III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 183 

Recognizing the significance of May 2017 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage 

Month and as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions 

of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United 

States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 25, 2017 

Mr. SCHUMER (for Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Ms. HARRIS, 

Ms. MURKOWSKI, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. KAINE, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. BENNET, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. CARDIN, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. COONS, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mrs. 

FEINSTEIN, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. CASEY, and Mr. HELLER)) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the significance of May 2017 as Asian/Pacific 

American Heritage Month and as an important time 

to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United 

States. 

Whereas the people of the United States join together each 

May to pay tribute to the contributions of generations of 

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched 

the history of the United States; 


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•SRES 183 ATS 

Whereas the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States is inextricably tied to the story 

of the United States; 

Whereas the Asian American and Pacific Islander community 

is a diverse population, comprised of more than 45 distinct ethnicities and more than 100 language dialects; 

Whereas, according to the Bureau of the Census, the Asian 

American population grew at a faster rate than any other 

racial or ethnic group in the United States during the 

last decade, surging nearly 46 percent between 2000 and 

2010, a growth rate that is 4 times the rate for the total 

population of the United States; 

Whereas, according to the 2010 decennial census, there are 

approximately 17,300,000 residents of the United States 

who identify themselves as Asian and approximately 

1,200,000 residents of the United States who identify 

themselves as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 

making up approximately 5.5 percent and 0.4 percent, 

respectively, of the total population of the United States; 

Whereas the month of May was selected for Asian/Pacific 

American Heritage Month because the first immigrants 

from Japan arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, 

and the first transcontinental railroad was completed on 

May 10, 1869, with substantial contributions from immigrants from China; 

Whereas section 102 of title 36, United States Code, officially 

designates May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage 

Month and requests that the President issue an annual 

proclamation calling on the people of the United States 

to observe Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with 

appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities; 


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•SRES 183 ATS 

Whereas Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as 

Daniel K. Inouye, a Medal of Honor and Presidential 

Medal of Freedom recipient who, as President Pro Tempore of the Senate, was the highest-ranking Asian American government official in the history of the United 

States, Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian American 

elected to serve in Congress, Patsy T. Mink, the first 

woman of color and the first Asian American woman to 

be elected to Congress, Hiram L. Fong, the first Asian 

American Senator, Daniel K. Akaka, the first Senator of 

Native Hawaiian ancestry, Norman Y. Mineta, the first 

Asian American member of a presidential cabinet, Elaine 

L. Chao, the first Asian American woman member of a 

presidential cabinet, Mee Moua, the first Hmong American elected to a State legislature, and others, have made 

significant contributions in both the Government and 

Armed Forces of the United States; 

Whereas 2017 marks several important milestones for the 

Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including— 

(1) the 155th anniversary of the date of enactment 

of the Act of July 1, 1862 (12 Stat. 489, chapter 120), 

which promoted the construction of the transcontinental 

railroad; 

(2) the 135th anniversary of the date of enactment 

of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to execute certain treaty stipulations relating to Chinese’’, approved May 6, 1882 (22 

Stat. 58, chapter 126); 

(3) the 105th anniversary of the first planting of a 

cherry tree from Japan in Washington, DC; 

(4) the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive 

Order 9066 (7 Fed. Reg. 1407; relating to authorizing 


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•SRES 183 ATS 

the Secretary of War to prescribe military areas), which 

authorized the internment of Japanese-Americans; and 

(5) the 25th anniversary of the formal establishment 

of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month; 

Whereas, in 2017, the Polynesian Voyaging Society will complete the final leg of its Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage after 4 years of sailing the world and teaching traditional wayfinding practices, along with the importance of 

caring for the land and sea; 

Whereas, in 2017, the Congressional Asian Pacific American 

Caucus, a bicameral caucus of Members of Congress advocating on behalf of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, is composed of 50 Members, including 17 Members of Asian or Pacific Islander descent; 

Whereas, in 2017, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are 

serving in State and territorial legislatures across the 

United States in record numbers, including in— 

(1) the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, 

New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, 

Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia; and 

(2) the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and 

the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; 

Whereas the number of Federal judges who are Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders doubled between 2001 and 2008 

and more than tripled between 2009 and 2016, reflecting 

a commitment to diversity in the Federal judiciary that 

has resulted in the confirmation of high-caliber Asian 

American and Pacific Islander judicial nominees; 


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Whereas there remains much to be done to ensure that Asian 

Americans and Pacific Islanders have access to resources 

and a voice in the Government of the United States and 

continue to advance in the political landscape of the 

United States; and 

Whereas celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 

provides the people of the United States with an opportunity to recognize the achievements, contributions, and 

history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and to 

appreciate the challenges faced by Asian Americans and 

Pacific Islanders: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the significance of May 2017 as 

3 Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and as an 

4 important time to celebrate the significant contribu5 tions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to 

6 the history of the United States; and 

7 (2) recognizes that the Asian American and Pa8 cific Islander community strengthens, and enhances 

9 the rich diversity of, the United States. 

Æ 


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