TITLE: Recognizing May 2013 as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.

SUMMARY: Recognizing May 2013 as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The observance of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in May 2013 offers a fitting opportunity to honor the wide-ranging contributions to this state and nation made by individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander descent; and WHEREAS, In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating a week in May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Week; the event was expanded 12 years later into a monthlong celebration, and in 1992, May was officially designated as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month; and WHEREAS, The term Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia; when Congress initially set aside time to acknowledge the diverse culture, traditions, and history of people from this region, it selected May in order to commemorate two major developments in the annals of the United States; May 7, 1843, marked the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants and May 10, 1869, saw the completion of the transcontinental railroad, constructed mostly by workers from China; and WHEREAS, Through the years, generations of Americans descended from Asians and Pacific Islanders have made an indelible imprint on the Lone Star State, and it is indeed a pleasure to join in celebrating the many ways in which they have enriched the vibrant cultural fabric of our nation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby recognize May 2013 as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. Button Thompson of Harris Branch Vo Wu Straus M. Gonzalez of El Paso Oliveira Allen N. Gonzalez of El Paso Orr Alonzo Gooden Otto Alvarado Guerra Paddie Anchia Guillen Parker Anderson Gutierrez Patrick Ashby Harless Perez Aycock Harper-Brown Perry Bell Hernandez Luna Phillips Bohac Herrero Pickett Bonnen of Brazoria Hilderbran Pitts Bonnen of Galveston Howard Price Branch Huberty Raney Burkett Hughes Ratliff Burnam Hunter Raymond Button Isaac Reynolds Callegari Johnson Riddle Canales Kacal Ritter Capriglione Keffer Rodriguez of Bexar Carter King of Hemphill Rodriguez of Travis Clardy King of Parker Rose Coleman King of Taylor Sanford Collier King of Zavala Schaefer Cook Kleinschmidt Sheets Cortez Klick Sheffield of Bell Craddick Kolkhorst Sheffield of Coryell Creighton Krause Simmons Crownover Kuempel Simpson Dale Larson Smith Darby Laubenberg Smithee Davis of Dallas Lavender Springer J. Davis of Harris Leach Stephenson S. Davis of Harris Lewis Stickland Deshotel Longoria Strama Dukes Lozano Taylor Dutton Lucio III Thompson of Brazoria Eiland Marquez Thompson of Harris Elkins Martinez Toth Fallon Martinez Fischer Turner of Collin Farias McClendon Turner of Harris Farney Menendez Turner of Tarrant Farrar Miles Villalba Fletcher Miller of Comal Villarreal Flynn Miller of Fort Bend Vo Frank Moody Walle Frullo Morrison White Geren Munoz, Jr. Workman Giddings Murphy Wu Goldman Naishtat Zedler Gonzales Nevarez Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1876 was adopted by the House on May 8, 2013, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House