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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 200 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 200

Recognizing the significance of the designation of the month of May as 
                 Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 26, 2011

 Mr. Akaka (for himself, Mr. Inouye, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Feinstein, and 
Mr. Reid) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Recognizing the significance of the designation of the month of May as 
                 Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

Whereas each May, the people of the United States join together to pay tribute 
        to the contributions of the generations of Asian-Americans and Pacific 
        Islanders who have enriched the history of the United States;
Whereas the history of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United 
        States is inextricably tied to the history of the United States;
Whereas as of 2011, according to the United States Census Bureau, the Asian-
        American and Pacific Islander community is 1 of the fastest growing and 
        most diverse populations in the United States and is comprised of more 
        than 45 distinct ethnicities and more than 28 language groups;
Whereas the 2010 United States Census estimates that there are--

    (1) 17,300,000 United States residents who identify themselves as Asian 
alone or in combination with 1 or more other races; and

    (2) 1,200,000 United States residents who identify themselves as Native 
Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone or in combination with 1 or more 
other races;

Whereas the United States Census Bureau projects that by the year 2050--

    (1) there will be 40,600,000 United States residents identifying 
themselves as Asian alone or in combination with 1 or more other races, 
comprising 9 percent of the total population of the United States; and

    (2) there will be 2,600,000 United States residents identifying 
themselves as Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander alone or as Native 
Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander in combination with 1 or more other 
races, comprising 0.6 percent of the total population of the United States;

Whereas the month of May was selected for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 
        due to the facts that on May 7, 1843, the first Japanese immigrants 
        arrived in the United States, and on May 10, 1869, the first 
        transcontinental railroad was completed, with substantial contributions 
        from Chinese immigrants;
Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders have faced injustices throughout 
        the history of the United States, including the Act of May 5, 1892 (27 
        Stat. 25, chapter 60) (commonly known as the ``Geary Act'' or the 
        ``Chinese Exclusion Act''), the internment of Japanese-Americans during 
        World War II, unpunished hate crimes, such as the murder of Vincent 
        Chin, and other events;
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;
Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as Yuri Kochiyama, a civil 
        rights activist, Herbert Pililaau, recipient of the Medal of Honor, 
        Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian-American Congressman, Patsy T. Mink, 
        the first Asian-American Congresswoman, and Norman Y. Mineta, the first 
        Asian-American member of a presidential cabinet, have made significant 
        strides in the political and military realms;
Whereas the Presidential Cabinet of the Obama Administration includes a record 3 
        Asian-Americans, including Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Secretary of 
        Commerce Gary Locke, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki;
Whereas in 2011, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, a bicameral 
        caucus of Members of Congress advocating on behalf of Asian-Americans 
        and Pacific Islanders, includes 30 Members of Congress;
Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders have made history by assuming 
        office in a number of new and historically significant positions, 
        including Nikki Haley, the first Asian-American and first female 
        Governor of the State of South Carolina, Edwin M. Lee, the first Asian-
        American Mayor of San Francisco, California, and Jean Quan, the first 
        Asian-American and first woman to serve as Mayor of Oakland, California;
Whereas as of the date of approval of this resolution, Asian-American and 
        Pacific Islander leaders are serving in State legislatures across the 
        United States in record numbers, including in the States of Alaska, 
        Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, 
        Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, 
        Utah, and Washington;
Whereas Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders have risen to some of the highest 
        staff levels in the Obama Administration, including Pete Rouse, who is 
        the first Asian-American to serve as White House Chief of Staff, Tina 
        Tchen, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama, Chris Lu, White 
        House Cabinet Secretary, Neal Katyal, Acting Solicitor General of the 
        United States, Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development, L. Tammy Duckworth, Assistant Secretary for 
        Public and Intergovernmental Affairs of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs, Anthony M. Babauta, Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas of 
        the Department of Interior, and many others;
Whereas the commitment of the United States to judicial diversity has been 
        demonstrated through the nomination of high caliber Asian-Americans and 
        other minority jurists at all levels of the Federal bench;
Whereas significant outreach efforts to the Asian-American and Pacific Islander 
        community have been made through the reestablishment of the White House 
        Initiative on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders to coordinate 
        multiagency efforts to ensure more accurate data collection and access 
        to services for the community;
Whereas even with the exceptional milestones achieved by the Asian-American and 
        Pacific Islander community, there remains much to be done to ensure that 
        linguistically and culturally isolated Asian-Americans and Pacific 
        Islanders have access to resources, a voice in the Federal Government, 
        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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the significance of the designation of the 
        month of May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month;
            (2) encourages the celebration during Asian/Pacific 
        American Heritage Month of the significant contributions Asian-
        Americans and Pacific Islanders have made to the United States; 
        and
            (3) recognizes that the Asian-American and Pacific Islander 
        community strengthens and enhances the rich diversity of the 
        United States.
                                 <all>
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