[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12607-12614]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          COMMEMORATING ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Kosmas). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 6, 2009, the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) is 
recognized for 60 minutes.
  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield to Member Sheila 
Jackson-Lee. I believe she wanted to address the floor.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the distinguished gentleman,

[[Page 12608]]

and as I rise, let me add my appreciation for his leadership of the 
Asian Pacific caucus and join him in celebrating Asian Pacific history 
month.
  This is a time in our Nation that we are able to celebrate the many 
diverse cultures that make up those who are of Asian ancestry in the 
United States of America. And so my hat is tipped to the leadership in 
this Congress, the distinguished gentleman from California, and the 
many Members who have been such leaders.
  I pay a special tribute to the late Bob Matsui who, of course, was a 
dear friend and someone that we all cherished.
  I will speak briefly about the recent supplemental and the crisis 
that we face in this Nation. This is more than a tough challenge, to be 
able to address the concerns and the need for moving forward by a new 
President and the questions that are raised as this war supplemental 
makes its way through.
  I will be asking questions as relates to our final solution, or 
legislative vote, as to whether or not language goes into this 
supplemental that will direct the administration to have an exit 
strategy for Afghanistan. I believe it is important as this bill makes 
its way through the Senate and back to the House, through conference, 
that there is a more definitive mark or standards and procedures for 
downsizing the war in Iraq, moving out equipment and bringing our 
soldiers home.
  We now face a different conflict in Afghanistan. It is one of 
insurgents, the rise of the Taliban. We face as well the rising 
conflict in Pakistan, although the civilian government has maintained, 
in their visits here to the United States, they are committed to 
democracy, and I do believe them. Many of us have visited with 
President Zardari and leaders of his government, and we frankly believe 
that there is an opportunity to promote continued democracy in 
Pakistan, a friend of the United States for many years.
  Just a few minutes ago I was meeting with a Pakistani American who 
was leaving to go help the internally displaced persons who are, as a 
result of the Pakistani Government, trying to rid that area of the 
Taliban and other insurgents who want to do harm to peace-loving 
people.
  We need to be assured that the nuclear materials that Pakistan has 
are secure. But this bill, I believe, had merits in that it did promote 
the developmental assistance, the foreign aid, to help Pakistan get on 
its feet.
  The questions that I had, of course, were the monies used to surge up 
the war in Afghanistan. And so this will be a time to review how this 
bill will make its way back, and whether or not we can get an end time, 
and whether or not we can tell family when their young people will come 
home, and whether or not we can answer those families whose returning 
soldiers suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, as evidenced by the 
five bodies who came back at the hands of another soldier.
  War is horrible, and so I believe it is important, as we have given 
this vote to the President, that it be such that it is a vote that ends 
these wars and focuses on building nations and building democracies so 
that they can take care of their own war and hopefully be unconflicted, 
if you will.
  I am grateful for the resources in this bill that will help military 
families, mothers and fathers and children, the salary that comes about 
through those soldiers who lost salaries that have been put in this 
bill; the disaster aid, although I would have wanted to have a match, a 
100 percent match for Galveston that is still suffering from Hurricane 
Ike. I hope we will be able to work on this issue as we move forward.
  Again, I want to thank the gentleman from California for yielding to 
me, because I wanted to ensure that the support that has been given by 
some of us is based upon finding a way to end these conflicts in Iraq 
and Afghanistan.
  And in finality, I might say that what I hope to have happen is that 
we find a way to ensure the end of the tenet, the term, if you will, of 
Osama bin Laden and of the insurgents that are destroying countries. I 
would hope, also, that we would be able to work to expand resources for 
posttraumatic stress disorders, and I am continuing to work to procure 
such a center in the 18th Congressional District for the large number 
of active soldiers that are in the Houston and Harris County area, 
noted as one of the major areas where active soldiers are in place.
  This is, of course, an important step. And as we fight for education 
health reform, I think what we first of all must do is resolve these 
conflicts so that resources can be used to build a better America.
  Mr. Honda, again, I salute you on this great month and great leaders. 
You can count me as a friend as we move forward on so many different 
issues as we improve the lives of all Americans.
  Mr. HONDA. I thank the gentlewoman from Texas and always count on her 
support for the issues that we care about together.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Asian American and 
Pacific Islander community and to commemorate the Asian Pacific 
American Heritage Month. As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific 
American Caucus, what we call CAPAC, I feel privileged to be here 
tonight with my colleagues to speak of the Asian and Pacific Islander 
American history and accomplishments. Additionally, I will be 
highlighting those issues affecting our community and the priorities 
for CAPAC.
  In celebrating the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I want to 
give thanks to the late Congressman Frank Horton from New York and my 
good friend, former Secretary Norman Mineta, along with Senators Daniel 
Inouye and Spark Masayuki Matsunaga of Hawaii.
  It is because of their efforts that May is now designated as Asian 
Pacific American Heritage Month. The first 10 days of May coincide with 
two important anniversaries: one, the arrival of the first Japanese 
American immigrants on May 7, 1843, to the United States, and the 
completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.
  In 1992, Congress passed Public Law No. 102-450, the law that 
officially designated May of each year as Asian Pacific American 
Heritage Month. Today the Asian Pacific Islander community is quickly 
expanding.
  Currently, there are approximately 16.2 million APIs living in the 
United States. By the year 2050, there will be an estimated 43 million 
Asian Pacific Islanders, comprising 10 percent of the total U.S. 
population. My home State of California has the largest Asian 
population at 5 million. The States of New York and Texas followed at 
1.4 million and close to 1 million, respectively.
  The population is also growing in States beyond the usual hubs of New 
York and California. We are also seeing growth in other areas in our 
country such as Virginia, Nevada, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
  I encourage my congressional colleagues to learn more about the Asian 
American Pacific Islander populations in their districts and become a 
member of CAPAC.
  At this moment, Madam Speaker, I yield to my colleague from 
California, the gentlewoman, Laura Richardson.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, it's with great pleasure that I come 
here today to stand with my colleague, Representative Mike Honda. Some 
people might ask what would make me come and stand in support.
  In my district, very recently, this Congress, in addition, with the 
support of the President, we authorized the long-time held benefits of 
Filipino Americans who served in a war side by side with many of our 
soldiers protecting them, and that was a great day in my district.
  As I was growing up and I went to college, I had an opportunity, when 
I was getting my master's, to travel to China and to go to Shanghai and 
Beijing and Hong Kong and to see the beauty of different cultures and 
to understand how people have come here now to the United States, not 
as a separation or a wall, but, rather, for us to work together and to 
see the things of how this country could grow. So that's why I am here 
today, Madam Speaker, and I have a few comments that I would like to 
share.

