[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 9504-9505]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise today to say a few words in honor 
of the Asian and Pacific Islander communities of the United States. As 
my colleagues know, May marks Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. 
Throughout this month, the United States celebrates the history, 
culture, and traditions of Asian and Pacific Islanders, and recognizes 
their unique contributions to the United States.
  First proposed as a 1-week celebration in 1977, the occasion was 
expanded into a month-long event in 1990. May was chosen because of its 
unique significance to the history of Asian Americans. May 7, 1843 
marked the first recorded immigration of Japanese to the United States, 
while May 10, 1869 marked the completion of the transcontinental 
railroad, which would not have happened when it did without the labor 
of Chinese immigrants.
  The Asian and Pacific Islander population has a rich history in this 
country, especially in the Pacific Northwest. In my home State, records 
show the arrival of Asian immigrants as early as the 1860s, while some 
scholars even speculate that Chinese explorers sailed down the Alaskan 
coast to what is now Washington State centuries before. Today, there 
are nearly 13 million Asians and Pacific Islanders living in the United 
States, representing 4.4 percent of the population. In Washington, they 
make up nearly 6 percent of the citizenry.
  Over the past century and a half, Asian and Pacific Islander 
communities have contributed significantly to the cultural vibrancy of 
Washington State. Individuals within Washington's Asian and Pacific 
Islander communities have also worked to stand up for justice and make 
our country a better

[[Page 9505]]

place. In 1944, Gordon Hirabayashi, a Japanese-American student at the 
University of Washington in Seattle, took a stand against the unfair 
treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II when he refused to 
obey discriminatory curfew orders. In taking his case to the U.S. 
Supreme Court, he left a lasting reminder of the importance of standing 
up for civil rights.
  America is a land of immigrants and our history demonstrates that we 
are stronger because of our diversity, not in spite of it. However, we 
can only live up to the promise of our diversity if we recognize the 
mistakes of our past and give all groups a voice in public discourse. 
Asian Americans have a powerful history in the Pacific Northwest, and I 
believe we cannot ignore its darkest period. For this reason, I was 
pleased to work with Senator Patty Murray to secure Federal funding for 
a study of the Eagledale Ferry Dock site on Bainbridge Island, which 
served as a point of departure for members of the Japanese-American 
community on their way to internment camps during World War II. These 
funds are a critical step toward commemorating the sacrifices and the 
strength of the Japanese-American community, and to recognizing an 
important chapter in the history of Bainbridge Island, my State, and 
our Nation.
  I am proud to represent a State with a history of electing a diverse 
group of citizens to public office. In 1993, Filipina-American Velma 
Veloria became the first Asian-American woman to serve in the 
Washington State Legislature. Over the past decade, her work to fight 
human trafficking and promote peace and social justice has truly made 
my State a better place. Since then, Washington State has also seen the 
service of Gary Locke, Washington's first Asian-American Governor, and 
Paul Shin, the first Asian American to serve in the State senate. In 
fact, the rich history of Asians and Pacific Islanders holding elected 
office in Washington State dates back to 1962, when Wing Luke, a 
decorated World War II veteran and former Assistant Attorney General of 
the State of Washington, won a seat on Seattle's city council. Today, 
his legacy is commemorated in Seattle's Wing Luke Asian Museum, along 
with the stories of thousands of other Asian immigrants. I am 
personally honored to be involved in renovating the museum's East Kong 
Yick building, one of the first two buildings in Seattle owned by 
nonwhites. The museum is both a local and national treasure, respected 
as a Smithsonian affiliate and honored at the White House 10 years ago 
with the National Award for Museum Services.
  As this year's Asian Pacific American Heritage month begins, I 
believe it is important to preserve the lessons of the past, while 
recognizing the immense benefit we all receive from living in a diverse 
country built on the contributions of immigrants from around the globe. 
Diversity, and the exposure to other customs and ideas that it 
involves, leads to opportunity and gives the United States much of its 
strength. In celebrating the rich history, culture, and traditions of 
Asian and Pacific Islanders this May, we recognize their important 
contributions to the strength and diversity of our country, and to the 
bright future that lies ahead.

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