[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6541]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, in May, we commemorate Asian Pacific 
American Heritage Month, honoring the history, culture and traditions 
of Asians and Pacific Americans and recognizing their unique 
contributions to the United States.
  First proposed as a 1-week event in 1977, the celebration was 
expanded to a full month in 1990. May was chosen because of its unique 
significance in the history of Asian Americans. May 7, 1843, marked the 
first recorded immigration of Japanese to the United States. May 10, 
1869, marked the completion of the transcontinental railroad--a feat 
that would not have happened when it did without the labor of Chinese 
immigrants.
  The Asian and Pacific American population has a rich history in this 
country, especially in the Pacific Northwest. In my State, records show 
the arrival of Asian immigrants as early as the 1860s, while some 
scholars even speculate that centuries before, Chinese explorers sailed 
down the Alaskan coast to what is now Washington State. Today, there 
are over 14 million Asians and Pacific Americans living in the United 
States, representing 5 percent of the population. In Washington, they 
make up 7 percent of the citizenry.
  Over the past century and a half, Asian and Pacific American 
communities have contributed significantly to the cultural vibrancy of 
Washington State. Individuals within Washington's Asian and Pacific 
American communities have also worked to stand up for justice and make 
our country a better 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.
  Last month, Washington State celebrated the retirement of one of its 
most influential Asian American leaders. Bob Santos, affectionately 
known to many as ``Uncle Bob,'' has for many years, tirelessly 
dedicated himself to social justice for all. As a founder and executive 
director of Inter*Im Community Development Association, Bob helped 
revitalize the International District of Seattle, build the local 
economy, and secure affordable housing for many of our most vulnerable 
residents. Under President Clinton, Uncle Bob served nobly and boldly 
as the Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development. His selflessness, passion and dedication embody the giving 
spirit that makes our Asian Pacific American community so strong.
  America is a land of immigrants, and our history demonstrates that we 
are stronger because of our diversity. Over the past century and a 
half, Asian and Pacific American communities have contributed 
significantly to the cultural vibrancy of Washington State. 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. 
During World War II, 227 Japanese Americans from Bainbridge Island 
became the first of more than 120,000 people to be placed in internment 
camps. They departed from Bainbridge Island's Eagledale Ferry Dock 
which, just last month, became the site of a moving tribute to all 
affected by this dark period. The name of this memorial is Nidoto Nai 
Yoni, meaning ``let it not happen again.''
  During this year's Asian Pacific American Heritage month, we 
celebrate a history rich with culture and tradition. In our Asian and 
Pacific American communities, we must preserve the lessons of the past 
and recognize the great promise of the future.

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