Date: 2010-05-19
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. on the occasion of this years Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I would like to recognize the history and contributions that Asian Pacific Americans have made to the development and progress of this country. Today. 16.6 million Asian Pacific Americansapproximately 5 percent of the populationcall the United States their home. More than 70.000 call the 9th Congressional District of Texas home. And they represent 30 countries and ethnic groups that speak over 100 different languages. The first Asian Pacific AmericansFilipinosestablished a community in presentday Louisiana in 1763 after fleeing mistreatment aboard Spanish ships. Since this beginning. the Asian Pacific American community came to encompass Native Hawaiians who served in the American Civil War. Chinese laborers who built the western end of the Transcontinental Railroad. Japanese Americans interned by the U.S. government during World War II. and extraordinary individuals who continue to shape our nations history and aspirations. Today. Asian Pacific Americans have achieved success in many areas. Figures such as Minoru Yamasaki. I. M. Pei. Maya Lin. and Gyo Obata designed magnificent structures including the World Trade Center and the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. DC. Authors like Maxine Hong Kingston. Amy Tan. Jumpha Lahiri. and Ha Jin communicate the Asian Pacific American experience through their writing. The 40 Asian Pacific Americans who have served in Congress since 1903 have been ardent advocates for their community. They include Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole. the first Asian Pacific American in Congress. and Representative Patsy Mink. the first Asian Pacific American woman elected to Congress. Academics JiYeon Yuh. Gary Okihiro. Madeline Hsu. Ronald Takaki. Frank Wu. Kenji Yoshino. and Karen Umemoto. continue to challenge our world view through their scholarship. Entertainers such as Lucy Liu. George Takei. Bruce Lee. YoYo. Ma. Sarah Chang. NeYo. Norah Jones. Leehom Wang. Margaret Cho. and Wah Chung to break stereotypes and showcase the diversity in the Asian Pacific American community. Despite many successful individuals and the significant progress Asian Pacific Americans have made in this country. they continue to face challenges that hinder their ability to achieve the American Dream. 12.6 percent of Asian Pacific Americans live below the poverty line compared to 12.4 percent for the United States population as a whole. Poverty rates among Southeast Asian Americans are much higher than the national average. 37.8 percent of Hmong. 29.3 percent of Cambodian. 18.5 percent of Laotian. and 16.6 percent of Vietnamese live in poverty. In the housing market. one in five Asian Pacific Americans faces housing discrimination when buying a home. In 2008. Asian Pacific Americans suffered the largest percentage decline in homeownership of any racial group. One in four APA students is Limited English Proficient or lives in a linguistically isolated household where parents have Limited English Proficiency. Compounding these challenging educational factors is the high school dropout rate among Southeast Asian American. 40 percent of Hmong. 38 percent of Laotians. and 35 percent of Cambodians do not complete high school. Moreover. only 14 percent of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders over 25 years old have at least a bachelors degree. compared to 27 percent for the overall population. 30 percent of Asian Pacific Americans face employment discriminationthe largest of any groupcompared with African Americans at 26 percent. And 17 percent of Asian Americans and 24 percent of Pacific Islanders do not have health coverage. So as we continue to strive for an America that is more equitable. compassionate. and mindful of our place in the world. we should not forget the contributions and needs of the Asian Pacific American community. For the history and future of Asian Pacific Americans is firmly intertwined with the past and destiny of America. Here in Congress. let us renew our pledge to work for Asian Pacific Americans as we do for all Americans. I wish all Americans a meaningful celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.