U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) issued the following statement in response to an article published in the April 26, 2001, Washington Post outlining the findings of a recent national survey that a quarter of the American public hold negative views of Chinese Americans.

"The national survey results indicating the negative perceptions held by a quarter of the public about Chinese Americans are profoundly disappointing to me and should alarm all Americans who cherish the ideals of liberty and equality enshrined in our Constitution.

"Indeed, the continued racial stereotyping of Asian Pacific Americans indicates the substantial ignorance and prejudices still embraced by a far too large portion of the American public. Chinese Americans were the first Asian immigrants to the United States in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They came seeking the same opportunities that brought millions of immigrants to America's shores. Instead many encountered discrimination and bigotry. But despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, these immigrants toiled and sacrificed in order to make this country their own and to preserve the American dream for their American children. Chinese immigrants, Chinese Americans, and all the other Asian Pacific American immigrants helped build our nation and defended it heroically in the First and Second World Wars, in Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. In fact, Chinese Americans fought to preserve the Union in the Civil War.

"These findings remind us that Asian Pacific Americans, whatever their achievements, whatever their contributions to the nation, are still perceived as foreigners, whether fifth or first generation. The attitude that somehow Asian Pacific Americans are more Asian than American, and more foreign than native, reveals how painfully close we still remain to a time when our nation adopted laws excluding Chinese immigrants, denied Asian immigrants citizenship, and interned over 110,000 Japanese Americans and immigrants.

"The disturbing findings of the survey expose the persistent and pernicious bias of a sizeable minority of Americans toward Asian Pacific Americans and underscores the barriers which still exist to equal opportunity for Asian Pacific Americans. Clearly, our nation's promise of equal opportunity for all Americans, and our struggle to counter prejudice and bigotry against any citizen on the basis of race, faith, gender, or orientation is far from over."