[[Page 12609]]

  I rise today in support of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I 
proudly represent California's 37th Congressional District, one of the 
most diverse districts in the United States. Asians make up 11 percent 
of my district, and I am the 37th largest Asian population 
congressional district in this country. That means we are in the top 10 
percent.
  In fact, my district has the largest Cambodian population outside of 
Cambodia, only second to the population in Cambodia. And for the last 8 
years, I have worked with the Cambodian community as we look at the 
challenges that we have and how we can better assure that folks 
understand the resources that we worked so hard to deliver to our 
communities that they know they are there to help them.
  Because of this diversity, I am a proud member of CAPAC, which is the 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. I am a member of 30 other 
caucuses that also advocate to this very Congress. But, together, the 
three caucuses, the Hispanic Caucus, the Black Caucus, and the Asian 
Pacific Islander Caucus, were members who worked together advancing the 
goals of minorities and underserved communities. Although Members 
represent everyone, there's an inadequate delivery of resources to many 
of those that we represent.
  This year, for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the theme is 
``Lighting the Past, the Present, and the Future.''
  The past is filled with rich contributions of cultural, economic, and 
technological value from the Asian community. One of the main reasons 
the month is used, this month of May, to honor the Asian community is, 
as Mr. Honda mentioned, the transatlantic railroad that we saw that 
traveled thousands, hundreds of miles across the United States, that we 
would not have had, that we would not have progressed at the level and 
the speed that we did in this country, had we not had working people 
who wanted to come and to contribute.
  The present demonstrates the great progress we have made as a country 
together. I have much hope for the future, though, even more so of 
Asian Americans in our country, but realize that we must all work 
together and work hard to achieve equality amongst everyone.
  Dalip Singh Saund was the first Asian American elected to Congress in 
1957. Less than a decade later, Patsy Mink, whom many of us think of 
fondly, became first Asian American woman elected to Congress; both 
overcame adversity and paved the way, not only for Asian American 
Members of Congress, but Members such as myself as well.
  Today we have seven Members of Congress, and Mr. Honda is leading the 
charge of this caucus today. And recently, we had an unprecedented 
number of three Asian Americans who were recently named to President 
Obama's cabinet: Energy Secretary, Steven Chu; Commerce Secretary, Gary 
Locke; and Veterans Affairs Secretary, Eric Shinseki.
  One of the simplest ways for Asian Americans to ensure a brighter 
future that we can all participate in, because isn't that what this 
country is all about, is to fully participate in the 2010 census. 
Everyone in our Nation must be accounted for so that Members like Mr. 
Honda and I, together, can garner the appropriate resources to those 
communities which they so richly deserve.
  Minorities are historically undercounted, sometimes due to language, 
sometimes due to a concern of why someone is knocking at their door, 
and they don't know the process of what's happening every 10 years, and 
sometimes it's just understanding differences. In other countries, it's 
very common for many members of the family to live together.

