[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.