[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16728-16729]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    CONDEMNING PREJUDICE AGAINST ASIANS AND PACIFIC ISLAND ANCESTRY

  Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 698, S. 
Con. Res. 53.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S Con. Res. 53) condemning all 
     prejudice against individuals of Asian and Pacific Island 
     ancestry in the United States and supporting political and 
     civic participation by such individuals throughout the United 
     States.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on 
the Judiciary, with an amendment to the preamble, and an amendment to 
the title; as follows:
  (Strike out all after the enacting clause and the preamble and insert 
the part printed in italic)
       Whereas the belief that all persons have the right to life, 
     liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is a truth that 
     individuals in the United States hold as self-evident;
       Whereas all individuals in the United States are entitled 
     to the equal protection of law;
       Whereas individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry 
     have made profound contributions to life in the United 
     States, including the arts, the economy, education, the 
     sciences, technology, politics, and sports, among other 
     areas;
       Whereas individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry 
     have demonstrated their patriotism by honorably serving to 
     defend the United States in times of armed conflict, from the 
     Civil War to the present;
       Whereas recent allegations of espionage and illegal 
     campaign financing involve allegations of misconduct by 
     certain individuals, such allegations should not result in 
     questioning the loyalty and probity of individuals of the 
     same or similar ancestry in the United States, simply due to 
     such ancestry; and
       Whereas individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry 
     have suffered discrimination and unfounded accusations of 
     disloyalty throughout the history of the United States, 
     resulting in discriminatory laws, including the former Act of 
     May 6, 1882 (22 Stat. 58, chapter 126) (often referred to as 
     the ``Chinese Exclusion Act'') and a 1913 California law 
     relating to alien-owned land, and discriminatory actions, 
     including internment of patriotic and loyal individuals of 
     Japanese ancestry during the Second World War, the 
     repatriation of Filipino immigrants, and the prohibition of 
     individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry from owning 
     property, voting, testifying in court, or attending school 
     with other people in the United States: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That--
       (1) Congress condemns all prejudice against individuals of 
     Asian and Pacific Island ancestry in the United States; and
       (2) it is the sense of Congress that--
       (A) no individual in the United States should stereotype or 
     generalize the actions of an individual to an entire group of 
     people;
       (B) individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry in the 
     United States are entitled to all due process rights and 
     privileges afforded to all individuals in the United States; 
     and
       (C) all executive agencies should act within their 
     respective jurisdictions in accordance with existing civil 
     rights laws.
       Amend the title to read as follows: ``Condemning all 
     prejudice against individuals of Asian and Pacific Island 
     ancestry in the United States.''.

  Mr. SMITH of Oregon. I ask unanimous consent that the substitute 
amendment, the concurrent resolution, the amendment to the preamble, 
the preamble, and the amendment to the title be agreed to en bloc, that 
the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any 
statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Con. Res. 53), as amended, was agreed to.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, as amended, with its preamble, as amended, 
reads as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 53

       Whereas the belief that all persons have the right to life, 
     liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is a truth that 
     individuals in the United States hold as self-evident;
       Whereas all individuals in the United States are entitled 
     to the equal protection of law;
       Whereas individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry 
     have made profound contributions to life in the United 
     States, including the arts, the economy, education, the 
     sciences, technology, politics, and sports, among other 
     areas;
       Whereas individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry 
     have demonstrated their patriotism by honorably serving to 
     defend the United States in times of armed conflict, from the 
     Civil War to the present;
       Whereas recent allegations of espionage and illegal 
     campaign financing involve allegations of misconduct by 
     certain individuals, such allegations should not result in 
     questioning the loyalty and probity of individuals of the 
     same or similar ancestry in the United States, simply due to 
     such ancestry; and
       Whereas individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry 
     have suffered discrimination and unfounded accusations of 
     disloyalty throughout the history of the United States,

[[Page 16729]]

     resulting in discriminatory laws, including the former Act of 
     May 6, 1882 (22 Stat. 58, chapter 126) (often referred to as 
     the ``Chinese Exclusion Act'') and a 1913 California law 
     relating to alien-owned land, and discriminatory actions, 
     including internment of patriotic and loyal individuals of 
     Japanese ancestry during the Second World War, the 
     repatriation of Filipino immigrants, and the prohibition of 
     individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry from owning 
     property, voting, testifying in court, or attending school 
     with other people in the United States: Now, therefore be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That--
       (1) Congress condemns all prejudice against individuals of 
     Asian and Pacific Island ancestry in the United States; and
       (2) it is the sense of Congress that--
       (A) no individual in the United States should stereotype or 
     generalize the actions of an individual to an entire group of 
     people;
       (B) individuals of Asian and Pacific Island ancestry in the 
     United States are entitled to all due process rights and 
     privileges afforded to all individuals in the United States; 
     and
       (C) all executive agencies should act within their 
     respective jurisdictions in accordance with existing civil 
     rights laws.

  The title was amended so as to read:
  ``Condemning all prejudice against individuals of Asian and Pacific 
Island ancestry in the United States.''

                          ____________________