                              {time}  1915

  And that may not necessarily be the tradition in all of our cities or 
all of our communities; but in some, it's very much the case.
  Minorities historically have had these challenges. In California, we 
have the largest Asian population in the United States, which both Mr. 
Honda and I serve. Currently, there are over 5 million Asians--and this 
number is growing rapidly.
  Between 2006 and 2007, the population grew 106,000--that's 2.9 
percent--which reflects the largest percentage growth of any group of 
individuals in this country.
  In addition to participating in the census, health care is going to 
be one of the largest and most important issues that we will tackle on 
this floor this year. It is critical that within the broad scope of 
health care reform that there's focus on eliminating racial disparities 
of research and accessibility.
  Last year, I introduced a piece of legislation, and I plan on 
reintroducing it again this year, and it's very similar in building 
upon the work of former Congresswoman Patsy Mink as she brought forward 
title IX legislation.
  We all know what a tremendous effect title IX had on gender equality 
in sports and in programs. I was one who benefited from that. I was one 
of the first girls in my grade school who got to play with the boys on 
the playground, playing baseball and basketball. And it took 
legislation like Patsy Mink's to show that we could work side-by-side 
and that there should be an equality. Today, we face another tremendous 
challenge, and that inequality is health care.
  Finally, I want to thank Congressman Honda, the chair of CAPAC, which 
I proudly serve with him, for organizing this time tonight to celebrate 
the accomplishments and the work that we still have yet to do. I'm 
looking forward to celebrating many more accomplishments this year, and 
beyond, and we're just beginning. I stand side-by-side as we take that 
trip together.
  Mr. HONDA. I have a couple of comments to what you had shared with 
us. One is I'm very, very pleased that you have taken the initiative to 
join CAPAC, not only because you believe in it, but also there are 
folks in your district that need to be represented. Your knowledge and 
your understanding of the communities; that it has to be disaggregated 
to understand the different necessities and needs of each community 
rather than looking at one monolithic community, is greatly appreciated 
because, as you mention, about the census, it is about the census that 
drives us constitutionally to make sure that we count every person in 
this country. The fact that you express that there are different 
strategies of housing based upon family structures; that many times one 
family per household does not necessarily exist and that many families 
do live together to be with each other and give each other support, I 
wanted to thank you for that observation.
  And one not very known fact about Patsy Mink. When she led the effort 
to pass the title IX legislation, that she did in fact open up quite a 
bit of avenues for women, but also I still remember the great tennis 
match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Billie Jean King is from my district, the Long Beach 
area.
  Mr. HONDA. That was a great contest. I believe that Billie Jean King 
won, didn't she?
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Yes, she did
  Mr. HONDA. Despite his tactics. And so what we do here has great 
impact not only in this country but worldwide. So I really do 
appreciate the time and thought that you have put into this 
presentation and the the idea that Asian Americans have contributed to 
this country and in building this country, as you had mentioned, on the 
transcontinental railroad.
  It's interesting to note that when you look at pictures of the golden 
spike being driven into the ground at Promontory Summit, there are no 
Asian faces there. I often wonder what happened. Were they given the 
day off or something like that?
  I think it's very clear today that they were excused. And the kind of 
history that we see that is shared in our history books need to be 
brought up to date and be accurate.
  This kind of forum, where we have a month dedicated to discussions 
about our contributions and our perspectives of how we see the 
communities in this

[[Page 12610]]

