    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [May 1, 2008]
    [Pages 612-616]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Observance of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
    May 1, 2008

        Thank you all. Please be seated. Thank you. Good afternoon, and
    welcome to the White House. The East Room is a fitting place to
    celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I say fitting because
    in 1860, this was where James Buchanan first--became the first President
    to receive an official delegation from Japan. It was a great meeting,
    except for one slight wrinkle. The interpreter the Japanese brought with
    them couldn't speak English. [Laughter] So he translated Japanese into
    Dutch--[laughter]--and then another interpreter translated Dutch into
    English. [Laughter] I thought that was pretty interesting. People say
    when I speak, it sounds like Japanese translated into Dutch translated
    into English. [Laughter] I'm just upholding a diplomatic tradition.
    [Laughter]
        During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we honor citizens
    whose families have come from halfway around the world, but who are now
    an integral part of America. I want to thank former Secretary and

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    my dear friend Norm Mineta, who, when he
    was in Congress, introduced legislation that led to this celebration.
    And I thank each of you for coming to be a part of it.
        Madam Secretary, we're proud you're here.
    Elaine Chao has been a member of my Cabinet since day one, and I think
    America is better off for it. So thank you for coming, Madam Secretary.
    Members of Congress--Congressman Wu, thank you for
    being here, sir. Members of my administration, I'm glad you all are
    here. Members of the diplomatic corps, it's so kind of you to take time
    out of your day to come. We got our veterans here and, of course,
    members of the United States military. Proud to call you Commander in
    Chief, and thank you for being here today.
        More than 15 million Americans claim Asian or Pacific ancestry. They
    make America's culture more vibrant, and we're a better place--and a
    more lively place, I might add--from Songkran celebrations in Los
    Angeles to Chinese New Year parties in Chicago to Diwali festivals right
    here at the White House.
        Asian Pacific Americans make our country more competitive. It turns
    out there's a great entrepreneurial streak that runs throughout the
    citizens whom we honor today. Small-business owners all over America are
    creating new jobs and are living the dream. They enrich America because
    of their love for America.
        And many Asians have settled in this country after fleeing
    oppressive regimes. They looked at America as a hopeful place. They
    include the boat people of Vietnam, men and women who escaped the
    killing fields of Cambodia, those who endured the Cultural Revolution in
    China, and victims of the regime in North Korea.
        America must always remember that we are a place of hope and freedom
    for people who live in oppressive societies. Throughout the Asian
    American community, there is a special appreciation of liberty known
    only to those who've been denied it. If you've been denied freedom, if
    freedom is something you long for, you understand how to treasure it.
    Asian Americans are committed to advancing the cause of freedom--and I
    can't thank you enough for that--both in their ancestral nations and in
    our own.
        Together, we work to expand economic freedom and prosperity in the
    Asian-Pacific region. It's in our interest that we enter into trading
    agreements with nations throughout the world, starting with South Korea.
    I negotiated a free trade agreement last June with South Korea. This
    agreement is going to create opportunities for American businesses and
    workers. It will increase trade between our countries by about $17
    billion. It's going to strengthen America's relationship with one of our
    closest, closest allies. When President Lee
    visited the United States a few weeks ago, I promised him that I would
    encourage Congress in as many ways as I could to get this agreement
    passed, that I'd work hard to remind people that this is a mutually
    beneficial agreement.
        The Asian community efforts have supported free trade agreements
    throughout the Asian-Pacific area. And I want to thank you for working
    to educate Members of Congress about why we ought to improve this
    agreement as soon as possible.
        We're working to increase security and reduce the threats to freedom
    in the Asia-Pacific region. Thank you for coming, Chris Hill. He's very much involved in what we've called
    the six-party talks, which is where we've joined with Korea, Japan, and
    Russia and China to convince North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons
    program. Nations have come together to send a clear message that it's
    important to abandon those nuclear weapons ambitions. We want a Korean
    Peninsula that is nuclear weapons free.
        We've put together what's called the Proliferation Security
    Initiative. It works with more than 85 countries, including many in

