[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7315-7316]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           REMEMBERING ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize that May is 
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and I want to acknowledge the 
many accomplishments and contributions that people of Asian and Pacific 
Island descent have made to Minnesota and to our country.
  Their many different talents, cultures, and histories have played 
important roles in building and strengthening our country, and they 
have exemplified the important traditions of hard work, respect for 
family and elders, and the value of a quality education.
  Since their arrival in this country, they have believed strongly in 
the American Dream and in better opportunities for those who seek them. 
These qualities have enabled them to overcome adversity and 
discrimination, and allowed them to achieve enormous successes in 
virtually every field.
  The complexion of my home state of Minnesota is changing 
dramatically. We have seen a sharp increase in the number of Asian 
Americans and Pacific Islanders who reside in our state, and we welcome 
the opportunity to continue to work with them to create a better 
Minnesota.
  In one of my first meetings as a new Senator, I had the opportunity 
to visit with the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, and I learned 
of the many important contributions which this community makes to my 
home state. They shared with me not only their successes, but also 
their continuing struggles to ensure that Minnesotans of Asian and 
Pacific Island descent have the best education, housing, health care, 
and job opportunities possible.
  I would like to acknowledge just a few of the Minnesotans of Asian or 
Pacific Island descent whose efforts have made Minnesota a better place 
to live and work. In the political arena, the Honorable Satveer 
Chaudhary became the first Asian American to be elected to the 
Minnesota state legislature and now serves as the highest-ranking 
elected official of Indian descent in the nation. Ms. Zarina Baber 
helped establish the volunteer based clinic in Fridley known as 
Al'Shifa, which provides culturally specific health care free of charge 
to needy or uninsured patients. Ms. Baber volunteers as the director of 
this clinic and has developed partnerships with area hospitals and 
clinics. Mr. Lee Pao Xiong recently became the first non-African 
American President of Minneapolis' Urban Coalition. He has served on 
President Clinton's Commission on Asian and Pacific Islanders, and has 
been a leader in helping the Hmong community to make the transition to 
mainstream America while preserving the integrity of their own culture. 
Wai Lee, a devoted mother of four, as well as an active member of the 
Faribault community, has skillfully combined motherhood with activism. 
She has volunteered in the Faribault community for many years, taught 
English as a Second Language, and developed a mentor program to involve 
children and help them with their English skills. Venture Crew 6, a 
community organization made up of Asian youth leaders, is working to 
make Minnesota a better place to live and train young people to be 
future leaders. The group's mission

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is to help Minnesota youth grow, develop, and foster leadership skills 
while serving their communities. The members, made up of traditional 
and ``at risk'' youth, lend a hand to the state's elderly, and provide 
a variety of other volunteer services in several Minnesota communities.
  There are many other women and men who belong on this ``Honor Role'' 
of outstanding Minnesotans. During this month, we should all take time 
to remind ourselves of the important contributions made to our society 
by those of Asian American and Pacific Island descent, who bring with 
them rich cultures, desire for growth and opportunity, and the chance 
to achieve the American dream.

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