country, is greatly appreciated. The fact that we have many people from 
different backgrounds in our caucus only expresses the understanding 
and the sensitivity and the consciousness that each individual 
Congressperson representing their district, even though a district may 
have 14 percent or 1 percent, the fact that it is stated publicly that 
you are representing those districts and those communities is greatly 
appreciated.
  So, to my sister from California, I really appreciate your time spent 
with us.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. From my brothers and sisters of the Cambodian 
community, Arkon. Chem re lear.
  Mr. HONDA. Thank you. The Asian American Pacific Islander community 
is often misperceived as an overachieving monolithic group. However, 
our community is extremely diverse in our languages, ethnicities, 
income, educational attainment, language capabilities, special need and 
challenges.
  Stereotypes about our communities make it difficult to understand the 
unique problems faced by individual communities and subgroups. Data 
that is disaggregated by ethnicity for our various communities is hard 
to come by, but critical to the understanding where we must direct 
Federal attention.
  As a country, we need to better address the needs of the AAPI 
community when we discuss comprehensive immigration reform, health 
care, economic recovery, and education. We are also barely visible in 
corporate America, underrepresented in political and judicial offices 
throughout the country, and misportrayed in our mainstream media.
  As our community expands, we must also continue to educate our fellow 
citizens about the uniqueness of our experiences. Despite the daunting 
challenges we face, this is a time of great optimism and hope for the 
communities.
  This year, we are marking Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month under 
the twin banners of National Service and Recovery. We are at a pivotal 
moment in our Nation's history where the national spirit is shifting to 
a new era of volunteerism, public service, and working for the common 
good.
  The Asian Pacific Islander American communities are no stranger to 
these changes, and our communities have taken hold of a new civic 
spirit engendered by President Obama's new administration.
  At this time, Madam Speaker, I'd like to yield such time as she may 
consume to our gentlelady from the Aloha State, Mazie Hirono.
  Ms. HIRONO. I thank my colleague for yielding me such time as I might 
use.
  Aloha. I rise today to join my fellow congressional Asian Pacific 
Islander American Caucus members in celebrating Asian Pacific Islander 
American Heritage Month. Of course, I'd like to thank Congressman Honda 
for organizing this Special Order tonight and for his continuing 
leadership throughout the year and his service as the chair of CAPAC.
  In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian Pacific 
American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to 
coincide with two key anniversaries: The U.S. arrival of the first 
Japanese immigrant on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the 
transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. In 1992, Congress expanded 
the week to a full monthlong celebration of the Asian and Pacific 
Islander American community.
  We certainly have added to the diversity and the cultural richness of 
our country. As a first generation immigrant myself, having come to 
this country when I was about eight years old, this country has 
afforded not just me, but the millions of immigrants, the first 
generation we call issei and nisei, opportunities that we never would 
have had in our home countries.
  With 16.2 million residents, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders 
are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. In 
fact, the Census Bureau estimates that by the year 2050, more than 33.4 
million Asian Americans will call the United States home.
  Asian and Pacific Islander Americans have made valuable contributions 
to every aspect of American life--from business to education to 
politics to the arts to the military. For example, there are 
approximately 1.1 million APIA-owned small businesses all across the 
country that employ 2.2 million workers. There are also hundreds of 
thousands of APIA servicemembers and veterans, including more than 
53,500 brave men and women who have been deployed to Iraq and 
Afghanistan since 2001.
  Today, I was glad to join my colleagues in supporting passage of H.R. 
347, which appropriately awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the 100th 
Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team in honor of 
their extraordinary and dedicated service during World War II.
  Comprised predominantly of nisei, the American-born sons of Japanese 
immigrants, members of the University of Hawaii's Reserve Officers' 
Training Corps, the ROTC, aided the wounded, buried the fallen, and 
helped defend vulnerable areas in Hawaii after the attack at Pearl 
Harbor.
  In spite of these acts of courage, the U.S. Army discharged all nisei 
in the ROTC unit, changed their draft status to ineligible, and 
segregated all Japanese American in the military on the mainland out of 
their units. In the meantime, more than 100,000 Japanese Americans were 
forcibly relocated from their homes to internment camps.
  Undaunted, members of the Hawaii Provisional Infantry Battalion 
joined the 100th Infantry Battalion in California to train as soldiers. 
The sheer determination and pursuit of excellence displayed by this 
battalion in training contributed to President Roosevelt's decision to 
allow nisei volunteers to serve in the U.S. military again, leading to 
their incorporation into the 442nd.
  Members of the 100th and 442nd risked their lives to fight for our 
country and allies in Europe. The 442nd ``Go for Broke'' unit became 
the most decorated in U.S. military history for its size and length of 
service, with its component, the 100th Infantry Battalion, earning the 
nickname ``The Purple Heart Battalion.''
  I'd like to thank Congressman Schiff, the chief sponsor of H.R. 347, 
for providing us with the opportunity to bestow this body's most 
distinguished honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to these brave 
soldiers on the behalf of a grateful Nation.
  I would be remiss if I did not mention one of Hawaii's favorite sons 
as we celebrate this month, and that is President Barack Obama. While 
not ethnically Asian American or Pacific Islander himself, his ties to 
our community are strong ones, and his support on our issues could not 
be more heartfelt.
  He has appointed, as mentioned earlier, Asian Americans to key 
cabinet positions: Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy; Gary Locke, 
Secretary of Commerce. By the way, Gary Locke is the first Asian 
American to be elected Governor outside of Hawaii. And Kauai's own 
General Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Veteran Affairs.
  One of the issues that President Obama has supported is self-
determination for the indigenous people of our State of Hawaii--native 
Hawaiians who deserve to have the same right to self-determination 
enjoyed by other indigenous groups such as the American Indians and the 
Alaskan natives.
  H.R. 2314, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, would 
set up a process for native Hawaiians to organize a governmental 
entity. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and 
our President in passing this important bill.
  I would also be remiss if I did not pay tribute to my predecessor, 
Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink of Hawaii, a trailblazer in every sense of 
the word. I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Richardson, for 
mentioning Patsy Mink, for whom title IX was renamed the Patsy T. Mink 
Equal Opportunity in Education Act.
  Title IX changed the lives of women and girls across our country. In 
fact, a couple of years ago, several of the high schools in my district 
were given a special recognition for really promoting

[[Page 12611]]

title IX and participation of high school girls in sports. When I 
attended one of these high schools to present them with a special 
recognition, one of the girls asked me a question that totally floored 
me. That question was, If you could pick a sport, what sport would you 
have participated in? And it floored me because it was a question that 
had never been asked when I was in high school.
  That's the kind of difference that title IX is making. In fact, 
Patsy's own daughter, when she applied to a particular school and did 
not get accepted, the reason for that was, they told her, We have 
enough women in our university. This all preceded title IX. Literally 
thousands and thousands of lives have been change by title IX.
  In closing, I'd like to also once again thank Chairman Honda for 
allowing us this opportunity to reflect upon how far our APIA community 
has come, and yet we must remember how much further our community has 
to go.
  As we say in Hawaii, mahalo nui loa.
  Mr. HONDA. Mahalo.
  Ms. HIRONO. Thank you, Congressman.
  Mr. HONDA. I'd like to thank the gentlelady from Hawaii. It appears 
that the mainland Asian Americans have to strive real hard to catch up 
to the contributions that many of the folks from Hawaii had 
accomplished.
  You mentioned Patsy Mink. I think a lot of us understand that when we 
come from humble backgrounds--and she often shared that she was born on 
a plantation; went for many years without shoes. She understood what it 
meant to be a woman. And I suspect your background has been very 
similar.

