[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5874]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

  (Ms. HAHN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. HAHN. Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent vibrant AAPI 
communities in my 44th Congressional District, and I salute my 12 Asian 
American and Pacific Islander colleagues here in the House, including 
six from California.
  May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which is a month 
dedicated to honoring the countless contributions and immeasurable 
accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The legacies 
of these communities are tied to both proud and dark chapters of 
American history.
  We remember the Chinese laborers who faced grueling conditions while 
constructing the Transcontinental Railroad, as well as the cruel irony 
of patriotic Japanese American troops who fought in World War II while 
their families back home were kept in U.S. internment camps. For 
generations, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have worked to 
better this country despite often facing discrimination and hardship.
  As educators, activists, artists, small business owners, servicemen 
and -women, and elected officials, Asian American and Pacific Islanders 
have added so much to this Nation. They are a reminder that diversity 
continues to be America's greatest strength. It is why I will continue 
to fight to fix our broken immigration system, to expand opportunities 
for people of all backgrounds, and to combat discrimination wherever it 
occurs.

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