[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6896-6897]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      ASIAN PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Chu) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, this month is Asian Pacific American Heritage 
Month. It is a time for us to take pride in our country's diversity and 
to celebrate the ways in which Asian Pacific Americans have contributed 
to the vibrancy of our Nation.
  Today, Asian Pacific Americans are the fastest growing racial group 
in the country and now account for nearly 6 percent of the total 
population. Asian Pacific Americans are an incredibly diverse group 
comprised of over 45 distinct ethnicities and speaking over 100 
different language dialects. We are represented in every arena of 
American life, from college presidents to public servants and CEOs, and 
even to an NBA basketball star, Jeremy Lin.
  This year marks a number of historic milestones for the Asian Pacific 
American community, including the 20th year since the formal 
establishment of APA Heritage Month; the 100th anniversary of the 
planting of the first cherry blossoms in our Nation's Capital; and the 
150th year since the passage of the Pacific Railroad Act, which led to 
the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
  This year also marks the anniversary of several painful events in our 
history: 130 years since the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 
1882, a discriminatory piece of legislation which prevented people of 
Chinese ancestry from becoming naturalized citizens and from ever 
having the right to vote; 70 years since the signing of Executive Order 
9066, which led to the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during

[[Page 6897]]

World War II; and 30 years since the unpunished murder of Vincent Chin 
in Detroit by two unemployed autoworkers who blamed him and all Asian 
Americans for the loss of their jobs.
  Although our history has indicated great progress since the days of 
discrimination, it is important to continue to remember our history in 
order to protect the civil rights of all Americans and to prevent these 
atrocities from ever happening again.
  As chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, or 
CAPAC, I have the privilege of advocating for the APA community's needs 
and priorities on a broad range of issues, including civil rights, 
health care, economic justice, and immigration reform. This year, our 
caucus welcomed 12 new Congress Members, bringing our total to a record 
high of 42 members. This means that CAPAC will be able to serve as an 
even stronger voice for the Asian Pacific community at all levels.
  As the Asian Pacific community continues to grow across the Nation--
not just in traditional strongholds like California, Hawaii, or New 
York, but also in States like Texas, Georgia, and Nevada--my colleagues 
and I will continue to ensure that the needs of the APA community are 
included as we push for policies that re-ignite the American Dream for 
all.
  So as we celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month this May, I hope you 
will join me and remember the many contributions that Asian Pacific 
Americans have made to our great country.

                          ____________________