                              {time}  1930

  The idea of title IX and equity for women was probably one that 
formulated in her life and in her work, and the opportunity came about 
when she was able to walk the Halls of Congress. She did that, but she 
didn't stop there because I understand there is a story about her where 
she led a contingent of women to protest that there were no gymnasiums 
here for women and only for men. That must have been a real sight.
  Ms. HIRONO. I can tell you, having gone to the women's gym in the 
Rayburn Building, things have changed. We have full-size lockers now. 
Truly, in terms of gender equality, Patsy was a leader because she had 
to fight every step of the way. And, in fact, one of the other stories 
about Patsy is when she applied to medical school. And she was a very 
smart woman. She wanted to become a doctor. She applied to medical 
school and was refused because she was a woman. When she finally 
applied to law school, they put her in the international dorm because 
they thought she was a foreign person.
  We have come a long way.
  I did want to mention as long as we are talking about the challenges 
that immigrants face. There was a historic poll done recently focusing 
on immigrant women and the fact that so many of them come to this 
country to truly create a new life of opportunity for their children. 
Many of them were professionals in the countries from which they came, 
and so they did not come to make money. Often the kind of jobs they 
were able to get in this country were very poor paying with not very 
many benefits.
  This was so reminiscent of when my mother brought us to this country. 
We came literally with nothing, and she started off in a very poor-
paying job with no benefits. But what guided her was this immigrant 
spirit of wanting to create a new life for her children. That kept her 
going. She wanted for herself to be able to take care of her family, 
but to have us have opportunities that she never had.
  That story is replicated in thousands and thousands and thousands of 
stories by the waves of immigrants from Japan, Korea, China, the 
Philippines, over and over. And to know that even now these women and 
their families face particular challenges should reinforce in us our 
desire to not only celebrate all of the accomplishments of the APIA 
community, but to know that there is much more work to be done.
  Mr. HONDA. Thank you for sharing that. I guess in English we say you 
weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth, nor golden chopsticks. 
Knowing your history of political participation, being the lieutenant 
governor of Hawaii and now representing Hawaii, I guess one can say 
that you are a statistical aberration of probabilities, and who would 
guess except for the fact that your mom had such great strength.
  Ms. HIRONO. One of the things that I always say is that this is a 
great country, and even if we are not perfect, what a country. I am 
reminded once again of that with the election of our first African 
American President.
  Mr. HONDA. Thank you very much.
  For the record, I know I said I would go until 7:30, but it seems we 
have gotten verbose and more comfortable with this kind of presentation 
so we will move on as designated.
  Madam Speaker, for the first time we are marking Asian Pacific 
American Heritage Month with an American President with close ties to 
Asia, as has been mentioned previously. President Obama grew up in 
Hawaii and Indonesia. His sister is half Indonesian, and his brother-
in-law is Chinese Canadian, and he has maintained close ties with Asian 
friends and colleagues throughout his life.
  President Obama's campaign made unprecedented efforts to reach out to 
the APIA communities, and we have found a receptive and engaged 
administration with a close ear to our shared interests.
  Many APIA community members have responded to President Obama's call 
for public service.
  The President's Cabinet appointments include a record three Asian 
Americans: Energy Secretary Steven Chu; Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, 
the former Governor of Washington; Veterans Affairs Secretary General 
Eric Shinseki of Hawaii; and General Shinseki is joined at Veterans 
Affairs by Colonel Tammy Duckworth, who serves as Assistant Secretary.
  He has chosen AAPIs for positions in the White House and throughout 
his administration, including Peter Rouse, Chris Lu, Tina Tchen, Kal 
Penn, Nicholas Rathod, Kundra Vivek, and Sonal Shah.
  Among many others in the White House, CAPAC's own Victoria Tung 
transitioned from her position as CAPAC executive director to an 
appointment Under Secretary Locke at the Department of Commerce.
  The ranks of Asian American Pacific Islander Members of Congress also 
increased this past year with the election of Anh ``Joseph'' Cao from 
Louisiana's Second District, Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan from the 
Northern Mariana Islands, and Steve Austria from Ohio's Seventh 
District.
  Representative Cao has the distinction of being the first Vietnamese 
American elected to Congress.
  Representative Sablan is the first Member to represent the Northern 
Marianas, and the only Chamorro person serving in Congress today. 
Representatives Cao and Sablan are also the newest members of the CAPAC 
executive board. Our newest associate members are Congresswoman Carolyn 
Maloney of New York and Congressman Jerry McNerney of California, and 
we have many more lined up to join.
  It is a testament to our evolving national character as a nation of 
immigrants to have our newest Members of Congress come from upbringings 
beyond our shores.
  Talking about beyond our shores, the Northern Marianas, the most 
western outpost of the United States, here to speak with us is the 
gentleman from Northern Marianas, Congressman Sablan.
  Mr. SABLAN. Thank you very much. I am very happy to join the chairman 
of our caucus here before you, Madam Speaker, as part of the 
celebration of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
  On May 1, 2009, President Obama proclaimed May 2009 as Asian American 
and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
  Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans of the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands celebrate our heritage and praise those who 
pass on our history to our children.

