[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2940-S2941]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 530--RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ASIAN/PACIFIC 
     AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH AS AN IMPORTANT TIME TO CELEBRATE THE 
 SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS TO 
                    THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

  Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
Brown, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Casey, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. 
Duckworth, Ms. Harris, Mr. Kaine,

[[Page S2941]]

Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Murkowski, 
Mrs. Murray, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Heller) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 530

       Whereas the people of the United States join together each 
     May to pay tribute to the contributions of generations of 
     Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched the 
     history of the United States;
       Whereas the history of Asian Americans and Pacific 
     Islanders in the United States is inextricably tied to the 
     story of the United States;
       Whereas the Asian American and Pacific Islander community 
     is an inherently diverse population, comprised of over 45 
     distinct ethnicities and over 100 language dialects;
       Whereas, according to the Bureau of the Census, the Asian 
     American population grew faster than any other racial or 
     ethnic group over the last decade, surging nearly 72 percent 
     between 2000 and 2015;
       Whereas there are approximately 21,000,000 residents of the 
     United States who identify themselves as Asian and 
     approximately 1,500,000 residents of the United States who 
     identify themselves as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific 
     Islander, making up nearly 6 percent of the total population 
     of the United States;
       Whereas the month of May was selected for Asian/Pacific 
     American Heritage Month because the first Japanese immigrants 
     arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the first 
     transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, with 
     substantial contributions from Chinese immigrants;
       Whereas section 102 of title 36, United States Code, 
     officially designates May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage 
     Month and requests the President to issue an annual 
     proclamation calling on the people of the United States to 
     observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and 
     activities;
       Whereas 2018 marks several important milestones for the 
     Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including--
       (1) the 120th anniversary of United States v. Wong Kim Ark, 
     169 U.S. 649 (1898), a Supreme Court decision that determined 
     that the 14th Amendment grants birthright citizenship to all 
     persons born in the United States, regardless of the national 
     origin of their parents;
       (2) the 75th anniversary of the Act entitled ``An Act to 
     repeal the Chinese Exclusion Acts, to establish quotas, and 
     for other purposes'', approved December 17, 1943 (commonly 
     known as the ``Magnuson Act of 1943'') (57 Stat. 600, chapter 
     344), which formally repealed the Act entitled ``An Act to 
     execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese'', 
     approved May 6, 1882 (commonly known as the ``Chinese 
     Exclusion Act of 1882'') (22 Stat. 58, chapter 126);
       (3) the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Civil 
     Liberties Act of 1988 (50 U.S.C. 4211 et seq.), which granted 
     reparations to Japanese Americans incarcerated during World 
     War II; and
       (4) the 25th anniversary of the enactment of Public Law 
     103-150 (107 Stat. 1510), which acknowledged the 100th 
     anniversary of the January 17, 1893, overthrow of the Kingdom 
     of Hawaii and offered an apology to Native Hawaiians on 
     behalf of the United States;
       Whereas Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made 
     significant contributions to the United States at all levels 
     of the Federal Government and the United States Armed Forces, 
     including--
       (1) Daniel K. Inouye, a Medal of Honor and Presidential 
     Medal of Freedom recipient who, as President Pro Tempore of 
     the Senate, was the highest-ranking Asian American government 
     official in the history of the United States;
       (2) Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian American 
     Congressman;
       (3) Patsy T. Mink, the first woman of color and Asian 
     American woman to be elected to Congress;
       (4) Hiram L. Fong, the first Asian American Senator; and
       (5) Daniel K. Akaka, the first Senator of Native Hawaiian 
     ancestry;
       Whereas the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, a 
     bicameral caucus of Members of Congress advocating on behalf 
     of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, is composed of 63 
     Members this year, including 17 Members of Asian or Pacific 
     Islander descent;
       Whereas, in 2018, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are 
     serving in State and Territorial legislatures across the 
     United States in record numbers, including in--
       (1) the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, 
     Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, 
     Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 
     Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, 
     Washington, and West Virginia; and
       (2) the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
       Whereas the commitment of the United States to diversity in 
     the judiciary has been demonstrated by the nominations of 
     high-caliber Asian American and Pacific Islander jurists at 
     all levels of the Federal bench;
       Whereas there remains much to be done to ensure that Asian 
     Americans and Pacific Islanders have access to resources and 
     a voice in the government of the United States and continue 
     to advance in the political landscape of the United States; 
     and
       Whereas celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 
     provides the people of the United States with an opportunity 
     to recognize the achievements, contributions, and history of, 
     and to understand the challenges faced by, Asian Americans 
     and Pacific Islanders: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the significance of Asian/Pacific American 
     Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the 
     significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific 
     Islanders to the history of the United States; and
       (2) recognizes that Asian American and Pacific Islander 
     communities enhance the rich diversity of and strengthen the 
     United States.

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