REMARKS
FOR
THE
HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY
OF TRANSPORTATION
Asian
Pacific American Heritage Month
WASHINGTON,
D.C.
MAY
8, 2002
11
AM
Thank you very,
very much for that wonderful introduction, Joie.
Joie Chen, our MC for today, maintains
a very busy schedule as a CBS News Correspondent here in Washington
-- but she always finds time
to help out and be a part of community events.
Thank you, Joie, for taking the time to
be here.
And let me also welcome our keynote
speaker, Congressman Mike Honda of California, the Vice Chairman of the
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
Mike has been a great partner to DOT
and to me as we confront the challenging issues of aviation and transportation
security. (And I would also like to
point out that Mike represents my old district in the House of Representatives.)
I’m proud to see that we are joined
by a number of our Administrators and other heads of operating Administrations
here at the Department of Transportation.
We also have Roger Peralta, President
of DOT’s Asian Pacific American Employees Council (APAEC), the APA Council
committee members, program managers, and representatives from our Department’s
Civil Rights offices.
This is a very special observance for
me, and one I have had the privilege of working toward for many years.
The effort to launch a national
celebration of the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders began
in the late 1970’s, when Congressman Frank Horton of New York and I introduced
legislation to create Asian Pacific American Heritage Week.
This was eventually expanded to a
month-long observance, but one that had to be renewed with new legislation every
year.
When Frank Horton told me he was
retiring from Congress in 1992, he mentioned that one thing he wanted to
accomplish was to have this observance permanently written into law. We succeeded in that effort, and this was made a permanent
national observance when former President George Bush signed the bill into law.
There are some people who ask why we
have these observances.
I believe they are important precisely
because the United States is the most diverse nation in the history of the
world. There is not an ethnic or
religious group anywhere in the world that does not count Americans among their
numbers.
Asian Pacific Americans make up almost
4 percent of our country’s population, according to the Bureau of the Census.
And, by the year 2050, one out of ten Americans will trace their heritage
to Asia or the islands of the Pacific.
Asian Pacific Americans understand
diversity, as we represent dozens of distinct ethnic groups, each with its own
unique language, culture, and history in this Nation.
We recognize the challenges this
diversity presents to us in terms of understanding and cooperation
-- but we also know the
tremendous achievements that are possible when we build those bridges between
our communities.
The events planned here at the
Department of Transportation, and around the Nation, during the month of May,
are designed to help build those bridges.
As a community, we must seize this
opportunity to educate ourselves, and to educate our fellow Americans, about the
contributions that the Asian Pacific American community has made
-- and continues to make
-- to our great Nation.
Asian Pacific Americans have made major
contributions in news and media, in transportation and infrastructure, in health
and science, in business and finance, and in politics and government.
Today we celebrate our heritage as
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, but we also celebrate the diversity that
can be found only in America.
Our Nation faces tremendous challenges
today in the fight against terrorism
-- perhaps one of the
greatest challenges it has faced in its history.
The support of all Americans will be needed to meet those challenges.
On September 11th and in the days
following those horrific terrorist attacks, President Bush’s diverse team of
men and women were his greatest asset.
The President’s cabinet and many
other advisors, together with the Congress, pulled together in the Nation’s
time of need, and showed the world what America is all about.
It’s about celebrating differences while pulling together for the
common good.
As Asian Pacific Americans, that is a
lesson we understand very well --
and one that is demonstrated here at DOT today.
Thank you very much.
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