IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 338 

Recognizing the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in 

May as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions 

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

States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 18, 2017 

Ms. JUDY CHU of California (for herself, Ms. MENG, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. 

TED LIEU of California, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. SABLAN, 

Ms. GABBARD, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. VARGAS, 

Ms. LEE, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. PETERS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, 

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. HANABUSA, and Mrs. DAVIS of California) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Oversight and Government Reform 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May 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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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 an inherently diverse population, comprised of over 45 

distinct ethnicities and over 100 language dialects; 

Whereas according to the United States Census Bureau, the 

Asian American population grew faster than any other 

racial or ethnic group over the last decade, surging nearly 

46 percent between 2000 and 2010, a growth rate 4 

times faster than the total United States population; 

Whereas there are approximately 21 million residents of the 

United States who identify themselves as Asian and approximately 1.5 million residents of the United States 

who identify themselves as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, making up nearly 6 percent of the total 

United States population; 

Whereas the month of May was selected for Asian/Pacific 

American Heritage Month because the first Japanese immigrants arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, 

and the first transcontinental railroad was completed on 

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

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

designates May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage 

Month and requests the President to issue an annual 

proclamation calling on the people of the United States 

to observe the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities; 

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•HRES 338 IH 

Whereas 2017 marks several important milestones for the 

Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including the— 

(1) 135th anniversary of the passage of the Chinese 

Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred the entry of Chinese 

immigrants to the United States for more than half a 

century and spurred a series of anti-immigrant policies 

targeting immigration from the Asia-Pacific region; 

(2) 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive 

Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of over 

120,000 people of Japanese ancestry during World War 

II; 

(3) 35th anniversary of the murder of Vincent Chin, 

a Chinese American man beaten to death in Michigan by 

two White men angered by layoffs in the auto industry; 

(4) 25th anniversary of Public Law 102–450, which 

designated the month of May as ‘‘Asian/Pacific American 

Heritage Month’’; and 

(5) 10th anniversary of the creation of the Asian 

American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving 

Institutions program, which was authorized under the 

College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007; 

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 United States history, Dalip 

Singh Saund, the first Asian American Congressman, 

Patsy T. Mink, the first woman of color and 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 PresiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:30 May 19, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR338.IH HR338
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•HRES 338 IH 

dential cabinet, and others have made significant contributions in both our government and military; 

Whereas 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 this year, 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 the States 

of Alaska, Arizona, California, 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, West Virginia, and in the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, 

and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; 

Whereas the number of Asian American and Pacific Islander 

Article III judges more than tripled between 2009 and 

2017, reflecting a commitment to diversity in the Federal 

judiciary that has resulted in the confirmations of high 

caliber Asian American and Pacific Islander judicial 

nominees; 

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, hisVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:04 May 19, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR338.IH HR338
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tory, and to understand the challenges faced by Asian 

Americans and Pacific Islanders: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the significance of Asian/Pacific 

3 American Heritage Month as an important time to 

4 celebrate the significant contributions of Asian 

5 Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the 

6 United States; and 

7 (2) recognizes that Asian American and Pacific 

8 Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of 

9 and strengthen the United States. 

Æ