[[Page 12612]]

  The people of the Northern Mariana Islands have much to celebrate: 
our strength and our relationship with the United States. We have two 
distinct but related people: the Chamorros and the Carolinians. Our 
culture and language are witness to the evolution and strength of our 
people. From the over 300-year occupation of the Spanish beginning in 
the early 1500s, to the purchase of the islands by the Germans in 1899, 
to the annexation of the islands by Japan before World War II, to 
becoming a trust territory for 30 years under the United States after 
the war, the Chamorro and the Carolinian people remain proud of who 
they were and who they are today.
  The strength is seen in the eyes of our elders and passed on to 
generations thereafter. Despite the tragedies that have fallen on our 
elders and their elders before, our people are very hospitable. We have 
embraced people from all over the world, not just into our islands, but 
into our own homes. For instance, we have cultural exchanges between 
our schoolchildren and other children from other nations who come to 
the Northern Marianas. Families host and have barbecues for visiting 
military personnel during their R&R visits, and we have several yearly 
festivals showcasing the many beautiful faces and cultures of the 
Marianas.
  We celebrate the independence of our people as part of our heritage. 
The people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided the fate of their 
future after World War II. We chose, as an act of political self-
determination, to be a governing commonwealth within the American 
political system.
  Just last month on March 24, we celebrated 33 years of our 
relationship with the United States. Covenant Day is the recognition of 
the agreement made between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United 
States and which granted the Northern Mariana Islanders United States 
citizenship. Where else but in America can an individual who has only 
been a citizen for 22 years be allowed to be a Member of Congress?
  While Covenant Day celebrates the union between the Northern Mariana 
Islands and the United States, Asian American and Pacific Islander 
Heritage Month celebrates the very people who are part of this union. 
Pacific Islanders contribute much to the United States landscape, 
including teachers, service in the military, caring for those in need 
of medical assistance, defending and prosecution under our legal 
system, and volunteerism in so many ways.
  And after 33 years, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands can 
contribute even more now that they have a voice in Congress. The people 
can become involved in policies that are beneficial to all, including 
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. A voice in Congress is evidence 
of independence, but at the same time resonates with a theme of working 
together, which is exactly who we are.
  For example, health care reform impacts not only Pacific Islanders on 
a local level, but affects all people on a national level. Our voice in 
Congress will seek to protect the people of the Northern Mariana 
Islands, as well as other people across our Nation.
  Lastly, our cultural legacy is only as strong as we remember our 
past. There are not enough pages for me to list each and every person 
who has contributed to the preservation of our culture and language. In 
general, I would like to thank the people who have written books about 
the Northern Mariana Islands, who have taught our history to our 
children in classrooms, to the organizations that have sponsored 
debates, contests, and conversations, and the librarians who archive 
our important documents for future generations.
  While May has been formally recognized as Asian American and Pacific 
Islander Heritage Month, our people celebrate our heritage every day by 
speaking our native tongue, by reading books of our past, by visiting 
and paying respect to our elders, by learning from them, and by 
performing our cultural dances and singing our local music.
  Madam Speaker, I recommend the following literature about the 
Northern Mariana Islands for those who are interested:

                              {time}  1945

       ``Tiempon I Manmofo'na: Ancient Chamorro Culture and 
     History of the Northern Mariana Islands''; ``We Drank Our 
     Tears: Memories of the Battles for Saipan and Tinian as Told 
     by Our Elders''; ``Estreyas Marianas: Chamorro''; Ancient 
     Chamorro Society''; ``An Honorable Accord: The Covenant 
     Between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States''; 
     ``History of the Northern Mariana Islands''; ``A Tidy 
     Universe of Islands''; and ``Tiempon Aleman: A Look Back at 
     the German Rule of the Northern Mariana Islands, 1899-1914.''
  I would like to say in our native tongue, Si Yu'us Ma'ase, Ghilisow, 
and thank you.
  Mr. HONDA. Thank you very much, Congressman Kilili, as you like to be 
called.
  Many things that happen in the Northern Marianas is that--and a lot 
of people don't seem to understand or know--is that there is a dire 
need in those islands that we should be paying attention to. Many times 
when you're out of sight, you're out of mind; and your presence has 
brought to our sight and to our understanding the many things that the 
islands are facing, such as the situation in Saipan.
  Could you just share a little bit about that.
  Mr. SABLAN. Thank you. Let me put it this way; I have been told, 
actually, in my seventh week here in Congress, that, look, you can't 
catch up 33 years of absence in 7 weeks' time.
  We are a small island. We have very little resources. I have always 
said that education is the number one resource we have, and as a member 
of the Committee on Education and Labor, I continue to forward that 
agenda for our islands and for our future. But obviously, because we 
have not had a Member in Congress since we became a United States 
Commonwealth, we have had a lack of resources.
  Our island, for example, we just don't have 24-hour water. And not 
just that, but if you're lucky enough to get 2 to 3 hours of water a 
day, you can't drink that water anyway, so you use it to wash your 
clothes and bathe and those kinds of things.
  Our number one problem is we have major parts of one island in Saipan 
and the other two islands have absolutely no sewer system. So, yes, we 
are trying to bring to the attention of Congress and the Federal 
Government the needs of these islands.
  We have a set of 14 islands in the Northern Mariana Islands that 
right now three are inhabited. At one time, seven islands were 
inhabited, but because of the lack of infrastructure in those islands, 
the absence of schools, public health and running water and utilities, 
those people actually uprooted and moved into Saipan. So we have the 
situation where we are so far removed--as you know, we are 15 time 
zones away from Washington, D.C. We are so far away, it is now 10 
o'clock in the morning tomorrow, and so the time difference is amazing.
  I would like to also admit that when I came here in January, since 
then I have been very welcomed by the Members of this Congress and by 
you, Mr. Chairman. I am so grateful for the hospitality, the 
courteousness that I was given, the decency and respect with which I am 
addressed. That just makes me much more convinced that America is truly 
a Nation of great people and generous people. Thank you.
  Mr. HONDA. Thank you. And the admonition of you can't take care of 33 
years in 7 weeks, if we all believed that, then we would still be back, 
perhaps, in the dark ages. Many people in the old days used to say, 
just be patient and by and by things will happen, but things don't 
happen without some initiative and some understanding and the 
information you bring with you. So the people of the Northern Marianas 
and this country, we are very responsible for many of the things that 
happened in the Pacific Islands because of the testing we've done out 
that way and things like that, really does speak to the responsibility 
of trying to find ways, with technology, to be able to afford and 
provide the necessary kinds of things that are required for living a 
quality of life, such as fresh water. So we thank you very much.
  Mr. SABLAN. Thank you for having me.