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    the Asia-Pacific region, to stop the shipment of the world's most
    dangerous weapons. In other words, this is just kind of a quest for
    security and freedom. And we're working with nations all throughout the
    world, including those in the Asian-Pacific region, to protect our
    peoples from the true threats of the 21st century. We're working with
    Pakistan and Indonesia and Malaysia and the Philippines and other
    partners, and Singapore and other partners, to dismantle terrorist
    networks and to combat the ideology of the extremists.
        You can always defeat an ideology of hate with an ideology of hope.
    And there's nothing more hopeful than a system based upon human rights
    and human dignity and a system based upon the freedom for people to
    worship and speak their minds freely.
        We're working with India to promote democracy and the peace it
    yields throughout the continent. We're working together to extend the
    hope of liberty throughout Asia.
        I know you share my concerns about the situation in Tibet. I welcome
    the recent statements by the Chinese Government expressing its
    willingness to meet with representatives of the Dalai Lama. It's precisely what I have suggested President
    Hu Jintao do. I think it's important that there be a renewed dialogue,
    and that dialogue must be substantive, so we can address the real way--
    in a--including--can address in a real way the deep and legitimate
    concerns of the Tibetan people.
        In Burma, the brutal military regime continues to reject the clear
    will of the Burmese people to live under leaders of their own choosing.
    So over the past 8 months, my administration has tightened sanctions on
    the regime. We've imposed visa bans on the junta's generals and their
    families and their cronies. We're trying to send a clear message, and we
    hope the rest of the world follows as well.
        Today I've issued a new Executive order that instructs the Treasury
    Department to freeze the assets of Burmese state-owned companies that
    are major sources of funds that prop up the junta. These companies, in
    industries such as gems and timber, exploit the labor of the downtrodden
    Burmese people but enrich only the generals. And today I'm sending yet
    another clear message that we expect there to be change, and we expect
    these generals to honor the will of the people.
        We're also working to address the humanitarian crisis in Burma. The
    U.S. has resettled tens of thousands of Burmese refugees in the last few
    years, and this year, we expect to admit as many as 18,000 more. Last
    December, I signed legislation to ease restrictions that have prevented
    ethnic minorities involved in the struggle against the Burmese regime
    from entering the United States.
        And I applaud the Asian Americans who have helped these refugees get
    settled once they come to the United States of America. It's got to be
    hard to come here not knowing the language. It's got to be hard to come
    here as a stranger. And I thank those of you and those around the
    country who have opened up their arms and said, ``Welcome to America.
    How can we help you settle in?'' I urge others, especially those who
    share the customs of these newest Asian Americans, to help them feel at
    home here in their adopted country.
        We're working together to strengthen our partnership with Japan,
    which is really one of the great success stories of freedom. Six decades
    ago, my dad fought the Japanese. They were
    the sworn enemy of the United States of America. And now his son sits
    down with Prime Ministers of Japan talking about how to keep the peace.
    Isn't that interesting? What a great irony it is that the father served
    to fight and the son serves to work with the Prime Minister of the former enemy to keep the peace. Freedom is
    transformative. Freedom and democracy are powerful instruments of
    change.
        The lesson learned in this example is one that we can apply
    elsewhere around the world to yield the peace that we all want.

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    And this friendship was made possible by Americans who understood the
    power--the transformative power of freedom years ago. I wasn't the first
    person to think of that. Fortunately, predecessors of mine understood
    with great faith that freedom is universal, that freedom is widespread,
    that people long to be free, and if given the chance to be free,
    peaceful societies develop.
        With us today are veterans from the 442d Regimental Combat Team.
    This was a segregated Army unit composed mostly of volunteers recruited
    from internment camps in the United States. Isn't that interesting?
    People whose love of the country was such that they were over--able to
    overcome the bitterness of being interned by a country they called home.
    And they were willing to put on the uniform, and not only put on the
    uniform, they served America with distinction in eight battle campaigns
    in Europe. In 1945, members of the 442d helped liberate the
    concentration camp at Dachau. They went from an intern camp, to wear the
    uniform of the United States Army, to liberate camps in Europe.
        Yet the 442d is best known for their mission to rescue the trapped
    soldiers of the Texas National Guard's ``lost battalion.'' A lot of
    Texans thanking you guys for that, by the way. [Laughter] In the
    mountains of eastern France, the 442d went up against the heavily
    entrenched Germans and suffered devastating casualties. But their
    courage saved more than 200 of their brothers. Their valor helped earn
    them several Presidential Unit Citations and helped make their unit one
    of the most highly decorated in U.S. military history. Their sacrifice
    earns the gratitude of the Nation they defended, and an attitude we
    express today to the men of the 442d. Thank you for coming.
        I do want to point out one soul who's joined us--and Ben is not going to be happy about it--Ben Kuroki. He
    probably doesn't want to be called out, but I'm going to do it anyway,
    Ben. I got the podium, and you don't. [Laughter]
        Two days after Pearl Harbor, Ben volunteered
    to join the Army, where there is no doubt he met prejudice at nearly
    every turn. Still, he became one of the few Nisei admitted to the Army
    Air Corps. He flew 58 missions over Europe and Japan, and he earned
    three Distinguished Flying Crosses.
        When he came back home, he turned to another
    mission: working to overcome the intolerance he had experienced during
    his early days in the Army. Ben edited newspapers. He spoke to audiences
    around the country. He became a strong advocate of racial equality. He
    knew something, and he knew the subject well, unfortunately.
        Sixty years after the Japanese surrender, Ben
    received the U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal. And at the ceremony,
    here's what he said: ``I had to fight like hell to fight for my country,
    and now I feel completely vindicated.''
        We are glad you feel vindicated, but I am proud to tell you, America
    is a better place because of you, Ben. Thank you for coming.
        And so during Asia Pacific American Heritage Month, we thank you all
    for helping make America a better place. We thank you for loving our
    country the way you do. The way--thank you for being great contributors
    to the life of our fellow citizens.
        We ask for God's continued blessings on you, your family, and all
    the citizens of our great land. Thanks for coming. God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:53 p.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to former Transportation Secretary
    Norman Y. Mineta; President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea; Assistant
    Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher R.
    Hill; Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama; President Hu Jintao of China;
    and Prime Minister Yasuo

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    Fukuda of Japan. The Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month proclamation
    of April 29 is listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.