[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3496-S3497]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, I rise today in recognition of Asian 
Pacific American Heritage Month. This annual commemoration offers the 
opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the rich history of Asian 
Americans and Pacific Islanders.
  Representatives Frank Horton of New York and Norman Mineta of 
California and later Senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga, both 
of Hawaii, first introduced a resolution in 1977 to establish an annual 
commemoration of the contributions of this community. That first 
resolution proclaimed the first 10 days of May as Asian Pacific 
American Heritage Week. Congress passed a modified version of that 
resolution in 1978, which President Jimmy Carter signed into law. In 
1990, Congress expanded Asian Pacific American Heritage Week to the 
entire month. Just 2 years later, Congress passed a final resolution 
permanently designating the month of May as Asian Pacific American 
Heritage Month. This timing is deliberate: It commemorates important 
milestones--the arrival of the first Japanese to the United States on 
May 7, 1843, and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad on May 
10, 1869.
  The Asian-American population is the fastest growing population in 
the United States, having risen from 10.5 million in 2000 to more than 
23 million in 2020. More than 1.6 million individuals identify as 
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. With these combined figures, 
the Asian-American and Pacific Islander, AAPI, community makes up 
almost 7 percent of the U.S. population and roughly the same percentage 
of Maryland's population.
  Nationwide, demographers estimate that this population, which 
consists of over 40 subgroups, will more than double from 20 million to 
more than 51 million by 2060.
  Over the past year, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have played 
a vital role in our Nation's battle with COVID-19. Serving as frontline 
workers, first responders, and emergency personnel, they have provided 
lifesaving and critical care to hundreds of thousands of people during 
unprecedented times.
  The approximately 555,200 Asian-owned businesses in the United States 
represent approximately 1 in 10 businesses in the United States. As the 
chairman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, I know 
the importance of each of these enterprises to our national economy and 
to the local communities they serve. I also know the serious challenges 
that all small business owners but particularly minority-owned 
businesses have faced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some 
research indicates

[[Page S3497]]

that these businesses may have suffered the most significant economic 
effects of all demographic groups. Through the past year, I have sought 
to ensure that the Small Business Administration's grants and loans 
flow to smaller and minority-owned businesses.
  Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have also served our Nation in 
important public service roles. Norm Mineta, after spending 20 years in 
the House of Representatives, served two Presidents--Bill Clinton and 
George W. Bush--first as Secretary of Commerce and then as the longest 
serving Secretary of Transportation. I was proud to serve with him in 
the House and with Senator Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii from 2006 to 2012 
during his tenure as President pro tempore of the Senate, a role that 
made him the highest ranking Asian-American government official in the 
history of the United States. Of course, Kamala D. Harris eclipsed that 
distinction this year when she became Vice President--the first Asian 
American ever to hold that role. I am also proud every day to serve 
alongside Senators Mazie Hirono and Tammy Duckworth, two strong leaders 
who are committed to promoting the well-being and progress of Asian 
Americans and Pacific Islanders along with all Americans.
  The Asian-Americans and Pacific Islander population has long endured 
racism and prejudice. This discrimination reached a peak when President 
Roosevelt ordered the incarceration of over 100,000 Japanese Americans 
in internment camps as war began with the Empire of Japan in World War 
II. Over the last year and a half, we have seen an alarming and 
dangerous rise in prejudicial treatment and racially motivated hate 
crimes and attacks. According to a recent report, there were nearly 
3,800 reported cases of anti-Asian discrimination related to COVID-19 
between March 2020 and February 2021. Dangerous rhetoric such as 
calling COVID-19 the Chinese virus jeopardizes the safety and well-
being of millions of Asian Americans.
  It is time we stand up and protect our fellow neighbors, friends, 
coworkers, and loved ones. We need an all hands-on-deck approach to 
combat anti-Asian bias, prejudice, discrimination, hate crimes, and 
violence. Congress overwhelmingly passed S. 937, the COVID-19 Hate 
Crimes Act, which Senators Hirono and Duckworth introduced. This 
legislation serves as a pledge to our Asian-American community that we, 
as the United States of America, stand in solidarity with you and will 
not tolerate violations of your civil rights. I was proud to cosponsor 
Senators Hirono and Duckworth's resolution condemning discrimination 
against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders stemming from the COVID-
19 pandemic. Working together with our local, State, national, and 
international partners--along with our allies in the private sector and 
faith community--we can stem this dangerous trend and provide a sense 
of peace and security to our Asian-American brothers and sisters. In 
doing so, I am committed to listening to and being guided by the voices 
of those individuals and communities who have suffered harm.
  Asian Pacific American Heritage Month offers all Americans the 
opportunity to recognize and to appreciate the important role of this 
community in our Nation, both throughout history and today. It is more 
important than ever that we all take advantage of it.

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