[[Page 12613]]


  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, our Nation was founded by immigrants who 
valued freedom and liberty, who sought to be free from persecution, 
from tyranny.
  Families fled their home countries to seek refuge in this great 
Nation because they, too, believed in liberty, justice, and freedom for 
all. It is in this spirit that CAPAC supports immigration legislation 
that shifts the debate from an exclusionary, anti-immigrant, 
enforcement-only approach to one that confronts the social and economic 
realities behind immigration, honors the dignity of all families and 
communities, and recognizes the economic, social, and cultural 
contributions of immigrants to our great country.
  Today, AAPIs constitute a growing and vibrant piece of the American 
fabric. In 2007, approximately 10.2 million of the Nation's foreign 
born were born in Asia, constituting over one-quarter of the foreign-
born population and over one-half of the total Asian American Pacific 
Island population.
  Even with a relatively high naturalization rate, Asian undocumented 
immigrants living, working, or studying in the U.S. represent 
approximately 12 percent of the undocumented immigrants in the U.S. 
These include victims of immigration fraud who have become undocumented 
due to no fault of their own. Many work and study hard and pay taxes, 
yet live in fear with no hope of gaining a path to legal permanent 
resident status.
  We must also recognize that reuniting families gives strength to 
American communities and are the bedrock of a vibrant and stable 
economy. We must eliminate the long backlogs keeping families apart for 
years and often decades. We have the tools and resources to remove the 
obstacles of massive backlogs, insufficient staffing, and unused visas 
that cause unnecessary misery for our newest Americans.
  Let's keep families together. By strengthening the social fabric of 
our communities and integrating workers, we can get our economy back on 
track while reuniting American workers with their families.
  The American people spoke in a united voice last year when they voted 
down the politics of division and embraced the politics of change. 
President Obama, the son of a Kenyan immigrant, has made comprehensive 
immigration reform a high priority. CAPAC is prepared to work with our 
colleagues to push through the long-deferred changes needed to ensure a 
fair, efficient, and secure immigration system. We join with the other 
caucuses to make sure that becomes a reality.
  Madam Speaker, a common misperception of AAPIs is that as a group we 
face fewer health problems than other racial and ethnic groups. In 
fact, AAPIs as a group, and specific populations within this group, do 
experience disparities in health and health care. For example, AAPIs 
have the highest hepatitis B rates of any racial group in the United 
States. We must bring attention to and educate our communities about 
prevention of hepatitis B through testing and vaccination.
  In the United States, 12 million people have been infected at some 
time in their lives with the hepatitis B virus, and more than 5,000 
Americans die from hepatitis B-related liver complications each year. 
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders account for more than half of the 
chronic hepatitis B cases and half of the deaths resulting from chronic 
hepatitis B infections in the United States.
  In order to break the silence surrounding this deadly disease and 
bring awareness to the American people, Congressman Edolphus Towns, 
Congressman Charlie Dent, Congressman Anh Cao, and I will introduce a 
resolution to support the goals and ideals of Viral Hepatitis Awareness 
Month and World Hepatitis Awareness Day. I hope my colleagues will join 
me in educating our communities about the dangers of this disease.
  Furthermore, according to the Census Bureau, 16.8 percent of AAPIs 
went without insurance in 2007, up from 15.5 percent in 2006. This 
means that the uninsured are not only more likely to go without care 
for serious medical conditions, they are also more likely to go without 
routine care, less likely to have a regular source of care, less likely 
to use preventative services, and have fewer visits per year. At the 
same time, without appropriate language translation services or 
properly translated materials, limited English-proficient immigrants 
cannot receive adequate care as well as State and Federal benefits for 
which they may be eligible.
  In the AAPI community, 76 percent of Hmong Americans, 61 percent of 
Vietnamese Americans, 52 percent of Korean Americans, 39 percent of 
Tongans speak limited English. Therefore, eliminating health care 
disparities in the AAPI community must include data collection, 
linguistically appropriate and culturally competent services, and 
access to health insurance.
  CAPAC has been working with both the Congressional Hispanic and Black 
Caucuses on the Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act to eliminate 
ethnic and racial health disparities for all of our communities. The 
act would expand the health care safety net, diversify the health care 
workforce, combat diseases that disproportionately affect racial and 
ethnic minorities, emphasize prevention and behavioral health, and 
promote the collection and dissemination of data, and enhance medical 
research. CAPAC has also joined the Congressional Black, Hispanic, and 
Progressive Caucuses to strongly support a public health insurance plan 
option, such as Medicare.
  In addition to immigration and health care reform, expanding 
educational access for all Americans is also a high priority for CAPAC. 
This Saturday marks the 55th anniversary of Brown v. Board of 
Education. As we celebrate, we must remember that education is at the 
very center of our democratic meritocracy, and it is imperative that 
every American should be afforded the true opportunity to achieve their 
highest potential.
  I have reintroduced the Educational Opportunity and Equity Commission 
Act, H.R. 1758, to begin the process of overhauling the country's 
education system and to finally address the disparities among America's 
schools. This legislation creates a national commission charged with 
gathering public opinions and insights about how government can improve 
education and eliminate the disparities in our educational system. I 
hope you will join me as cosponsors to this legislation.
  As we celebrate Brown v. Board of Education, we must remember the 
needs of all young people, including Asian American and Pacific 
Islander students, many of whom struggle in low-income communities, 
refugee communities, and do not have sufficient English skills. Brown 
paved the way for future Supreme Court rulings, such as in 1974, the 
Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Lau v. Nichols. That decision 
enumerated the educational rights of English language learners and 
established that education is a civil right. As Asian Americans and 
Pacific Islanders, we should be proud of our community and its 
participation in our country's civil rights movement and not forget 
that we have a long way to go yet.
  According to the 2000 Census, only 9.1 percent of Cambodian 
Americans, 7.4 percent Hmong Americans, 7.6 Lao Americans, 19.5 percent 
of Vietnamese Americans, and 16.5 of Native Hawaiians and Pacific 
Islanders who are 25 years and older have a bachelors degree or higher. 
These numbers show that we must do a better job of disaggregating data 
and information about our communities and to assess the needs of those 
hardworking Americans who still falter behind.
  To address the disparities between subgroups of the larger AAPI 
community, we must support greater funding for Asian American and 
Pacific Islander-serving institutions. This program provides Federal 
grants to colleges and universities that have an enrollment of 
undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent AAPI, and at least 
50 percent of its degree-seeking students receive financial assistance.
  On behalf of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, 
Congressman David Wu and I will be working to increase the availability 
of loan assistance, scholarships, and programs to allow AAPI students 
to attend a higher

