Shinseki, are of APA descent, and APAs currently represent 13 
congressional districts and serve in 15 State legislatures. Further, in 
the last 3 years, the number of judges serving in the Federal judiciary 
has more than doubled, its highest level in our country's entire 
history.
  From the very beginning, the Asian Pacific American community has 
sought better opportunities or to escape persecution in their homeland. 
These can be seen with each particular group: in the experiences of the 
first Chinese laborers who came to build the transcontinental 
railroads, the first Japanese workers who worked on plantations in 
Hawaii, and the first Vietnamese refugees who arrived because of war, 
and countless APA groups with similar stories. Asian Pacific American 
history is the larger American story of valuing freedom, continuously 
working to make our Nation great and giving our children a better 
future than the ones we have.
  I represent the people of Guam. I represent the U.S. Territory of 
Guam. The people are an important part of our Asian Pacific American 
community and are extremely loyal and proud of their citizenship. Case 
in point, this year will mark the 68th anniversary of the liberation of 
Guam from a brutal enemy occupation during World War II and the return 
of freedom to the island as part of the American family. Guam has one 
of the highest per capita casualties in the more than a decade that our 
country has been at war, yet our people continue to enter military 
service as a calling to serve their country. And our island is being 
called upon to sustain one of the most complex and important force 
posture realignments in the history of the United States. Today, per 
capita, we also are number one when it comes to people who serve in the 
National Guard. Guam is number one per capita.

                              {time}  1030

  This May, we once again celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage 
Month. Despite the many successes that the APA community has 
experienced, there is still so very much to be done. APA Heritage Month 
is a celebration of our diversity, a recognition of the sacrifices and 
the contributions that Asian Pacific Americans make to our Nation, and 
an opportunity to educate all Americans of the unique role that our 
community plays in our country.
  I thank you, Mr. Speaker, or as we say in Guam, Si Yu'os Ma'ase--
thank you, and God be with you.

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