[[Page 12614]]

education institution, to ensure full funding for teachers and 
bilingual education programs under the No Child Left Behind law to 
support English language learners; and to support full funding of 
minority outreach programs for access to higher education, such as the 
TRIO programs, to expand services to service AAPI students.
  I am proud of our community's accomplishments, and I would like to 
recognize many of the AAPI ``firsts'' in the areas of art, film, 
sports, sciences, academia, and politics.
  In 1847, Yung Wing, a Chinese American, graduated from Yale 
University and became the first AAPI to graduate from an American 
University.
  In 1863, William Ah Hang, a Chinese American, became the first AAPI 
to enlist in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War.
  In 1913, A.K. Mozumdar became the first Indian-born person to earn 
U.S. citizenship, having convinced the court that he was Caucasian, and 
therefore met the requirements of naturalization law that restricted 
citizenship only to free white persons.

                              {time}  2000

  In 1922 Anna May Wong, in her lead role in The Toll of the Sea, at 
the age of 17 became the first AAPI female to become a movie star, 
achieving stardom at a time when prejudice against Chinese in the U.S. 
was rampant.
  In 1944 An Wang, a Chinese American who invented the magnetic core 
memory, revolutionized computing and served as the standard method for 
memory retrieval and storage.
  During World War II, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the U.S. 
Army, comprised mostly of Japanese Americans, became the most highly 
decorated unit of its size in the history of the U.S. Army, including 
22 Medal of Honor recipients.
  It appears that my time is expiring. So let me quickly indicate that 
we have young people like Wataru ``Wat'' Misaka who was born in 1947 
who became the first ethnic minority and the first AAPI to play in the 
National Basketball Association, the New York Knicks. Imagine that, an 
Asian American in basketball.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank you for this opportunity to share 
within a short hour the history of the Asian Americans and a variety of 
communities that reside in this country that have contributed, yet many 
of these names are still unknown.
  Ang Lee is probably the most widely known today, the Chinese American 
director who was the first to win an Academy Award for Best Director.
  Thank you very much, and we would hope that we have opportunities in 
the near future to be able to share more.

                          ____________________